FMB Community Foundation assists with cleanup
The Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation, a new 501(c) (3) community service organization on the beach, assisted Keep Lee County Beautiful with their annual marine cleanup program recently.
Because the focus is on fishing line, the project has been dubbed “Monofilament Madness.” It is hoped that through educational awareness, the people who are causing the problem will be reached and their behavior modified so that, among other reasons, wildlife will be spared agonizing deaths from entanglement in monofilament fishing line.
On Oct. 31, 40 volunteers went out in boats and kayaks to remove monofilament fishing line and other harmful debris from the mangrove area in Estero Bay. Participants included residents from Fort Myers Beach, as well as students from Edison Community College, and ECO-Action, a group from Florida Gulf Coast University.
A large amount of monofilament line was collected, in addition to approximately 700 pounds of other debris, including wood, scrap metal, glass and plastic containers, rope, shoes, clothing and the most unusual being an intact glass Clorox bottle, believed to have some antique value.
Members and spouses of the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation assisted with recording, weighing and sorting the items collected.
The Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation (formerly the Fort Myers Beach Pilot Club and Foundation) is a local organization dedicated to working cooperatively to improve the quality of life in Fort Myers Beach and surrounding communities.