Every September 19, communities across the globe unite for International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCD), the world’s largest single-day volunteer initiative dedicated to protecting ocean and coastal ecosystems. This year, the Sandals Foundation — a Caribbean non-profit focused on driving grassroots environmental action and community stewardship — successfully mobilized more than 700 volunteers across the region to join the global movement, with a targeted cleanup effort drawing cross-sector participation in Grenada.
In Grenada, 70 participants representing a diverse coalition of stakeholders turned out for the event. The volunteer cohort included staff from host resort Sandals Grenada, the Grenada Airports Authority (GAA), local business McIntyre Bros. Limited, plus hundreds of students and faculty from six local primary and secondary schools: Gateway Christian Academy, Calliste Government School, Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, and Limes Mennonite Primary School. Working together, the group cleared accumulated trash and debris along a 3-mile stretch of coastline stretching from the airport top road to Devil’s Bay, a popular local coastal habitat.
Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, emphasized that ICCD is far more than a one-day cleanup — it is an opportunity to build long-term environmental responsibility across local communities. “ICCD is a dedicated moment when the entire world aligns to show solidarity and care for our shared oceans,” Clarke explained. “Our work through this event centers on mobilizing community members and empowering them to take tangible action to protect our coastlines. Every small action adds up to meaningful change, and we are continuously encouraged by the consistent support and collaboration from our institutional partners and local residents, who give their time freely to care for the natural spaces we call home.”
Elana Beckett, Health, Safety and Environment Manager at the Grenada Airports Authority, praised the Sandals Foundation for its coordinated organizing and highlighted the collective impact of cross-partner collaboration. “The event was extremely well organized from start to finish,” Beckett noted. “This initiative not only helps us deliver on our own institutional sustainability commitments, but the direct removal of litter from coastal environments delivers tangible, immediate benefits for marine life, native bird populations, and fragile coastal ecosystems. We are grateful to Sandals for reaching out to GAA, for prioritizing shared environmental responsibility, and for creating the space for us to work together as a broader regional community.”
Rohan Louis, General Manager of Sandals Grenada, commended volunteers for their dedication and the tangible results of their work. By the end of the day, the Grenada cohort had collected more than 600 pounds of non-biodegradable waste for proper disposal. “Kudos to every volunteer who came together and took time out of their schedules to remove hundreds of pounds of waste from our local environment,” Louis said. “Beyond the immediate impact of the cleanup itself, we achieved our core secondary goal: heightening public awareness of how daily human choices impact our natural ecosystems. This is a message we will continue to champion among our resort team and across the wider Grenadian community.”
The 2024 ICCD effort is just one part of the Sandals Foundation’s 15-year legacy of regional conservation work. Since launching its environmental programming in 2009, the foundation has mobilized nearly 200,000 people across the Caribbean to participate in a wide range of conservation initiatives, including marine sanctuary management, critical coral reef restoration projects, K-12 environmental education programs, and targeted biodiversity conservation work to protect threatened regional species. This long-term commitment aligns with the foundation’s core mission: building a culture of environmental stewardship that empowers local communities to protect the natural resources that support both livelihoods and tourism across the Caribbean.