It’s almost that time of year—Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup®—Saturday, September 16!

Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers gather in communities across the globe to remove millions of pounds of trash from our coasts. Volunteers with Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup® have picked up everything imaginable along the world’s shorelines: cigarette butts, food wrappers, abandoned fishing gear and even automobiles and kitchen appliances. I’m proud to be part of the Ocean Conservancy team that has ensured that the Cleanup occurs year after year.

But, we need your help to keep this momentum going. Here are five amazing photos that are sure to inspire you to get out there and join a Cleanup near you this September 16^th.

1. Adorable wildlife.

Trash in the water and on the shore can be mistaken as food by wildlife, or entangle animals with lethal consequences. By helping to clean the shore, you’ll be preventing trash from entering waterways that lead to the ocean and helping to protect wildlife that depend on a safe, clean ocean for survival.

2. People!

People are part of the problem, but people are also part of the solution! By participating in the International Coastal Cleanup®, you can make a difference. You’ll join millions of volunteers just like you, who love the ocean and want to protect it.

3. Weird finds!

Just imagine what weird things might turn up on a beach or river near you? A grand piano. A fifty-two-pound bag of dog hair. Chandeliers and kazoos, lawn chairs and lottery tickets. These are just a few of the crazy things discovered along lakes, rivers and the ocean’s shores over three decades of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. You never know what might show up on a beach or shoreline in your corner of the world.

4. Clean Swell

Ocean Conservancy’s App will make your beach cleanups more exciting than ever (as if protecting our ocean wasn’t enough!). Our Clean Swell app is a fun and easy way to keep track of the trash you collect. The more you clean, the more badges you earn and every cleanup and weird find can be shared on social media with family and friends. The app is free and available to download on both iOS and Android systems.

5. A cleaner coastline.

A great way to turn the tide on trash is to clean up your local beach, shoreline or park as part of this year’s Cleanup. We hope to ‘sea’ you on September 16^th.