Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation To Host Beach Sweep 2018 Presented By Toyota

NEW ORLEANS — The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) will hold its 29th annual Beach Sweep presented by Toyota on Saturday, September 15 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Beach Sweep is a day dedicated to cleaning up areas around the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Volunteers, partners and sponsors help care for the areas that drain to the basin by cleaning curbs, ditches and storm drains. The event will conclude with a picnic for registered volunteers at the New Canal Lighthouse.

LPBF’s Beach Sweep presented by Toyota is held in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by Ocean Conservancy.

Designated clean-up zones around the Lake Pontchartrain Basin include Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and East Baton Rouge parishes. Click here for a map of zones. The volunteer picnic will take place at noon at the New Canal Lighthouse, 8001 Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans.

Each year, more than 5 million pounds of plastic enter the ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico has some of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the world. Birds, seals, turtles, fish and other wildlife in the gulf and basin ingest microplastics, which can be deadly. As litter accumulates, it also prevents Lake Pontchartrain from draining properly, threatening homes, business and roadways with flooding. Beach Sweep provides the community with an opportunity to end trash flow at the source by picking up litter that travels down storm drains and eventually into the lake.

To register for Beach Sweep, individuals and volunteer groups can call 504.836.2238 or email anne@saveourlake.org. To learn more about the event, visit saveourlake.org/beachsweep. Please contact Rachel at rachel@gambelpr.com to set up a media interview.

– by Alexa Renee Harrison, associate news editor