In celebration of International Coastal Cleanup Day and National Public Lands Day, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection invites Florida residents and visitors to volunteer at events in Florida’s state parks, aquatic preserves and national estuarine research reserves Sept. 21-28, 2019.

Sept. 21 is International Coastal Cleanup Day, the world’s largest volunteer effort to help protect oceans, lakes and rivers, and Sept. 28 is National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands.

DEP will join partners in offering statewide beach and trail cleanups, exotic plant removals, native plantings, and informational sessions throughout the week to promote volunteerism and encourage the preservation of Florida’s natural resources. 

International Coastal Cleanup Day events in Central Florida include:

• Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach
  Saturday, Sept. 21, 8:30  – 10:30 a.m.

Find an International Coastal Cleanup Day event near you.

National Public Lands Day events in Central Florida include:

• Sebastian Inlet State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 8 – 10 a.m.
• Alafia River State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. – noon
• Ravine Gardens State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. – noon
• Blue Spring State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:30  – 11:30 a.m.
• Wekiwa Springs State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. – noon
• Lake Kissimmee State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9  – 11:30 a.m.
• Tomoka State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 – 11 a.m.
• De Leon Springs State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. – noon
• Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m. – noon
• North Peninsula State Park 
  Saturday, Sept. 28, 9-11 a.m.

Find a National Public Lands Day event near you. 

LE/AD Lake Appreciation Events

There are over 550 lakes in Polk County and each one of them can use a little tender loving care. One way to start appreciating our lakes is to recognize July as Lakes Appreciation Month.

WHAT IS LAKES APPRECIATION MONTH?

Citizens are encouraged to enjoy their lakes and reservoirs throughout the year but especially in July –  as July is Lakes Appreciation Month.  The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) sponsors Lakes Appreciation Month each July nationwide to draw attention to the value and importance of lakes and reservoirs. Americans love to spend July, especially the Fourth, on the water, at beaches and on lakeshores. Boating, fishing and swimming are favorite recreational uses of American lakes and reservoirs. Lakes and reservoirs also play other vital and often hidden roles. They provide drinking water and irrigation water for agricultural fields and are a source of electricity and power generation. They also serve the important function of absorbing rainfall and runoff from land, help to prevent floods, and provide homes for precious wildlife.  It is clear that as we enjoy and use lakes, we have to protect them. Because lake pollution is caused by so many different activities, no one regulation will suffice to prevent it. Education and outreach aimed at changing individual behavior are key components to any successful lake protection effort.

For us here in Polk County, that means an opportunity to kick of a yearlong quest to celebrate our beautiful lakes (over 500 lakes).  Lakes Education/Action Drive (LE/AD), along with the City of Haines City, City of Lakeland, Lakeland Clean & Beautiful, City of Winter Haven, Keep Winter Haven Clean & Beautiful, Polk County Board of County Commissioners and Keep Polk County Beautiful are helping to coordinate their efforts with one goal in mind – removing trash from our lakes and leaving Polk Count y’s lakes better than they were before!

Here’s what you can do:

1. Join a scheduled Lake Appreciation Event (see Events Calendar) or
2. As an individual, family or organized group: Clean up your favorite lake any day/any time during the year. Those who pre-register and return their wrap up report surveys to LE/AD you will be offered a LE/AD membership discount and invited to our Volunteer recognition event. REGISTER HERE https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lakes-appreciation-lake-cleanup-tickets-36086500695

REGISTER for any of the Events at www.lakeseducation.org

LAKE APPRECIATION EVENTS

July 7, 2017 – 9:00 A.M. on Thursday morning at Lake Eva Boat Ramp in Haines City. Register at All those that preregister and help clean the lake will be served a Pizza in the Park lunch at 11:00 A.M.

July 8, 2017 – We suggest getting started by 9 AM to beat the heat for a Clean Up on Crooked Lake. Yes,  4^th of July has come & gone,  but you still have a chance to help us declare our independence!  Independence from lake trash, that is. Join Defenders of Crooked Lake’s 4^th annual “Keep Crooked Clean” project. In past years, we have collected: a submerged boat, bicycle, fluorescent tube light, fishing line, a full six pack of beer, fireworks debris, tarps, plastic, glass and cans, and more….  Our campaign to curb the Grassy Island Litter problem has proven successful.

This year, let’s try each family taking out their own boat or walking the shoreline in your area.  Or pick an area of concern that you know about.  One suggestion is checking for litter from the US 27 canals and other stormwater run-off areas

July 18, 2017 – 9:30 A.M on Tuesday morning at Lake Howard Park, in Winter Haven. Register for this cleanup at www.lakeseducation.org. All volunteers that preregister and help clean the park and lake shore of Lake Howard will be served pizza in the park at 11:30 A.M.

September 13, 2017 – This Wednesday is an early release day for Polk County schools. We are inviting any youth groups, families and work groups to join us for this afternoon lake cleanup at Lake Cannon. Participants can pickup trash by foot, boat or kayaks (some kayaks will be available to use – waivers must be signed) or bring your own paddling device. Just be ready to help us pickup trash on the Chain of Lakes.

October 7, 2017 Lakeland Cardboard Boat Challenge – One Saturday each fall starting at 8:00am Lakeland sponsors this amazing Community Event to celebrate and learn more about our precious water resources. Everyone is invited to enter and build a boat out of cardboard and duct tape (space is limited register early) or just come out to Lake Hollingsworth to see the boats race at 10:00 am and find out how far a cardboard boat will go (you may be impressed).

