Earth Day activities see massive beach clean-up in northern Ambergris Caye

The northern beaches of Ambergris Caye received love from many volunteers on Sunday, April 23rd, when they freed the area of tons of garbage left behind by visitors or washed ashore. The beach clean-up commemorating Earth Day saw the efforts of persons from the San Pedro Town Council, the local Child Advisory Body, the University of Belize (UB) Environmental Club, representatives of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the office of the Area Representative the Honourable Andre Perez.
The targeted spot included an area over 14 miles north known as Robles Point, a remote beach where sea turtles nest. One of the main reasons for the clean-up was to provide a clean area for returning sea turtles to nest and safety for the hatchlings. The activity started early on Sunday, and on a sunny day, the large group of volunteers did their best to remove as much rubbish from the beach as possible.
Data from the items collected were recorded in a mobile application, and it was confirmed that most of the rubbish consisted of plastic and less biodegradable materials. Around 100 large garbage bags were filled with trash by the end of the activity. The San Pedro Town Council sanitation personnel were on hand to help remove the garbage bags from that area.
Following the beach clean-up, the group returned to downtown San Pedro. The volunteers were commended and encouraged to continue promoting conservation. The students, particularly from UB, were happy to have participated in the beach clean-up and help improve the sea turtle nesting grounds in northern Ambergris Caye.
Organizers thanked everyone that took place in this year’s beach clean-up and would like to acknowledge individuals and businesses that contributed to the event’s success. They advised anyone heading north to those beaches for recreational activities to avoid driving on the beach as the 2023 sea turtle nesting season has started. Event organizers ask visitors enjoying the natural beauty of these remote beaches not to litter and to dispose of their trash correctly.