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LEE ISLAND, N.C. – Paddle boarders united to clean up the beaches, marshes and barrier islands in the Cape Fear region this weekend. SUP Cleanup out of Wilmington organized the effort.

“Every time I am out paddleboarding, I will stick a water bottle or empty Gatorade bottle inside my cargo net, but there is just so much of it. You could never pick it all up at one time,” Jeoffery Nathan said.

In order to turn that one bottle into many, Nathan and his team of paddleboarders took their mission to the next level. Once a month, they take on a cleanup effort. And since March, they have used up 50 trash bags.

“Huge pieces of plywood and boats that have broken up and just big pieces of trash and huge pieces of foam from docks we bring back,” Nathan said. “How all the trash gets left behind like the Fourth of July on Mansonboro, you would just be amazed how many people leave their beer cans, cigarette butte everywhere.”

“There is nothing worse than coming out to a beach like we are on right now where it is beautiful and you see beer cans, coke cans, paper wrappers, it just ruins the experience,” paddleboarder Rich Novak said.

It was Reid Squirers first time paddleboarding and participating in the cleanup. He said he thinks everyone should try it.

“It’s just the combination of an experience you’ve never had and doing something good for the community you live in,” Squirers said.

The next SUP Cleanup will be next month. All paddlers, including longboarders, kayakers and paddleboarders, are invited to help.