Seawolves Show Up for the 2023 International Coastal Cleanup®

Glass bottles, takeout containers, and cigarette ends—just a few of the things Seawolves came across during this year’s International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC).

Every year, Tabor Academy joins 17 million ICC volunteers around the world in a global effort to remove debris from Earth’s waterways. Over 150 countries engage annually in local events by cleaning beaches, streams, parks, and neighborhoods.

“Marine debris is one of the greatest threats our ocean faces, but luckily it is an issue with which we can all play a part in the solution.” — Ocean Conservancy

On Sunday, September 17, Seawolves traveled to Fort Phoenix State Park in New Bedford to play their part. According to Tamar Cunha, Director of Community Service and Science Department Chair, students from all grade levels and several members of the adult community participated in the 2023 International Coastal Cleanup. As the environmental advocates picked up items throughout the park, they also recorded data that will be used by the Ocean Conservancy in their annual assessment of coastal pollution—some of which will also be analyzed by AT Environmental Science students for their current unit on plastic pollution.

The last official Sunday of summer provided Seawolves with perfect weather for the ICC. In true New England fashion, the sunshine and blue skies came just one day after students sheltered indoors from Tropical Storm Lee. While the storm may have affected other coastal areas, it was too far offshore by the time it passed Fort Phoenix to have a large impact on the day’s findings.

“We didn’t find as much trash as expected, to be honest,” reflects Cunha.

According to the Ocean Conservancy, more than 350 million pounds of trash has been collected since the program’s beginning—proving small actions can make a big difference. Fostering care for the surrounding world is a value that Tabor instills in every student, and the ICC is just one example of how.

School by the Sea is more than just a catchphrase; it embodies the endless academic, service, and citizenship possibilities that the ocean provides. As the School by the Sea, Tabor takes pride in demonstrating our commitment to the place in which we live and study. Sippican Harbor is not just where the sailing and crew teams practice, where students become leaders at the helm of SSV Tabor Boy, or where the 757 members of the Tabor community call “home away from home.” From eelgrass and Tabor’s Oyster Farm to horseshoe crabs and great blue heron, Sippican Harbor’s biodiversity supports the healthy ecosystems our world relies on. And, as the Ocean Conservancy writes on their website, “When we clean up our home, all those that live in the ocean can #SeaTheChange.”