Roughly 20 community members, from local schools and other organizations, convened for an Earth Day cleanup in Tavernier on April 25.
Organized by Pascal’s Way, the debris collection continues the legacy of the late Pascal Weisberger, the young boy who spread kindness and lent his service and compassion to the community. Cleanups along the shoreline were among the acts of community service he performed during his life.
Half the volunteers paddled out to clean up in and around Tavernier Key, while others stayed on land and collected debris along the Old Settlers Park shoreline in Tavernier. Some cleaned the mangrove shoreline near Paddle the Florida Keys Shop on Tavernier Creek.
In all, volunteers removed 400 pounds of trash — mostly plastic waste — from onshore and the surrounding mangrove shoreline of Tavernier Key, an FWC-owned property, as well as Old Settlers Park and a section of shoreline on the south side of Tavernier Creek.
“There sadly is a ton more still out at the island, likely at least a few thousand pounds, and as a result Pascal’s Way is hoping to partner with some of these same organizations and others to organize an even bigger cleanup event out there for International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 19,” said Ariel Poholek, Pascal’s father and debris cleanup organizer.
Among the organizations and businesses partnering in the Earth Day cleanup were Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and biologist Ryan Hess; and Florida Bay Outfitters and Ocean Studies Charter School, which both loaned kayaks.
The Friends of the Upper Keys Monroe County Parks and Beaches were on hand, as well as the county parks department, which supplied volunteers with garbage pickers, buckets and arranged debris disposal. South Island Pizza provided slices for lunch. Local resident and Key Largo Sunset Rotarian Jamie Jackson helped transport the kayaks to and from Florida Bay Outfitters.
During the cleanup, Poholek said, the group was approached by Tavernier resident Millie Noury, who spoke about an interaction she had with the late Pascal at an art walk in Islamorada in 2019. She remembered how he interacted with her dog, Lorelei. Pascal spent time volunteering at the Humane Society in Key Largo.
“He comes up and goes, ‘Excuse me, may I pet your dog?’ I thought that was so polite because most kids just hover over your dog,” Noury told Poholek. “He goes, ‘But listen, you can trust me. I volunteer at the Humane Society of the Upper Keys.’
“He’s giving me the sweetest little resume,” Noury said. “I remembered him being so beautiful and genuine. Then I find out he’s a Boy Scout and how great he is … like a real angel on Earth.”
As Noury said, Pascal will never be forgotten.
The next Pascal’s Way cleanup is set for Saturday, May 23 at the village environmental land parcel across from Founders Park in Islamorada. More information is at Pascal’s Way on Facebook.