October – Painting with a Twist – Join us for a Fundraiser

October 11^th at Lake Hollingsworth starting at 12:30 P.M. This Wednesday is an early release day for Polk County schools. We are inviting any youth groups, families and work groups to join us for this afternoon lake cleanup at Lake Hollingsworth Boat Ramp. Participants can pickup trash by foot, bicycle, boat or canoes/kayaks (some kayaks will be available to use – waivers must be signed) or bring your own paddling device.  All volunteers that preregister and help clean Lake Hollingsworth will be served lunch at the boat ramp 12:30 P.M.

November 15, 2017 12:30 P.M. This Wednesday is an early release day for Polk County schools. We are inviting any youth groups, families and work groups to join us for this afternoon lake cleanup at Lake Hartridge Park. Participants can pickup trash by foot, boat or kayaks (some kayaks will be available to use – waivers must be signed) or bring your own paddling device. Just be ready to help us pickup trash on the Chain of Lakes.

January 24, 2018 12:30 PM This Wednesday is an early release day for Polk County schools. We are inviting any youth groups, families and work groups to join us for this afternoon lake cleanup at Lake Beulah. Participants can pickup trash by foot, canoe or kayaks (some kayaks will be available to use – waivers must be signed) or bring your own paddling device.

February 7, 2018 12:30 PM This Wednesday is an early release day for Polk County schools. We are inviting any youth groups, families and work groups to join us for this afternoon lake cleanup at Lake Parker. Participants can pickup trash by foot, boat or kayaks (some kayaks will be available to use – waivers must be signed) or bring your own paddling device. Lake Parker is large lake and we will be assigning sections of the lake to different groups that sign up. Meeting location and pizza location will be the Lake Parker Park by the boat ramp.

March 2018 Painting with a Twist Lakeland Fundraiser – Lakeland Date and Time TBD.

March 11, 2018 starting at 12:30 P.M. This Wednesday is an early release day for Polk County schools. We are inviting any youth groups, families and work groups to join us for this afternoon water cleanup along the Peace River. Participants can pickup trash by foot, canoes or  kayaks (some kayaks will be available to use – waivers must be signed) or bring your own paddling device. Exact location TBD by water levels as the date gets closer.

April 28, 2018 Project EAGLE at Lake Shipp, one of the longest running lake cleanup events on the Chain of Lakes and in Polk County. Boaters of all engine types and citizens join to adopt a lake along the chain to clean. Everyone meets back for a complimentary lunch after the cleanup and good fun. Register with Keep Winter Haven Clean and Beautiful and join us for this large lake cleanup event.

May 2018 Seven Rivers Water Festival is a countywide educational event that brings together, private, public and non-profit groups to share with the citizens and visitors of Polk County information on our important water resources. Date and Location TBD check www.polk-county.net/7rivers for more information.

Again if you can’t participate in one of these planned lake cleanup days, any day is a good day for a Lake cleanup! Participating in lake cleanups is just one way to draw attention to the value and importance of lakes. While July is National Lakes Appreciation Month, we encourage citizens to hold lake cleanups through the year. If you, a family, or a group wants to do a lake cleanup, please just email lakeseducation@hotmail.com or register online at .  Together with our partners we will provide needed supplies. Remember to send us a picture, of your group, with names and number of bags removed – we will record your information into the countywide database and invite you to our annual LE/AD Volunteer recognition event.

After a lake cleanup this weekend at Lake Eva, I couldn’t help stop thinking how did this trash get here! As a young girl, I will admit I was one of those people who loved mystery books, and often thought of being a detective. I must say though that I never really thought that a trash pickup on a local lake could reignite my Sherlock Holmes tendencies. Well it did, not only was I picking up trash, but trying to track the trash back to its origin.

As I approached the lake shore to launch my kayak, it was evident that our morning would not be cut short due to lack of trash. I could see water bottles, Gatorade bottles, fishing line and empty bait containers floating among the aquatic vegetation near the dock. It was my first stop, because this litter was most easily visible to the public using the dock. It was also easy to track this trash to have likely come from visitors, either fishing or hiking the trails near by.

The next trash to track was a little more difficult to see from the lake as the cattails, pickerelweed and duck potato was trying hard to hide the trash hiding amongst their stems. So as I navigated, like the resident water birds, through the vegetation, tracking trash got more interesting. My trash collecting started to get interesting, a Barbie doll arm, an entire crest toothpaste tube, socks, plastic bags, baseball, tennis ball, pop tarts package, icing packet for toaster strudels,  cigarette butts and many other fascinating items. So where were these items coming from? Was someone brushing their teeth while fishing? I don’t think so. My curiosity was ignited. I was ready to track this trash. I kept paddling through the tall vegetation, and finally I came to an opening. That is when I saw it a large pipe leading to the lake. You see, not only does this lake feel the pressures applied by recreationalist on its shoreline and in its waters, but this lake is also the recipient of stormwater runoff. The items I had been picking up probably traveled many blocks through underground pipes and eventually make it to the lake. You know those stormwater access points along the roads we drive, some have signs that say drain to lake. Yes those really do drain to lake. So the variety of trash in my bucket is a collection of trash thrown to the road sides in the neighborhoods surrounding this lake.

I learned that by tracking trash, I was also learning more about this lakes story. I will continue to track trash as we do lake cleanups through the year and share those stories with you. Meanwhile you can make a difference by remembering simple things like, only rain goes down the drain.