Environmentalist Susan Hill Smith recently received the Spirit of the Island Award in honor of her work as co-founder of the Isle of Palms Cleanup Crew. The prestigious honor recognizes an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to IOP through achievement, community service and volunteerism.
and former IOP City Council member, accepted the award alongside the IOP Cleanup Crew’s other co-founder, Katrina Naz Limbach, and a dozen volunteers at a council meeting on Oct. 24. The award requires an official nomination and review by a nomination committee, which includes the city’s mayor.
“The recognition has extra meaning because the nomination came from islander Sarah Parker Daniel,” Smith said. “She does a great deal herself to keep our beach clean, healthy and E beautiful by regularly picking up litter, including left-behind items like plastic toys.”
At the award ceremony, Smith expressed gratitude for the city’s willingness to spotlight the IOP Cleanup Crew’s commitment to finding solutions for the island’s litter and pollution crisis. Although Smith was recognized as an individual, she was steadfast in recognizing that the honor belonged to the IOP Cleanup Crew as a whole.
Smith thanked Limbach and city administrator Desiree Fragoso for connecting her with her co-founder. She also recognized the group’s partnership with the South Carolina Aquarium’s conservation team as an integral part of the clean-up efforts. Smith also acknowledged those who have contributed to the IOP Cleanup Crew’s success, including islanders Rebecca Stephenson and her family as well as Howard Hogue, known as “Beach Santa,” for their enthusiasm and engagement.
Smith also expressed thanks toward local businesses such as Team Blue from South Carolina Federal Credit Union for supporting the IOP Cleanup Crew through their employee volunteer program and various local restaurants for their ongoing sponsorship. She named The Windjammer and Acme Lowcountry Kitchen, two local businesses that have supported the group from its early days.
Together, Smith and the IOP Cleanup Crew use volunteer power to keep the island’s coast clean. By collecting coastal waste, the group has been protecting the island’s natural ecosystems and public health since 2018 and has brought together thousands of volunteers from across the Lowcountry and beyond for their litter sweeps. It has also created awareness and inspired others to clean up on their own time.
Smith noted that she is passionate about protecting the beauty of the Isle of Palms and recognizes that doing so is a monumental undertaking that requires the support of city leaders, residents and visitors. She also intends to put increased emphasis on litter prevention moving forward.
Smith hopes to educate the public on the importance of avoiding single- use items such as water bottles and juice boxes at the beach. She’d like to see beachgoers relying instead on reusable items and learning about local ordinances that prohibit smoking, balloons, straws, plastic bags, Styrofoam and more.
For more information on beach rules and regulations, visit iop.net/beach/ beach-rules.
By Isabel Alvarez Arata
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