Group hopes to clean up waterways

Organizers of the International Coastal Cleanup say last fall’s event went well globally, but they hope for better participation from Iowans later this year. At least 41 volunteers hauled some 900 pounds of metal and plastic cans and bottles and other garbage out of Iowa’s Great Lakes during the September event. Seba Sheavly of the Washington D-C-based Center for Marine Conservation says beverage cans and paper items were the top items pulled out of the water.Sheavly is releasing the numbers now for two reasons — they’ve just been compiled for the coastal cleanups in all 50 states and in more than 100 nations. Plus, she wants people heading out to Iowa’s ponds, lakes, rivers and streams this summer to clean up after themselves.This year’s coastal cleanup is slated for September 15th. Sheavly would like to see more Iowans take part this year on more bodies of water. For more information, call 800-CMC-BEACH or surf to “www.cmc-ocean.org”.