Learning the ABCs of keeping the beach healthy and clean for years to come can begin almost as soon as your little one is ready to dig his/her shovel into the sand to make a castle. Children (and adults) learn by example; they must see to believe and to learn that a healthy beach begins with them.

All: Take everything with you that you bring to the beach and Leave Only Footprints. At the end of your beach day, make sure to gather the beach toys, chairs, trash and any other items that don’t belong there. Something as simple as an aluminum can will take up to 200 years to disappear from the Gulf of Mexico – plus, no one likes stepping on sharp ends of cans left in the sand or caught in the surf. Make it a game at the end of the day to clean your area. Have a contest to see who can pick up the most or pick it up the fastest. Either way, you’re doing your part of keeping the Alabama Gulf Coast pristine for your next visit.

Be aware: Our area of the Gulf Coast is home to nesting turtle mamas who come ashore, build nests and lay eggs that will be future turtle generations. It’s important to keep the shoreline and beach clear so the turtle mamas can find the way to their nests. It’s even more important when the turtle hatchlings begin their trek to the Gulf that the pathways are clear. The young turtles have a difficult enough time trying to stay safe from natural predators like coyotes and birds – let’s not add human beings to that list. Find out how you can Share the Beach and still have a great time in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Coastal Conservation: Keeping a clean beach also helps the other creatures in the area that depend on a clean environment. Alabama boasts four different ecosystems, including freshwater marsh, small stream swamp forest, ancient maritime live oak forest and wet longleaf pine savanna. Additionally, the Alabama Gulf Coast is home to endangered and protected species such as the Alabama beach mouse, red dockaded woodpecker and Kemp’s ridley turtles. Want to join a concerted effort to keep the Alabama coast clean? The 29th Annual Coastal Cleanup is planned for Sept. 17, 2016. In the past 28 years, approximately 77,000 volunteers have removed more than 1.5 million pounds of marine debris from Alabama’s valued coastline and waterways.

kids water

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