Longboaters come together for annual Sister Keys Cleanup

Volunteers from around Longboat Key gathered for the 2025 Sister Keys cleanup, hauling about 4,453 pounds of trash and debris from the islands off Longboat Key. 

The final cleanup report from Sarasota Bay Watch said 48 volunteers joined the cleanup on April 12 and utilized vessels like kayaks, boats and help from a Longboat Key Police Department vessel. 

"Everything went really well," said Rusty Chinnis, one of the organizers. "We got a lot of trash out of there." 

Together, the volunteers collected 955 pounds of Styrofoam insulation, 2,232 pounds of trash and 1,266 pounds of lumber. 

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Other interesting items included couch cushions, tires, a boat locker, laminate flooring, an Observer newspaper kiosk, an air mattress, a bedframe and municipal trash bins. 

Sarasota Bay Watch, Suncoast Waterkeeper, Reef Innovations, the town of Longboat Key, and Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub collaborated to make the cleanup possible. 

Chinnis gave a special shout-out to Mar Vista for providing a free boxed lunch for the volunteers and continuing to host the event. 

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Sister Keys is often referred to as Longboat's "adopted islands." In 1988, Chinnis led the charge to raise $50,000 to buy the islands east of Longboat Key. The asking price was closer to $1.5 million, though, so Chinnis and the group successfully pitched a collaborative purchase with the town of Longboat Key. 

The deal and funding was finalized in 1992 and, since then, Chinnis has helped organize cleanups to preserve the islands with local groups like Sarasota Bay Watch and Suncoast Waterkeeper. 

Further south, volunteers throughout the region joined Keep Sarasota County Beautiful in contributing to the nationwide "Great American Cleanup" Saturday morning.

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Staff at the construction company Moss and the engineering firm Kimley-Horn drove the cleanup efforts at Lido Beach, bringing together about 20 volunteers.