Turtle Nesting Beach Cleanup - Redington's

Celebrate Earth Day this Saturday with Turtle Nesting Beach Cleanup

Register online at WaterWarriorAlliance.org.

Please join us as we celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up a turtle nesting area. The event will start at 10 AM, on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Redington Shores Beach Access,18200 Sunset Blvd, Redington Shores, Florida 33708.

In conjunction with the event, local municipalities are installing amber lighting on Redington Beach, North Redington Beach, and Redington Shores. Historically, LED lighting has interfered with nesting habits of local sea turtles.

The event, hosted by Water Warrior Alliance, will feature a raffle, a merch tent, and  kid friendly activities. Jenna Byrne, president of the Water Warrior Alliance, said she looks forward to seeing the positive impact these cleanup efforts have on the local beaches.

Last year, in an effort to protect nesting sea turtles, Byrne inspired the city of Madeira Beach to convert its public lighting over to amber lighting. She commends Redington Beach, Redington Shores, and North Redington Beach for their endeavors to support these efforts.

The cleanup event will begin with guest speakers, including the City of Redington Beach, North Redington Beach, and Redington Shores Mayors. Following the clean up, volunteers are encouraged to join us for a beach day. We encourage you to BYOBC (Bring Your Own Beach Chair).

Our Special Guest Speaker is Congresswoman Anna Luna. Congresswoman Luna and the team have submitted funding for the Sand Key Beach renourishment project and now is pushing the Army Corps of Engineers to cut red tape that is currently stalling the project.

Congresswoman Luna and their team offered an amendment to HR1 (an energy bill) that was adopted. This would halt President Biden from executing federal wind energy leases off Florida’s coast by requiring the GAO (Government Accountability Office) to publish a report on all potential adverse effects of wind energy development on military readiness, the marine environment, and tourism in Florida. We don’t want offshore drilling or windmills to be built off our coasts.

Congresswoman Luna met with the mayor of Gulfport and was able to submit funding for the city for sanitary sewer repairs to fight the red tide.

We will also hear from Yvette Fernandez, Senior Biologist with the Sea Turtle Conservation Program at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. In addition, volunteers will be stationed near the nests to share additional facts about the turtles, their habitat, and how we can best ensure their success as a species.

Please join us to learn, listen and clean up the beach for Redington Beach, North Redington Beach, and Redington Shores. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Keep Pinellas Beautiful has provided supplies and parking passes.

For more information, contact Jenna Byrne, President of Water Warrior Alliance, at 727-303-9987.