Employees from Gulf Power Company will participate in a two-day shoreline cleanup at Naval Live Oaks on June 20 and 21 as part of the Renew Our Rivers campaign that has been successful in the removal of more than 5 million pounds of litter and man-made debris from the waterways of the Southern Company service area since 2000.

"Helping clear our waterways of hurricane debris fits in perfectly with our commitment to environmental stewardship," said Lynn Erickson, Gulf Power spokeswoman. "Our employees are always looking for ways to help out in the community and we're glad to be able to bring this Southern Company campaign here to Northwest Florida."

Gulf Power employees from Plants Crist, Smith and Scholz will team with Gulf Islands National Seashore's Youth Conservation Corps to clear hurricane debris and litter from the popular National Park beach area near Gulf Breeze throughout the day on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Youth Conservation Corps is a diverse group of high school students ages 15 to 18. The eight-week Gulf Islands National Seashores program allows the students to earn money while they learn.

This is the first year Gulf Power is participating in Southern Company's Renew Our Rivers campaign, the annual cleanup of rivers, lakes and other waterways which has spread throughout the Southern Company's service territory.

The campaign started out in 1999 as a local cleanup of the Coosa River around Alabama Power's Gadsden Steam Plant. Over the next five years, it grew to include waterways throughout Alabama and Georgia.