CLEAN SHORES
Small Debris, Big Impact
Coastal Cleanups - Take action in your local community by participating in a coastal cleanup near you!
Green Scholars - Our award-winning project-based learning curriculum is built on the foundations of project management, leadership, and sustainability. Students undertake a hands-on project with real-world outcomes that directly benefit schools, districts and/or communities.
Green Scholars - Our award-winning project-based learning curriculum is built on the foundations of project management, leadership, and sustainability. Students undertake a hands-on project with real-world outcomes that directly benefit schools, districts and/or communities.
Join Us In Protecting Our Oceans!
Time: All Cleanups are 9-11 AM EST
Waivers & Registration: To attend a Cleanup, please sign up here which includes the waiver
Weather: If the forecast calls for inclement weather, we will postpone
What to Bring: Appropriate clothes for being on the coast, hat, sunscreen, water, snack, thin gloves optional, hand sanitizer, and a friend or two! We supply everything we’ll need for the cleanups
Questions & Communication: An email will be sent to all registered participants a day or two before the event. Please contact us info@seasidesustainability.org, 978.381.3302
Meeting Points, Parking & Bathrooms: We will send all registrants specific logistics for each location prior to the event. If possible, try and carpool
Sea Level Rise
Sea levels are rising due to increasingly warmer annual temperatures causing glaciers and ice caps to melt at faster rates than ever before. Come join the Seaside in our efforts to monitor sea level rise in Cape Ann using marking flags, meter sticks, and spotting scopes. Teaching about sea level rise, storm surge, and the tides, both seasonal tide changes and our extreme king tides, are all part of our mission.
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What's so special about this activity?
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Measuring sea level rise is a fantastic learning exercise to visually understand the effects of environmental changes. Learning about changes in sea level and the impact of storm surges facing our coasts is paramount to the future of our cities. By understanding these changes, we can effectively plan for our future with the necessary criteria in mind.
Microplastics in Sand
Microplastics are plastic materials smaller than 5mm in length and are often not easily visible to the human eye. They have been found in our food, water, and air. The source of microplastic is the breakdown of macroplastics and the nurdles used to create these macroplastic items. Areas with large amounts of microplastics may be directly correlated to macroplastic accumulation areas on our beaches impacted by weather winds and currents.
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What's so special about this activity?
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This provides a hands-on learning environment! We carefully determine the amount of plastic contamination by measuring the amount of microplastics present in the beach sand. We utilize high quality sieves of multiple sizes to sift through the sand; these sieves are extremely effective at separating out microplastics, which you'll be able to see for yourself!
With our experience and tools, we can easily teach our volunteers how to carry out these beach surveys and directly contribute to removing harmful plastics from our waterways.
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Microplastics in Sand
Microplastics are plastic materials smaller than 5mm in length and are often not easily visible to the human eye. They have been found in our food, water, and air. The source of microplastic is the breakdown of macroplastics and the nurdles used to create these macroplastic items. Areas with large amounts of microplastics may be directly correlated to macroplastic accumulation areas on our beaches impacted by weather winds and currents.
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What's so special about this activity?
​
This provides a hands-on learning environment! We carefully determine the amount of plastic contamination by measuring the amount of microplastics present in the beach sand. We utilize high quality sieves of multiple sizes to sift through the sand; these sieves are extremely effective at separating out microplastics, which you'll be able to see for yourself!
With our experience and tools, we can easily teach our volunteers how to carry out these beach surveys and directly contribute to removing harmful plastics from our waterways.
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The Issue
Our beaches face an unseen hazard. Every year, over 8 million metric tons of plastic flood our oceans, with much of it ending up on beaches, buried in the sand and out of sight. The most common items—cigarette butts and food wrappers—contaminate the environment, but other dangerous debris like broken glass, metal scraps, and even needles can also be found, posing serious risks to both human and marine life. These hidden hazards demand action. Our project exists to tackle this invisible threat, ensuring beaches are not just beautiful but safe for everyone. Clean sand, safe shores—let’s make it happen.
Our Goal
Our goals for this project are:
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Clean: We aim to ensure beaches remain pristine by removing harmful debris that threatens marine life and beachgoers. Through our BeBot technology, we remove small debris, that is often overlooked by traditional cleanup efforts.
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Educate: Equally important is our commitment to community engagement and education. Through outreach programs and partnerships with universities and research institutions, we raise awareness about marine conservation, sustainable practices, and the impact of pollution. By fostering environmental stewardship, we empower individuals to take action beyond cleanup efforts and make lasting changes for the environment.
Operation
Our operations are carefully planned around environmental conservation efforts. The Piping Plover, a federally protected migratory bird, nests on beaches from March to September. To protect these vulnerable birds, BeBot will be operated only from October to February on applicable beaches.
Once a year, the BeBot steps in after municipal cleanups to sift 3-4 inches deep, uncovering tiny, hazardous debris left behind. This thorough process ensures no harmful item—from tiny plastics to broken glass—is overlooked. As the BeBot works, our team engages with beachgoers, turning cleanup operations into moments of education and inspiration—all without disrupting the beach experience. The waste is cataloged, categorized, and responsibly disposed of, turning trash into informative reports.