Local nonprofit collects debris from three sections of Manuel’s Branch
[Fort Myers, FL] – Keep Lee County Beautiful, Inc. (KLCB) partnered with Gutteridge Haskins & Davey (GHD) and the City of Fort Myers on Public Lands Day, September 25, to clean up Manuel’s Branch Neighborhood Park and a section of the 3.5-mile stream that is a part of the Caloosahatchee Watershed. The 38 volunteers spanned over one mile of the waterway, one mile of roadway, one acre of public lands and ultimately collected 540 pounds of litter and debris.
“This project was important because the debris needed to be cleaned up before it reached the Caloosahatchee Watershed,” said executive director Trish Fancher. “Our team and volunteers made this clean-up possible and we could not be more grateful.”
The volunteers cleaned three different parts of Manuel Branch from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. including the Manuel Branch Neighborhood Park, south of Lee Memorial Hospital and alongside Canal St. east of Fowler St. A majority of the debris were wrappers, plastic bottles, and other common waste products, however, the volunteers also gathered other items including softballs, wiffleball, tennis balls, buckets, car scraps, and a laundry basket.
Keeping this watershed free of litter is important because it affects the water quality of the Caloosahatchee River and it affects the quality of life of the plants and animals who live in it as well as our water supply.
“As members of the Fort Myers community, GHD was excited to work with the City of Fort Myers and Keep Lee County Beautiful at this event and we look forward to participating in more cleanups in the future,” said associate and senior geologist Lori Coolidge.
