Beach sweep, environmental festival planned Saturday

A community-wide beach sweep -- a volunteer event to clean local beaches, marshes and waterways -- hosted by Hilton Head Preparatory School will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

After the event, the school will sponsor the Coastal Clean Water Festival.

Volunteer beach cleaners should report to the following locations and look for the captains in light-blue Coastal Clean Water Festival T-shirts: Tower Beach in Sea Pines; Sea Pines Beach Club; Coligny Beach; Burkes Beach; Mitchelville Beach; Port Royal Beach near the Westin Resort; Alljoy Beach in Bluffton; the Bluffton Oyster Co.; and Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.

All supplies will be provided. Debris data will be tallied and submitted to the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

The sweep will be followed by the free festival from 5 to 10 p.m. at Shelter Cove Harbour.

The school is working with Greenwood Development and the Shelter Cove Merchants Association to provide music, food, children's activities and environmental education. About 40 groups will participate.

Outside Hilton Head will offer discounted cruise and kayaking excursions from the harbor during the festival on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Details: Call Hilton Head Preparatory School at 843-671-2286 or send e-mail to mbrown@hhprep.org.