Grabbers for Growlers

By Rochelle Hood, Executive Director, Merritt Island Wildlife Association (FL)

Merritt Island Wildlife Association (MIWA), Friends, and Playalinda Brewery joined forces in mid-June for a service project to tidy up refuge Adopt-An-Area sections on Black Point Wildlife Drive and clean up the horseshoe crab beach on West Gator Creek Road. Mother Nature served up a sunny day, which helped shine some light on roadside litter for everyone to test out the power of the grabbers.

Volunteers took advantage of opportunities to make their chore a lot of fun. For example, a motorcycle part with a 1995 inspection sticker won the prize for “something unexpected and interesting.” Challenges included reeling in what seemed to be an endless sheet of plastic construction material and breaking down an entire chair to fit into a single trash bag. Volunteer efforts like these clearly make a difference in keeping the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge safe and welcoming for both wildlife and human visitors.

After completing the trash cleanup, the volunteer crew was grateful to the Tap Room team for welcoming them with cold brews at Playalinda Hardware store. As the Friends organization of Merritt Island NWR, Merritt Island Wildlife Association is proud to organize events like these and promote sustainability. Also check out their Bags and Brekkie event with Winn-Dixie’s offer for a reusable Community Bag purchase that benefits the Friends!