Treasure Island: Coastal Awareness, Restoration, and Education for a Resilient Future

In 2024, Pinellas County faced an unprecedented environmental crisis, experiencing its most destructive hurricane season in more than a century. Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused catastrophic damage along the county’s coastlines, with the City of Treasure Island among one of the hardest hits. In response, Keep Pinellas Beautiful (KPB), Treasure Island Adopt-A-Beach, and the City of Treasure Island united with a shared and urgent mission: to restore the community's damaged shoreline, protect its natural resources, and strengthen the coast's resilience for the future. 

To support this monumental recovery effort, KPB was awarded a grant through Volunteer Florida’s Disaster Relief Fund. With these resources, KPB rapidly mobilized a recovery plan to help Treasure Island rebuild and restore these vital coastal ecosystems.

Restoration, Beautification, and Cleanups: 

The centerpiece of our strategy is the restoration, beautification, and cleanup campaign. Currently underway, this grant-funded initiative spans from December 2025 through November 2026. By the conclusion of this cycle, KPB will have completed numerous large-scale cleanup events and native coastal plantings across beach parking lots, public beach access points, vulnerable dune systems, and trail corridors. 

Our targeted restoration activities began with beach access and parking lot beautification. Native vegetation was restored across seven primary parking lots and adjacent beach access points to enhance up to 54,633 square feet of coastal space with 2,000 newly installed plants. For dune stabilization, volunteers completed an essential restoration effort along the northern and southern end of Treasure Island Beach by planting 21,000 sea oats. Additionally, the Treasure Island Trail Project focused on re-establishing native vegetation along a one-mile stretch of the local trail in partnership with hotels. In total, 920 plants were installed across 11 projects with the help of volunteers. Finally, for comprehensive debris removal, the grant supported dedicated cleanup events, including monthly cleanups and after holidays events designed to remove litter from beaches, trails and other public spaces. There are several other Volunteer Florida projects happening soon, giving volunteers plenty of opportunities to get involved. Check out our upcoming events page to find a project that’s right for you. 

Community Education, Engagement, and Outreach: 

Education serves as the foundation for everything we do. We firmly believe that hands-on learning fosters long-term environmental stewardship. Throughout our cleanups and beautification events, KPB provides direct community education that is centered on the critical role that native plants play in coastal resilience, proper planting techniques to ensure long-term survival, and the harmful impacts that organic and consumer debris have on both inland and marine ecosystems. 

Our recent KidsCan Cleanup event featured a variety of interactive activities designed to deepen children's understanding of the environment. Participants learned firsthand how dunes and native vegetation stabilize coastal landscapes and protect coastal communities during natural disasters. KPB also uses its engaging Super Rosie (Spoonbill) comic book at outreach events to teach younger audiences about conservation. To further expand our local impact, KPB has participated in at least 10 community outreach events, connecting with civic organizations, youth groups, and municipal leaders throughout the project. 

Groups & Volunteers involved: 

This massive undertaking would be impossible without our incredible network of volunteers and corporate partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to the dedicated teams from Publix, Enterprise Mobility, Power Design, Northwestern Mutual of Clearwater, the American Society of Civil Engineers, CoastLab Kids, Logan’s Love Foundation, Kiewit, CHASE, Pinellas County Solid Waste, Shorecrest, Duke Energy, Woman in Tourism, HCA Healthcare, Lowe’s, Earth Balance, and Wise Hands. 

With the support of Volunteer Florida, the City of Treasure Island, the passion of our partner Carrie Auerbach with Treasure Island Adopt-A-Beach, and the dedication of our volunteers, KPB is fully committed to restoring Treasure Island's coastlines, strengthening the community's resilience, and preserving these natural resources for generations to come. There is still time to get involved. Whether you volunteer at a cleanup, participate in a planting event, or help spread the word, you can make a lasting impact and help keep Pinellas beautiful!