Clean Virginia Waterways

06/23/2026

Here at Clean Virginia Waterways, you know we focus on 🐳But have you ever considered an abandoned vessel as something we'd tackle? Abandoned boats 🛳️ are a significant source of marine debris in Virginia, in part because many of them are made of fiberglass hulls, a type of plastic that is not fun to touch when it breaks down!
We need your help to stop the abandoned vessel problem! You may be on or near the water more often as the summer heats up, so if you see a vessel you suspect of being abandoned or derelict, you can report it anonymously to the Virginia database through the MyCoast app or at boatus.org/database
This helps Virginia keep a record of abandoned and derelict vessels, or ADVs, to keep our waterways safe, clear, and navigable!

06/22/2026

That's a wrap on our Foam Phaseout Workgroup! Since October 2025, Clean Virginia Waterways has hosted a workgroup, consisting of campaign partnerships with askhrgreen.org and Virginia Green Travel Alliance, to help businesses eliminate foam seamlessly, affordably, and sustainably before the state ban on July 1. We held our last meeting this month, helping Virginian businesses in over 25 cities and counties make the switch away from foam! And thanks to Sam Burton, the new Southeast Regional Manager at Surfrider Foundation, who made it to our last workgroup meeting!

06/19/2026

We'd like to welcome Anne and Jacob Dempsey as our newest members of Team Turtle!! Team Turtle is Clean Virginia Waterways' sustainable giving program that will support our work month after month to help us reduce plastic pollution in Virginia's waterways.
"We joined Team Turtle because we have a deep love of the ocean and its array of wonderful animals, and we couldn't imagine not doing something to help them. Through beach cleanups hosted by Clean Virginia Waterways, we have learned firsthand about the harmful impacts of plastic pollution on marine life and coastal ecosystems. Those experiences inspired us to turn our love for the ocean into action by becoming monthly donors. We have also learned that even the smallest pieces of trash removed from our beaches can make a difference, and we want to help others understand that their actions matter, too. By supporting Team Turtle, we are proud to join the mission to help make the ocean a cleaner, safer, and healthier place for the animals who call it home!"
Thank you Anne and Jacob for your support! We can't do this work without supporters like you!
Want to learn more about Team Turtle? https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/team-turtle

06/18/2026

We've got another great intern working with us this summer! Sacha is a graduate student in the Master of Public Policy program at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Originally from Maryland, she earned her BA in Politics from Bates College. Her interest in the outdoors inspired her to pursue public policy as a way to protect natural resources and strengthen environmental conservation efforts.
This summer, through the Batten Master of Public Policy Internship, Sacha is supporting Clean Virginia Waterways’ policy, outreach, and stakeholder engagement work in Virginia Beach. Her internship focuses primarily on planning and implementing efforts to advance a “Skip the Stuff” law in Virginia, bringing together her policy training, analytical skills, and commitment to coastal conservation.
Outside of work and school, Sacha enjoys songwriting, reading, and running outdoors.
Welcome Sacha, we're excited to have you join us!

06/17/2026

What's your Blue Marble Promise?
We helped attendees of the Dave Matthews Band concert at Jiffy L**e Live commit to ways they were going to protect their local waterways. By acting locally, we help make a global impact on our Blue Planet. After pledging their support, everyone got take home a blue marble as a reminder of their commitment to their action to reduce and help Clean Virginia's Waterways!

06/16/2026

It's World Sea Turtle Day! There are four species of sea turtle that commonly visit Virginia during the warmer months in both the ocean and bay waters as well as some of our coastal waterways. At Clean Virginia Waterways, we're a little obsessed with sea turtles. From the work we do to prevent and remove harmful litter from our beaches and waterways to our many turtle-themed logos and graphics, we often have sea turtles in mind.
All species are either threatened or endangered and protected by the Endangered Species Act. But unfortunately, those protections can't stop a turtle from accidentally ingesting plastic or becoming entangled in fishing gear. So it's up to us to protect sea turtles by keeping plastic pollution out of our waterways. Here are a few turtle-friendly tips:
Never release balloons.
Skip single-use plastics especially bags, foam and bottles.
Always discard of fishing gear properly.
Pick up litter no matter where you are, all storm drains lead to a waterway.
Join Team Turtle and support our mission to reduce plastics in Virginia.
So, give a sea turtle a big "hug" today, and do something that will help protect them for years to come. Thanks for being turtley awesome!
https://www.cleanvirginiawaterways.org/team-turtle

06/16/2026

“The phase-out of foam takeout containers protects consumers from harmful chemicals that can leach into food and drinks, while preventing these persistent pollutants from littering our beaches, harming wildlife, and contaminating our waterways,” said Joseph Barnes, marine debris prevention specialist at Clean Virginia Waterways, an environmental nonprofit.
A huge thanks to for featuring our foam-free work in their newsletter! We offer foam-free food ware kits and stickers to help normalize and habituate not using foam and bringing your own containers. Read all about it at https://cvwma.com/news/foam-phase-out-going-into-full-effect/

06/15/2026

One of our wonderful volunteers and supporters has entered a photo contest and if she wins, CVW will receive a $5000 donation. Please take a minute and vote for her photo in the America’s Favorite Photos competition 🤩

America’s Favorite Photos: Discover your new favorite photos!

06/14/2026

Today’s Sea Turtle Shellebration was turtley awesome! Here’s a sneak peek of some of the fun we had today at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Thank you to all of our great volunteers that set up education stations, helped with a beach cleanup and built a Trash Talking Turtle. Stay tuned for more pics and the beach cleanup report coming soon!