(Local paper front page) South Carolina coastal cities prepare for Fourth of July holiday and ‘dirtiest day on the beach’

“It’s amazing what trash is left in our parks, both on our beach and in the interior of the park,” Wilson said, adding that park rangers cannot issue littering citations. “So much work goes in from volunteers to staff, both in parks and on the beach, just picking things up.”

In the U.S., the upcoming Fourth of July holiday typically brings millions of visitors to coastal beach areas for holiday festivities. The significant amount of litter and trash left behind has led the California-based Surfrider Foundation to dub July 5 as the dirtiest day on the beach.

Wilson, who has worked at the park since 1994, said she is bracing herself for what she will find that day. She urges the public to pick up their trash in order to protect the environment.

“A lot of times, we just throw up our hands and think, ‘What can I possibly do? I’m just one person.’ But everybody can make a difference,” Wilson said. “If you pick it up, that means an animal won’t.”

Read it all.

Posted in * South Carolina, Energy, Natural Resources, Science & Technology, Stewardship