Open Water Swimmers Compete at PBC Parks Ocean Rescue’s Annual Summer Ocean Mile Swim

On June 25, PBC Parks Ocean Rescue hosted its 12^th annual Summer Mile Swim at R.G. Kreusler Park, located at 2882 S Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach.

Great American Cleanup 2022

PBC Parks’ Adopt-A-Park Partners celebrated the Great American Cleanup on April 23^rd and April 30^th,  2022. The Great American Cleanup is an annual program of Keep America Beautiful that unites and beautifies community’s across the nation by influencing individuals to take greater responsibility for their local environment by participating in community service projects. Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep American Beautiful, coordinates the Great American Cleanup project in Palm Beach County. With help from Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, our Adopt-A-Park Partners hosted 13 cleanups from Jupiter down south to Boca Raton to participate in the nation-wide event.

The Great American Cleanup brought 394 volunteers who donated 1,039 hours of service and removed over 866 pounds of litter and debris from our parks and beaches! Litter and debris most commonly reported was cigarette butts and various forms of plastic pieces. The donations of our dedicated volunteers’ time and energy used to improve our community is why volunteers continue to be the heart of PBC Parks.

Power of Parks: Jessica Gray

Welcome to Power of Parks, a podcast produced by the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, where we share inspiring stories from people who have benefited from nature, parks and recreation.

Episode 16 features Jessica Gray, the founder of Boca Save Our Beaches, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting marine ecosystems through community collaboration, conservation, and educational awareness. There’s also a long-time Adopt-A-Park Partner with PBC Parks and they host a number of beach cleanups throughout the year. In the podcast, Jessica shares some of the ways the organization helps PBC Parks achieve our goal of promoting stewardship of natural sites.

PBC Parks Hosts Cleanup and Celebration on World Ocean Day

More than 70 volunteers joined forces on World Ocean Day, Tuesday, June 8^th, to remove over 500 pounds of trash from the Atlantic shoreline and Intracoastal Waterway along Coral Cove Park in Jupiter. The cleanup was a partnership between the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department, Visit Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Ecotourism Association, Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management, and the Beach Bucket Foundation.

In addition to removing harmful items and trash from these locations, the event was an effort to educate participants on the importance of keeping key environments clean, and to inspire environmental stewardship among residents and visitors.

“More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans and the ocean is the center of most living things,” said Eric Call, Director of Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department. “It’s important that we create opportunities to educate the public on the importance of keeping our oceans clean and vibrant now and into the future.”

Participants were invited to clean up the Atlantic shoreline and waterway by walking, kayaking, or paddle boarding. All cleanup supplies were provided, and all ages were welcome at the family-friendly event. More information for anyone interested in participating in cleanup events at Palm Beach County-operated parks and beaches is available at www.pbcparks.com.