The Adopt-a-Beach initiative runs through the Belle Isle Nature Center and is part of a network of shoreline cleanups around the Great Lakes organized by the Alliance for the Great Lakes. This group combines a beach or shoreline cleanup with a collection analysis of the types of waste found. Participants gain a greater understanding of the types and amount of trash on beaches and share their data with researchers and other citizen scientists from around the Great Lakes.
DZS Adopt-a-Beach events have resulted in the cleanup of thousands of pounds of trash along 1.25 miles of coastline on the Detroit River. Mudpuppies, beavers, waterfowl, fish and so many more animals who live nearby, including people, have all benefited from Adopt-a-Beach efforts on Lake Muskoday, Blue Heron Lagoon and the Belle Isle Beach.