Nearly 100 volunteers spent Halloween morning protecting Southwest Florida’s coastal environment during Keep Lee County Beautiful’s annual Monofilament Madness Marine Cleanup. More than 5,000 pounds of trash and debris was removed from local waterways, mangroves and shorelines.
Volunteers participated at multiple locations, working by boat, kayak, paddleboard and on foot to retrieve discarded fishing line, plastics and other marine debris. Crews launching from Salty Sam’s Marina navigated the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, tackling litter trapped within mangrove roots and along shallow waterways. Paddleboarders maneuvered through narrow mangrove tunnels to reach areas inaccessible to larger boats, while boat crews hauled away heavy, waterlogged debris.
On Fort Myers Beach, volunteers gathered at the Tunaskin store to collect litter along the shoreline. Additional cleanup efforts took place at Matlacha Community Park, where Calusa Waterkeeper hosted volunteers in partnership with KLCB, extending the event’s impact to another important coastal area…