The largest single volunteer event in the state, it involves people picking up trash from the state's rocky and sandy shoreline. Volunteers meet at a specified site. People are grouped in twos or threes, with one or two picking up the trash and the other recording the type of debris on special data cards. They note the distance they cover, the number of trash bags they fill, and any unusual objects they pick up. A special note is made of any dead animals found, particularly those entangled in plastic.
Volunteers turn in their data cards to the cleanup site coordinator.
The data cards are eventually sent to the Center for Marine Conservation, an international marine environmental organization that keeps a national database on marine debris and works to reduce its presence in the marine environment. The key is to plan for the event far enough in advance and to publicize it. For example, events can feature walks to view tide pools, maritime historic sites, or boat building activities. Anyone can organize a cleanup, or join an existing cleanup at any time during the year. The Maine Coastal Program organizes the cleanup in the fall, but it will assist anyone at any time of year by supplying them with data cards and trash bags.