Submitted by San Juan County.

One hundred thirty-eight miles of road and 55 miles of beach are much cleaner thanks to the Spring Great islands Clean-up. Thanks to more than 400 dedicated volunteers on Orcas, San Juan, Shaw, Lopez, and Henry Islands, 5,435 pounds of garbage was collected by bike, foot and even kayaks.

“Think of all that trash littering our beautiful Salish Sea, potentially harming birds and other wildlife. I encourage islanders to get out there and help us stay litter-free all year by reducing plastic use and adopting a beach to help clean,” said Katie Fleming, community engagement director at Friends of the San Juans.

The Great Islands Clean Up is a bi-annual event held every Spring and Fall, administered by the County’s Environmental Resources Solid Waste Program in cooperation with waste management providers Orcas Recycling Services, Lopez Solid Waste District, and San Juan Sanitation, nonprofits and volunteers. State litter grant funding enables these events as well as litter and debris pickup throughout the year. Visit PlasticFreeSalishSea.org/Adopt-A-Beach for information about how to adopt a beach and keep up the good work year-round!