Did you know New Hampshire has 18 miles of coastline? While our coastline might be relatively small compared to other states, it’s still home to many diverse ecosystems. These habitats, from sandy beaches and salt marshes to rocky shores and estuaries, support a wide variety of marine life. Do you want to join forces to help keep our beaches looking beautiful? Join us for New Hampshire Coastal Cleanup, presented by Kennebunk Savings.
Your involvement in NHCC extends beyond cleaning NH’s coastlines. Data collected during NHCC is sent to Ocean Conservancy as part of their International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). ICC, founded in 1986, started as a local effort to gather communities to collect data on the types and sources of marine debris.
ICC has collected over 350 million pounds of trash with the help of over 17 million volunteers from 150+ countries. Ocean Conservancy then creates a global report, which provides a comprehensive overview of marine debris trends.
Since 2005, Blue Ocean Society has taken the lead in the New Hampshire sector of this global endeavor – New Hampshire Coastal Cleanup. During last year’s NHCC, 438 people helped us remove 20,151 pieces of debris from the beach, weighing 443 pounds!
Getting Involved
New Hampshire Coastal Cleanup is calling on you to join in our efforts to combat marine debris and preserve the beauty of our coastline. Here’s how you can get involved and be a part of this transformative movement:
Join one of our public cleanups! This is a fantastic opportunity to join fellow volunteers in a hands-on cleanup effort. All you need to do is register and show up with your gloves! Click here to register and learn more!
- Sunday, September 17th at 10 am at Hampton Beach
- Saturday, September 23rd at 8 am at Odiorne Point State Park – Cohosted by Seacoast Science Center
- Friday, September 29th at 4:30 pm at Foss Beach – Cohosted by NH Climate Action
Lead your own cleanup! Check out our website on how to conduct a self-led cleanup. Fill out our beach cleanup request form to let us know you would like to lead your own cleanup, and we will help you find a beach in need at a time and date that works for you.
Join School Cleanup Day! We are hosting School Cleanup Day on Friday, September 22nd. If any schools wish to participate, please email Nikki at nikki@blueoceansociety.org.
Embrace Sustainable Practices! While participating in beach cleanups is crucial, preventing ocean trash at its source is equally important. Can you make small changes that collectively create a significant waste reduction?
- Swap Single-Use for Reusable
- Choose Biodegradable Alternatives
- Rethink Packaging
- Educate and Advocate
Related Links
- Learn more about NHCC
- View 2022 NHCC blog post
- View 2022 NHCC results
- Learn more about our Adopt-A-Beach program
- Request a private beach cleanup
- Donate to support marine life in the Gulf of Maine
Thank you to Kennebunk Savings for sponsoring these events and to our New Hampshire Coastal Cleanup supporters:
This project was funded, in part, by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program.
