Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Grants increase for Clam Bayou cleanup

Even with more money, the effort moves slowly.

By NICK JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
Published December 30, 2007

The slow process of removing trash from the Clam Bayou Nature Preserve one bag at a time will continue in 2008 thanks to a new nonprofit, a handful of grants and hundreds of eager volunteers.

An estimated 32,000 pounds of trash have been removed from the preserve since Kurt Zuelsdorf started his cleanup program in summer 2006, offering volunteers a free kayak rental in return for collecting a bag of garbage.

The Clam Bayou preserve has been flooded with trash and sediment for decades, due to an outdated stormwater system in surrounding neighborhoods.

Thanks to the efforts of Zuelsdorf's program and a massive cleanup in June, organized by the nonprofit Green Armada and sponsored by the cities of St. Petersburg and Gulfport, the bayou has slowly been making a comeback.

"It's like night and day in regards to what it looks like," Zuelsdorf said. "It's gone from what looked like a debris field to now having areas with zero garbage."

In '08 the cleanups will continue with $18,500 worth of grants between Zuelsdorf's company Kayak Nature Adventures and the newly formed nonprofit Nature Matters.

The nonprofit received the bulk of the grants and will use them to fund cleanups run by Kayak Nature Adventures and develop educational programs about the area's waterways.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District also hopes to see some progress on itsmultimillion-dollar restoration and stormwater project in the bayou.

The project is currently in the modeling phase and waiting on a land acquisition but should be contracted sometime in 2008, said Janie Hagburg, one of the Swiftmud engineers in charge of the project.

Swiftmud's plans will update the surrounding stormwater system to keep trash and sediment from flowing into the bayou and help restore a number of habitats that have been damaged by human involvement there.

In the meantime, Zuelsdorf said he will continue to provide kayaks and inspiration to anyone interested in learning about the preserve and helping keep it clean.

There is plenty of work left to do.

"There are still areas in the bayou that we haven't even gotten to yet. That's important for people to realize."

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

By the numbers:

Bigger effort in '08

$8,500 amount of grants secured by Kayak Nature Adventures and Nature Matters in '07

$18,500 amount secured for 2008

700 number of kayaks rented for free by Kayak Nature Adventures for cleanups in 2007

1,000 number of kayaks Zuelsdorf plans to provide in 2008

32,000 pounds of trash removed by volunteers since kayak cleanups began in '06

31 number of shopping carts that have been removed from the bayou

[Last modified December 29, 2007, 22:52:58]