Hannah Hills, a fourth grade student at Boothbay Region Elementary School, is spearheading a community coastal clean-up on Saturday, Sept. 24 as part of Maine Coastweek 2016. She has teamed up with the Maine State Aquarium to help improve the health and appearance of the oceanfront that she truly loves.

Hannah realized that ocean trash is a serious problem after viewing a marine debris exhibit at a Florida Aquarium. She said, "I see that same stuff washed ashore at my Nana's cottage in Southport." That spurred this young environmentalist into action and she set out to educate others by creating a similar exhibit for the Maine State Aquarium.

Hannah's desire to educate extends to this clean-up event which will be service-learning oriented. Participants will not only provide their service of cleaning up the region, but they will learn about the practices of humans through their collection. An itemized survey of trash will be sent to the Maine Coastal Program and the Ocean Conservancy to be included in this year's International ocean trash index.

Hannah is recruiting her classmates, fellow students at Southport and Edgecomb schools, and community members to join in on this important cause. You can sign-up today by contacting Liz Bowe at the Aquarium (207-633-9406). Walk-ons the day of the event will also be welcomed and truck drivers for each clean-up site are desperately needed. Participants will meet at the Aquarium at 9 a.m. for their assigned locations and return at noon with their trash. Free admission to the Aquarium and a pizza party will follow.

Please help Hannah turn the tide on ocean trash by combating a problem that affects our people, wildlife, and local economy. Who wants to go to our beaches to see trash littering the shore or to swim with it?

You can help make a difference by becoming a member of Hannah's team.