ADOPT-A-PARK: PHIL FOSTER PARK & THE BLUE HERON BRIDGE:
Pura Vida Divers is a proud Adopt-A-Park sponsor for Phil Foster Park & the Blue Heron Bridge Dive Site. We partnered with Palm Beach County’s Parks and Recreation Department by participating in their Adopt-A-Park program. And as of 2016, we’ve also officially adopted the Blue Heron Bridge dive site through Project AWARE’s new Adopt-A-Dive-Site Program.
What does that mean, you ask? As part of our community commitment, we host quarterly shoreline cleanups at Phil Foster Park, and if the tide is right, we coordinate monthly underwater cleanups at the Blue Heron Bridge Dive Site. All of the debri removed is counted, cataloged and submitted to Project AWARE and the Ocean Conservancy. These organizations compile debri data from all over the world in an effort to quantify our ocean pollution. The data collected helps engage everyone in solutions…from individuals, to businesses, to leaders in industry, government and academia.
Many threats confront our oceans but trash shouldn’t be one of them. Trash in the water compromises our own health as well as the wildlife we encounter. We’re always shocked at what we find during our Adopt-A-Park cleanup events. We focus on plastics, cigarette butts, fishing line and harmful substances (like batteries, shotgun shells and fishing hooks). But over the years we’ve also pulled out rice cookers, roles of carpet and even a golf cart! We began in 2002 with our first underwater cleanup and can only imagine what our park and dive site might look like had we not been chipping away at the trash.
We’re diligently working towards a future of trash-free beaches, shorelines, waterways and oceans. We all need a future with healthy oceans. Will you help us? We always welcome volunteers so please contact us if you’d like to get involved!
