Sunday, November 15, 2026
Railroad vines have beautiful purple blooms that form a large mat of green foliage anchoring the sand with its roots.
A large beach umbrella was found discarded on the dunes during the August Beach Cleanup. From left: Lindsay Boehner, Charlotte Schrimper, Bria O’Donnell, and Nathan O’Donnell.
A Thor Guard Lightning Warning system at the South Beach entrance.
A Monofilament Recycling Bin is available for used fishing line.
The August Beach cleanup volunteers!
An empty bag of Tournament Master Chum was found along the shoreline on August 21st. According to law enforcement, there has not been a documented report of chumming on Marco Island in 2024.
Beauty on the Dunes: What are those beautiful funnel-shaped lavender flowers with bright green foliage spreading out from the dunes with their long runners? It is a Florida native vine (Ipomea pes-caprae) and part of the Morning Glory family. They attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Sometimes you’ll notice a runner reaching more than 20 feet from the dunes. On the dunes, they form a large mat of green foliage with its roots helping stabilize the dunes and preventing erosion.
Beast on the Dunes: During the August Beach cleanup, the dune/vegetation area was a productive source of trash! In between the beautiful purple blooms of the railroad vines were pockets of cigarette butts. Why are they bad for the beach environment? According to the Ocean Conservancy, “cigarette butts that are left in the environment, the sun, rain, and wind will ultimately break the plastic filter down into tiny microplastics, releasing the same toxic chemicals onto our beaches and into our waterways. These chemicals include nicotine, heavy metals, and even carcinogens, and to make matters worse, these butts are eaten by wildlife causing all kinds of problems.”
Common trash items found on the Dunes are discarded beach umbrellas, cooler tops, glass bottles and aluminum cans, footwear, and plastic in all forms, such as food wrappers, beverage containers, bottle caps, grocery bags, plastic straws, eating utensils, and fishing line.
There is a Monofilament Recycling Bin on South Beach where you can cast your used fishing line and help keep the wildlife from deadly entanglement. For the August beach cleanup, volunteers found several clumps of monofilament fishing lines discarded along the shorelines - luckily, it was low tide!
When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! According to the National Weather Service (NSW), Florida led the nation with the highest number of lighting-related deaths in 2023.
How can you stay safe? At South Beach, as you enter the beach from the boardwalk, you will notice on your left a Thor Guard Lightning Warning system with a small white dome top that looks like a mushroom with a strobe light. When the system predicts a high probability of a lightning strike, it will emit a 30-second siren or blast with an accompanying flashing light. When you hear three five-second sirens or blasts, and the light is off, it is safe to be outside.
The following locations on Marco Beach have a Lighting warning system:
On Saturday, August 24th, a small group of dedicated beach volunteers gathered on South Beach and picked up a grabber, a bucket, and gloves and removed 60+ pounds of trash from entering the ocean, keeping the sea turtles and other marine animals safe.
To participate in the monthly volunteer beach cleanup, check the City of Marco Island Calendar for locations.
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