The Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines (SPLASh) program is a project implemented by American Bird Conservancy, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, and Black Cat GIS to address the overlapping issues of trash pollution and bird conservation in the Houston-Galveston region. Litter entering Houston’s parks, bayous, and waterways threatens the health of local communities, wildlife, and the Galveston Bay watershed.
This project built environmental stewardship among students and community members by combining environmental education, community engagement, trash reduction, and community science. Participants learned about the effects of trash and plastic pollution on our communities and natural spaces, removed harmful debris from key habitats within the Houston-Galveston region, especially along Sims and Brays bayous, and contributed data to the Texas Litter Database to better understand local pollution challenges.
The project partnered with 41 schools, half of which were Title I schools, and engaged 4,785 students, 3,224 community members, and 726 volunteers. The project hosted 27 public cleanups and 3 large-scale cleanups, removing 13,241.57 pounds of trash from waterways and natural spaces. Cleanup activities improved 140 acres of habitat and generated valuable community science data.
The project’s long-term impact extends beyond removal of trash. It strengthened environmental awareness, stewardship behaviors, and partnerships, and contributed valuable litter data to the Texas Litter Database. Expanding partnerships and maintaining consistent trash monitoring through the Texas Litter Database will continue to support a better understanding of pollution trends and inform effective solutions.
