It’s never too early to teach your kids about the importance of not littering and keeping our beaches clean. Young Oliver is a great example to show age should not stop anyone from helping the community and planet. Clean Horizons is a mission created by Oliver to help influence other families to reduce plastic waste and get involved in ways to help the environment. Follow along with Oliver to see all the adventures his family and Clean Horizons is up [...]
For the past 35 years, the Alabama Gulf Coast has been a part of an amazing project that helps clean up the coastline we all enjoy. Come be part of this movement on September 17, 2022, from 8 a.m. until noon, as we celebrate the 35th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup. What is the Alabama Coastal Cleanup? This is Alabama’s largest volunteer event. Neighborhoods, parks, streets, beaches and even storm drains are part of the cleanup. Picking up litter leaves the [...]
Why didn’t the oyster have any friends? Because he was shellfish. That makes a cute joke, but the oyster actually has many friends. Friends like us who think it needs to be celebrated. National Oyster Day takes place on August 5. This day commemorates the different types of oyster shellfish. Oysters have been eaten for thousands of years and are believed to have been one of the first living creatures. This delicacy can provide a different taste depending on where [...]
CONSERVATION: a careful preservation and protection of something. The new year means New Year’s resolutions. Whether you have your resolutions set or not, we have a New Year’s goal we hope you’ll add: being environmentally friendly at the beach and in your daily life! To be environmentally friendly at the beach, you can: Recycle the items that can be recycled. Throw away your trash. Bringing an extra bag for trash can be helpful in making sure the items that need [...]
As we finish off 2021, remember to Leave Only Footprints. Building this lifestyle is beneficial for the coastal environment and will ensure that generations to come will have the opportunity to appreciate the Alabama Gulf Coast. Below are some easy Leave Only Footprints reminders for your next trip to the beach. Avoid walking on beach vegetation and sand dunes. Explore away from bird nesting areas and other wildlife. Do not litter – gather and throw away your trash. Recycle what [...]
Marine debris probably isn’t on your mind in your day-to-day life. If you live anywhere near the coast, maybe it should be. Most of the time, we think of marine debris as being trash left on the beach by tourists or plastic bags pitched in the water by an inconsiderate boater. In reality, the offense can happen miles inland. Most runoff from streets and parking lots drains into ditches that flow into streams. The streams flow to the rivers and bays and [...]
Have you visited Gulf Shores and Orange Beach during the fall? It’s the favorite time of year for some of our visitors and locals. The summer crowds have gone, the daytime temperatures are still nice and warm, the evenings are a little cooler and the sun is beautifully bright. We have a few tips that can make your autumn visit to the coast enjoyable while keeping our beaches pristine to boot. The air may feel cooler, but the sun is still intense. A large umbrella provides shade and is easier to handle than [...]
A quick family getaway to the beach is a good way to conquer back-to-school blues. It’s also a great time to teach the kids the importance of taking care of the environment. The Leave Only Footprints program is based on Leave No Trace principles. For a kid-friendly version, our Leave No Trace Principles for Kids helps children learn to be good stewards of our beaches and coastal lands. Know Before You Go - Have a family discussion about everyone doing their part to keep the [...]
Every third Saturday of September, residents and visitors alike gather at the beaches, bays and waterways for the annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup. These hordes of volunteers hit the sand and shores at 8 a.m. and work until noon to get the trash out of the splash. Alabama joined the International Coastal Cleanup in 1987 and since then, more than 100,000 volunteers have taken part in the local event. In the first 28 years, 15 million pounds of trash was collected [...]
The Alabama Gulf Coast welcomes more than 5 million visitors each year. That’s a lot of wear and tear on our beaches and waterways. Keeping them clean and beautiful for future generations is where the Leave Only Footprints program comes in. We can’t do it alone. We depend on our visitors to pitch in and do their part for the next family arriving. It’s easy to do. When you come to enjoy the 32 miles of white-sand beaches, hiking and biking trails, and back bays [...]
