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Unsoiling nature

Hundreds of volunteers have good cleanup fun in Clam Bayou.

By NICK JOHNSON
Published June 17, 2007

Adel Naser of East Lake recovers a beer bottle from the brackish water in the Gulfport section of Clam Bayou with other Green Armada volunteers during Saturday morning's cleanup.
	[Martha Rial | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Martha Rial | Times] Jeff Albanese, one of the founders of Green Armada, rolls up his sleeves near bags of garbage on Quincy Street S in Gulfport that were collected by the nonprofit group Saturday morning.

Clam Bayou, a nature preserve nestled between Gulfport and St. Petersburg, has been polluted for decades with trash from the storm drains that empty there.

Media coverage and earlier cleanup efforts by kayak tour guide Kurt Zuelsdorf helped draw attention to the bayou's problems, leading to Saturday's event.

The bayou awaits a planned Southwest Florida Management District project to solve area drainage problems and restore its habitat.

The Green Armada enlisted the support of St. Petersburg and Gulfport despite initial disputes between the two cities over the source of the problem.

State Rep. Rick Kriseman showed up in support. He said he was happy to see the two city governments come together and tackle an issue that needed to be addressed.

"We were involved and had communications with both cities," He said. "We were prepared to mediate, but I'm glad to say we didn't have to."

Mayor Rick Baker of St. Petersburg and Mayor Mike Yakes of Gulfport both thanked the volunteers.

Baker also brought up future plans for the park, which is mostly in St. Petersburg, including the installation of bike paths and boardwalks throughout the mangroves. He said he was glad to see the number of volunteers.

"It's a great statement," Baker said. "Most people want to help and sometimes it's our job to direct them as to how they can be part of the solution. This is a great example of that."

After the mayors' comments and some safety instructions, the volunteers took to the trails and makeshift boardwalks that St. Petersburg's stormwater department had made in the mangroves.

Volunteers of all ages trudged through the mud and water, filling red garbage bags with trash and debris. Within minutes they began emerging from the swamp, taking with them decades of litter.

Judy Trehy of St. Petersburg, a second-grade teacher at Westgate Elementary, came sloshing back out with mud on her feet and a smile on her face, looking for more bags. A member of the Boca Ciega Yacht Club, she said many of the members had come out to help.

"I'm just out here doing my part, keeping the water beautiful because I use it a lot and I want to keep it clean," Trehy said.

Sarah Gansz of Clearwater said she decided to come to her first cleanup after seeing a St. Petersburg Times photo of trash in the bayou.

"I saw the picture in the newspaper and I didn't have anything better to do so I came down," Gansz said, adding that this wouldn't be her last volunteer cleanup effort.

As volunteers collected trash, St. Petersburg city employees used front-end loaders and jon boats to move the bags to dump trucks. The operation ran so smoothly, it seemed an everyday occurrence.

By noon, the targeted areas had been cleaned and volunteers began packing up their tents and tables.

Mark Maksimowicz of the Green Armada said the effort had been a huge success.

"We got it whipped," he said. "Tonight it's going to rain. We've got more trash on the way, but now we can handle it until Swiftmud (the Southwest Florida Management District) takes it over."

Zuelsdorf, who runs his kayak tours in the bayou, was in charge of overseeing the volunteers who gathered trash by boat. He said he was thrilled about the day's progress and the impact it would have on the area wildlife.

"We've been watching the birds up in the trees, just waiting for us to get out of there because under that debris is just a smorgasbord of food," he said.

Nick Johnson can be reached at nickjohnson@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8361.

[Last modified June 17, 2007, 00:17:12]