Fort Lauderdale is home to stunning and beautiful mazes of canals, but these precious waterways require constant care and meticulous maintenance.
That’s where Paddle With A Purpose steps in.
The organization held its most-recent clean-up on a crisp Saturday in January. Volunteers got out on kayaks or walked the banks of the New River in Fort Lauderdale to collect as much trash as possible.
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Robert Figueroa founded Paddle With A Purpose in 2017 after moving to Fort Lauderdale and being shocked by the trash he saw in the water. Figueroa says that plastic is no doubt the number one thing he finds - whether it’s single-use plastic bags, bottles, or a more-recent culprit - is lots of single use masks.
The clean-up is a partnership between Paddle With A Purpose and the City Of Fort Lauderdale. It takes place just across from the Galleria Mall, with kayaks donated by Blue Moon Outdoor Adventures.
Those who choose to go out on kayaks can get deep into the mangroves, where the trash tends to collect, but others walk along the river where there is plenty of trash as well.
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January’s clean-up brought in 145 pounds of trash, which means Paddle With A Purpose has collected over seven tons since 2017.
There are clean-ups in Key West every three months and the next clean-up in Fort Lauderdale is February 20th. Click here for more details on how to take part.
