From the office of the Land Commissioner:

The 21st Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Fall Cleanup will take place Saturday, September 22nd at 26 sites along the Texas coast announced Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. The all-volunteer event is coordinated through the Adopt-A-Beach Program of the Texas General Land Office. Additional cleanups are scheduled for the winter and spring.

Volunteers can register at any of the check-in sites from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on September 22nd, and will be given data cards, gloves, pencils and trash bags. Volunteers are advised to wear closed-toe shoes, bring sunscreen and plenty of drinking water.

"Seventy percent of trash found on Texas beaches is left behind by average beachgoers," Patterson said. "Humans created this problem, and humans have a responsibility to fix it. I urge all my fellow Texans to join me at the beach and help turn the tide against trash."

This year, Texans who are not able to attend the cleanup can help keep Texas beaches clean by making a tax-deductible donation online. There are several different Adopt-A-Beach sponsorship levels ranging from $25 to $25,000, allowing both individuals and corporations to contribute to this major cleanup effort.

Texas beaches receive large amounts of marine debris due to a convergence of currents in the Gulf of Mexico. Since 1986, more than 355,000 Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up more than 6,700 tons of this debris, some of it originating from as far away as Greece. Volunteers record data on the trash to learn more about the causes of marine debris and to help mitigate pollution along Texas' 367 miles of coastline.

For a complete listing of cleanup sites for the upcoming Fall Cleanup, to learn how you can participate, or for additional information on the Adopt-A-Beach Program, please visit www.texasadoptabeach.org, or contact the GLO at 1-877-TX COAST.