Community Action Programs & Initiatives
Our community Action Programs and initiatives extend well beyond removing plastic and debris that negatively impact our communities and wildlife or planting native trees and vegetation. These initiatives also provide knowledge about the local ecosystems and the impact our choices, and actions, have on our planet. Coastlove creates an inclusive and fun environment where all individuals feel accepted, and empowered, and leave feeling excited about conservation and protecting our planet. All Coastlove initiatives and events are always free of charge to the community.
Upstream Program
There are over 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams in the U.S., covering an enormous and diverse landscape. Most of these rivers' final destination is our oceans and coastal communities. Rivers are the lifeblood of many communities as they supply drinking water, irrigate crops, power cities, support fish and other wildlife species, and provide countless recreational opportunities. As these rivers flow through cities, towns, and agricultural areas they collect millions of pounds of plastic, marine debris, fertilizers, and sediment from erosion that will eventually end up in our coastal communities and ocean. By working on upstream issues, we are not only able to stop marine pollution at its source but also help clean up, educate, and restore communities along these rivers. The Ohio River is the 2nd most endangered river in the US flowing through many regions and six states including the Kentuckiana. Kentuckiana is made up of cities and towns surrounding Louisville, Kentucky, and Southern Indiana, and has a significant impact on the river and watersheds. The Kentuckiana Upstream Program will focus on cleanup and restoration, education, and stopping pollution at its source.
Planting Hope Program
Our communities are facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and natural spaces. As these challenges continue to mount it is the coastal and underserved communities that are most often affected first and the hardest hit. The US alone loses a football field’s worth of natural area every 30 seconds, while globally 1.04 million hectares of mangroves have been destroyed between 1990 and 2020.
The purpose of the project is to plant 10,000 native trees, and shrubs in the Florida Keys and South Florida with plans to expand upstream. There are many diverse habitats in South Florida and the Florida Keys including upland, wetlands, pine rockland, and mangrove/coastal. South Florida is home to mangrove forests, coastal dunes, wetlands, and hardwood hammocks. All of these ecosystems have been affected by development and storms. By restoring through planting, we are able to provide habitat for endemic species, beautify cities and parks, increase storm protection, and prevent erosion, while storing carbon.
Visit our Donate page to Give the Gift of Lasting change and plant a native tree or plant in a loved one's name. From anywhere in the world, you can be part of creating lasting change!
Bottle Cap Collection Initiative
The bottle cap collection program aims to keep plastic out of the ocean and environment by bringing awareness, where it might not have been before, to the plastic crisis. Through this initiative, Coastlove is working to give a second life to collected bottle caps, which are often difficult or not able to be recycled.
While this initiative originated in Florida, we are excited to announce Coastlove's bottle cap program has gone "upstream" to Kentuckiana! Chances are, if you aren't from around those parts, you've never heard that word. Kentuckiana, a portmanteau of Kentucky and Indiana, is the area in the Upland South region of the United States containing metropolitan areas with counties in both Kentucky and Indiana.
Bottle caps collected get their "second life" by being turned into park benches and picnic tables, and installed in areas of need. If you would like
to sponsor a collection bucket or bench, email us at info@coastlove.org and we'll get you started.
Healthy Hydration Initiative
With knowledge about and access to single-use- plastic alternatives often out of reach in many communities we believe that we must go beyond just providing knowledge surrounding the negative impacts of this crisis and provide the resources that will allow individuals to begin their journey to a single-use plastic-free future. We do this by educating communities and youth on the importance of healthy hydration, the impact single-use plastic has on the ocean and environment, simple ways on how individuals can reduce their use of single-use plastic, and providing reusable resources to those who otherwise would not have access to them. Reusable resources included, reusable bamboo straws, stainless steel reusable water bottles, and reusable bags.
The program includes an educational presentation, followed by a brief cleanup along a shoreline, park, or neighborhood, then distributing reusable resources like stainless steel water bottles, reusable shopping bags, and reusable straws.
Special thanks to Hydroflask and Parks for All for product donations that make providing quality reusable bottles possible.