AUSTIN — Today, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. announced that nearly 600 volunteers took part in the Texas General Land Office's 2024 Adopt-A-Beach (AAB) Winter Cleanups at South Padre Island and the Coastal Bend this past Friday and Saturday. During this two-day event, a total of 8,208 pounds of trash was removed from two cleanup locations in South Padre and four locations in the Coastal Bend.

"Despite rough weather at some locations, hundreds of volunteers picked up 4.1 tons of trash during these important cleanups that mark this year's first chance to give back to our coastal communities and support the future of the Texas coast through the GLO's Adopt-A-Beach program," said Commissioner Buckingham. "This cherished program will continue to be an essential part of GLO's mission to preserve Texas' shoreline for recreational use and protect its crucial marine habitats for our wildlife."

This year's sponsors include the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Ocean Conservancy, Valero, the Texas Coastal Management Program, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Flint Hills, Wild Spirit Wild Places, Sesco Cement, and SLB.

The next cleanup is the Adopt-A-Beach Coastwide Cleanup on April 20, 2024. To stay up-to-date on upcoming Adopt-A-Beach events, sign up for the Adopt-A-Beach newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

The Adopt-A-Beach program began in the fall of 1986 when 2,800 volunteers picked up 124 tons of trash. Since then, over 575,000 Texas Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up nearly 10,000 tons of trash from Texas beaches.