A sudden torrential downpour did little to stand in the way of volunteers Saturday as they worked to remove trash from End of the Road beach on South Padre Island.
A joint project by the RGV Fishing Area and Waterway Cleanups and SPI Beach Cleanup, this volunteer effort is the last official event for either group until late January or early February of 2022.
For Nelda Vega of SPI Beach Cleanup, 2021 has been a year of improvement as her group has continued their once or twice a month event schedule throughout the year to keep area beaches in good condition for residents and visitors.
“Boca Chica Beach this year was a lot cleaner as are other beaches compared to years before. So doing and promoting the beach cleanup has an effect; people are paying more attention and picking up trash that doesn’t belong to them,” said Nelda Vega.
On the beach, Corinne Robetor, 70, crouches as she carefully sifts through the sand for small bits of broken plastic while her 71-year-old husband Joe is hard at work pulling up what looks like the remains of a fishing net out of the wet sand to haul off for disposal.
For these Winter Texans, getting involved in cleaning up their community is something of a tradition they’ve brought down with them from Minnesota, where both see themselves as having an active role in preserving the beauty of its more than 10,000 lakes.
Now that they’ve made the South Padre Island area their permanent winter haven, Corinne feels a sense of responsibility to step in and lend a hand in preserving the natural beauty that drew them to settle here.
“We’ll come down and do our fair share,” she said.
From Mercedes, Texas, 18-year-old Rey and his mother Maricela Mascorro have been working throughout the morning to remove items like old cans, bottles, and plastic tubing and debris from the northern section of the beach. Both soaked by rain, they still manage to haul several trash bags that they’ve picked up to the pile for disposal before seeking shelter under an umbrella from the downpour.
Rey shares his mother’s community spirit and desire to preserve local natural resources by lending a hand with her where he can.
“It does help out the community, especially all the marine life, down here. It is a unique ecosystem that you can only find it here in South Texas. We are just hoping to preserve it and let future generations have the same opportunities as us,” he said.
For more information about upcoming cleanup events and to get involved visit the RGV Fishing Area and Waterway Cleanups group or SPI Beach Clean Up page on Facebook.
