Keep Collier Beautiful’s Executive Director Cyndee Woolley presented a comprehensive overview of the organization’s 2025 accomplishments to the South Florida Water Management District – Big Cypress Basin on October 30, highlighting remarkable volunteer engagement, community cleanups, and innovative canal restoration initiatives.
The presentation underscored KCB’s mission as a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to uniting the community through litter and debris control, recycling education, and environmental protection. Cyndee also shared impressive 2025 impact numbers: 2,642 volunteers contributed 7,926 service hours, collecting 1,078 bags of trash weighing approximately 8,272 pounds across the county’s annual cleanup events.
A significant focus of the presentation centered on KCB’s canal cleanup initiative, launched in partnership with SFWMD to identify and restore priority waterway sites. During the International Coastal Cleanup on September 20, volunteers cleaned four canal locations: 951 Canal, Airport Road Canal (North and South), and Henderson Creek. These cleanups collected 83 trash bags and an estimated 340 pounds of debris, with 70 volunteers participating across the four sites.
To guide future canal restoration efforts, a KCB volunteer conducted a Canal Litter Assessment on September 19 and 24, evaluating six key locations across the county. The assessment identified priority areas requiring attention and will inform KCB’s ongoing strategy for waterway protection and maintenance.
Beyond cleanups, the presentation highlighted KCB’s educational initiatives, including the Keep Collier Beautiful Art Contest, which invites students to express environmental stewardship through creative work. The organization also detailed its annual community programs—the Great American Cleanup in March and International Coastal Cleanup in September—which demonstrated significant growth, with a 76% increase in Great American Cleanup volunteers and an 82% increase in trash collected compared to the previous year.
Cyndee emphasized the power of public-private partnerships in achieving environmental goals, showcasing KCB’s collaborative relationships with government agencies, businesses, environmental organizations, and educational institutions throughout Collier County.
The presentation reinforced Keep Collier Beautiful’s commitment to protecting Collier County’s natural resources through volunteer mobilization, community education, and strategic environmental stewardship.
Thank you to the South Florida Water Management District for the opportunity to share our work!
