JUPITER WAVES BEACH CLEAN UP Taylor murphy created a non-profit organization to keep the beaches Clean. by rhekha nadarajah staff writer
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enior Taylor Murphy created a non-profit organization called Jupiter Waves Beach Clean Up. Murphy has been volunteering at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center as a docent for the past two years. Working with loggerhead turtles and learning about marine life sparked her passion for marine biology. Murphy is planning on studying marine biology at the University of Miami in the fall of 2018. Along with finding her passion for marine biology at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center, she also started her own non-profit organization, Jupiter Waves Beach Clean Up. “I think it’s really great that people come together for a uniting cause over something that everyone can relate to. Living in Florida the beach is a very important aspect of everyone’s lives who live here, which is why it’s important that we come together as a community and help make sure that we are keeping our beaches are clean.” Murphy said. Murphy decided to start this non-profit in order to make preparations for sea turtle nesting season by cleaning beaches that do not have a local beach clean-up, for example Coral Cove, located in Jupiter, Florida. Her nonprofit also raised money for the Loggerhead Marine Life Center allowing them to purchase supplies to help sick and injured sea turtles. In order for Murphy to start her non-profit she had to meet with Palm Beach County district officials to get approved to have a public organization at a local park. Palm Beach County provided her with all of the supplies she needed for her beach clean ups. After her meeting with the district officials she had to have a meeting with the Loggerhead Marine Life Center officials to confirm that they would advertise her beach clean ups. Murphy began advertising her beach clean ups by making over a hundred flyers and posting them up around Jupiter, in local surf shops, coffee shops and also all around the school. After a few weeks of having her flyers up a local coffee shop, Oceana Coffee, located in Jupiter, reached out to Murphy and volunteered to sponsor her
WOO HOOO! Taylor murphy stands on one of the beaches she cleaned with her sign. photo by taylor murphy
non-profit and provide free coffee for all of her volunteers. Also, a company named UBS Financial agreed to match the amount Murphy raised on her own and donate to her non-profit. Murphy’s first beach clean-up only consisted of ten people but as months passed each clean-up crew started increasing, and by April she had 30-40 people at each clean up. Many students from Suncoast attended the beach clean ups, along with various students and locals from throughout Palm Beach County. Each beach clean-up is approximately two hours long, and on average Murphy and her crew collected 50 pounds of trash each clean up. After each cleanup Murphy brings the bags of trash back to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center and sorts through the trash in order to recycle what needs to be recycled. At the center they also collected data of what was littered the most on that beach. Murphy’s hard work and dedication was recognized when she was given the congressional award. Murphy has put a lot of time and effort into her non-profit which has benefited the local beaches of Jupiter immensly. Murphy hopes that when she leaves for college in the Fall that someone will take over the non-profit and continue keeping the beaches of Jupiter clean.
AWWW! Taylor murphyTakes a picture of one of the baby turtles at loggerhead marine life center. photo by taylor murphy
SPLASH! One of the rescued turtles at loggerhead marine life center pops his head out to say hi. photo by taylor murphy
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SAY CHEESE! Taylor murphy poses with three of her volunteers. photo by taylor murphy
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