The Rye Country Day community pulled their weight in the International Coastal Cleanup Day at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary on September 19.

The Rye Country Day community pulled their weight in the International Coastal Cleanup Day at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary on September 19. Volunteers included members of the varsity Cross-Country team, students in the Marine Ecology and Environmental Science classes, the Environmental Club, and members of the faculty’s Sustainability Committee. Altogether, Rye Country Day collected over 91 pounds of trash along the shore!

Students used the waste collected to record data that will become part of an international database. Among the most common trash items were cigarette butts, fireworks residue, food wrappers, bottle caps, foam pieces, and plastic straws.

All agreed that participating in the cleanup was a great way to give back to the local community while getting involved in an international effort to clean up the shorelines.