AUSTIN — Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. announced that over 6,500 volunteers participated in the 2023 Adopt-A-Beach Coastwide Fall Cleanup this past Saturday. During the one-day event, a total of 220,816 pounds of trash was removed from 22 unique sites that stretched all the way from Port Arthur to South Padre.

“As Land Commissioner and a former resident of Galveston Island, it was an honor to participate and serve alongside the thousands of volunteers dedicated to ensuring Texas beaches remain clean and safe for all to enjoy,” said Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. “The stewardship of our coastal lands and the habitats and ecosystems they support is imperative to safeguarding our precious coastline. With over 220,000 pounds of trash removed up and down 123 miles of the coastline in a single day, it is evident that the General Land Office’s Adopt-A-Beach program plays a significant role in preserving our beautiful beaches.” 

This year’s state sponsors included the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Texas Coastal Management Program, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Valero, Ocean Conservancy, Wild Spirit Wild Places, SLB, Cheniere, ATX Solar, Flint Hills Resources, and SESCO Cement.

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The Adopt-A-Beach program began in the fall of 1986 when 2,800 volunteers picked up 124 tons of trash. Since then, 574,550 Texas Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up nearly 10,000 tons of trash from Texas beaches.

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