International Coastal Cleanup: Volunteer Registration

VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

• Please make sure you sign in at the registration table when you arrive, and receive the necessary materials to do the cleanup.
• Volunteers may be working in sunny, hot, wet and dirty conditions and, in some cases, areas where there is heavy brush. It is strongly recommended that you wear protective clothing (check with your Site Coordinator for recommendations), closed-toe shoes such as old sneakers, and hats for sun protection. Insect repellent and sunscreen are also strongly recommended.
• Remove litter during daylight hours only.
• All trash bags should be left at the locations designated by the Site Coordinator. Please make sure they are securely tied when full and placed for pick up.
• No consumption of intoxicating liquids, beverages, or illegal drugs will be allowed during the clean up or other community activity.
• Wear gloves and use caution when picking up sharp objects. Watch out for broken glass and metal.
• Do not pick up any type of hypodermic needles or other hazardous waste such as paint, used motor oil, tar balls, automobile batteries, etc. Note location and report it to Site Coordinator.
• Do not lift anything too heavy. Report location of large debris such as motors and appliances.
• Do not approach large drums. They may contain hazardous wastes; even vapors can be harmful. Leave the drum and report its location to Site Coordinator.
• Avoid suspected hazardous substances or areas where herbicides were recently applied.
• Avoid areas where snakes, fire ants, jellyfish, crabs or other dangerous species may be located. If you encounter domestic animals the best policy is to avoid them and leave them alone. Do not attempt to handle injured marine animals/birds. Report their location to your Site Manager.
• It is recommended that volunteers work in teams of two to four: one should be designated as the recorder, filling out the Ocean Conservancy’s data card as the rest of the team picks up debris. The information you record on the data card will be furnished to the Ocean Conservancy and used for research and policy decision purposes. Please return the Data Card to the Site Manager upon completion of your cleanup.