SINERR to Host Public Beach Sweep in Celebration of National Estuaries Week 2019
Sapelo Island, GA: In celebration of National Estuaries Week, the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) will hold a public beach sweep on Sapelo Island on Saturday, September 21. The beach sweep is an opportunity for the public to give back to our valuable estuaries by ensuring that trash from the beach does not make its way into our sensitive estuarine systems. Volunteers will depart the mainland at 9:00 a.m. via ferry and return to the mainland at 1:00 p.m.
National Estuaries Week is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of our nation’s estuaries and how we all benefit from the services they provide. Estuaries occur where freshwater from inland rivers and streams meets saltwater from the ocean and are the life blood of Georgia’s salt marshes. Salt marshes are vital areas, as they are some of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world.
Georgia’s coastline is covered by more than 368,000 acres of salt marsh. Salt marshes provide critical habitat and nursery grounds for numerous ecologically, commercially and recreationally valuable fish and shellfish species, and they are home to countless birds, mammals and reptiles. Salt marshes stabilize sediment and act as a protective barrier to waves generated by coastal storms. Salt marshes filter contaminants, protecting both inland and offshore waters. In addition, Georgia’s estuaries are among the most beautiful natural areas in the country and bring millions of tourist dollars to local communities along the coast.
Registration for the beach sweep is required and space is limited to 30 people. Volunteers are asked to bring a water bottle, gloves, and a trash grabber tool, if available. Drinks and snacks will be provided by the Friends of Sapelo. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact the Sapelo Island Visitors Center at 912-437-3224.
ALSO…..
Essential Estuaries: Marshing Into the Future
In celebration of National Estuaries Week, the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) invites the public to join SINERR Research Coordinator Rachel Guy, at the Sapelo Island Visitors Center on Friday, September 20, at 1 p.m. for an informational talk entitled Essential Estuaries: Marshing Into the Future.
Dr. Guy’s talk will highlight and celebrate the importance of our nation’s estuaries and explore what makes our Georgia estuaries unique. She will discuss the future challenges for our estuaries on the Georgia coast and share information gathered through recent research conducted on Sapelo Island.
ALSO….
“We Live in the Wetlands”
Fri., Sep. 20, 11:00AM: Bring your little ones to “We Live in the Wetlands” Preschool Story time at the Ida Hilton Public Library in Darien. While at the library, check out the estuary-themed books for all ages available!
Located on the Georgia coast midway between the Savannah and St. Mary’s Rivers, Sapelo Island is one of the largest of the barrier islands that fringe the south Atlantic seaboard from South Carolina to Northeast Florida. The Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses 7,500 acres along the western perimeter of Sapelo and is dedicated to research, education, stewardship, and sound management of coastal resources. The Reserve’s outreach and research initiatives focus on the island’s natural ecosystems and the cultural and historical resources of Sapelo Island and the greater Altamaha River estuary. For more information, please visit sapelonerr.org