(Return to) Our Daily Ocean: Day 254

It has been nearly 15 months since I last posted a beach cleanup.  Truth be told, I did some beach cleanups... took some pictures and then... well, I deleted them.  I decided that needed a break.  I needed time think about how I wanted to proceed with my remaining 111 beach cleanups.

When I first started the beach cleanup project in 2010, my kids were 8, 6, and 4.  Because of their young ages, our schedule was very laid-back.  It was super easy for us to pop over to the beach on any given day and for me to sit down at my computer in the evening and type up a blogpost.  Now my kids are 13, 11, & 9... and our days are filled.  It's a good full and one that I want to work beach cleanups back into.

So... in order to get back to the beach, I am making some changes from beach to blog on how I approach all future beach cleanups.

1. Time limit: I've stuck to the 20 minute limit for the previous 253 cleanups.  Now, I want to give what time I have whether it's 5 minutes or an hour.  
2. Weighing: No more. 
3. Sorting/Counting: I think that I'm done sorting. It's work. A lot of work. I'll continue to count.
4. Blogging: I found that not wanting to blog about my beach cleanups was my primary reason for needing a break. From now on, if I have something to say, I'll say it.  If I don't, I'll just post a photo with the cleanup stats.
5. End date: I do beach cleanups because they make me feel good. There is no time frame for finishing. 

So without further ado.... my oldest son and I did beach clean up #254 together on Saturday afternoon. The week prior to doing this cleanup, our area had major flooding due to an insane amount of rain. Knowing that the beach would be inundated with "street" litter, I made the conscious decision to not dig through the wrack line. Instead, I decided to focus on litter that came directly from beachgoers. What I found?  Out of the 57 cigarette butts we picked up, 8 were freshly littered.  The rest were found old and washed out on top of the wrack. Still old and withered... they're littered cigarette butts.  And even though they may not have been littered on the beach, they've ended up there.... sigh....

Saturday, October 17, 2015 @ 3:10PM
Access 15-17
Time: 20 minutes
Weather: 73 & sunny (falling tide: low tide @ 4:58PM)
Cigarette butts: 57

Our Daily Ocean: Day 233

We were supposed to go on a field trip today to Durham, but I couldn't force myself to leave the beach. Museums aren't going anywhere, but true beach days in February are limited... so I changed our plans and my kids and I spent the early afternoon at Wrightsville Beach.

As I was turning my daughter into a mermaid, I realized she was wearing her "Little Mermaid" t-shirt... which reminded me of this billboard I saw so many years ago.  Created to raise awareness among children-- and in turn all Americans-- about the health of the ocean.



Life in the ocean depends on us keeping it clean.  So what are some simple things we can all do?

1. Don't litter and if you see a piece of litter pick it up.
2. Refuse single-use products. (Bring your own bag/cup/mug/container/straw)
3. Reduce the amount of trash you create. (Start by shopping bulk bins and avoiding over-packaged products.)
4. Reuse what you can and buy secondhand.
5. Learn more and share your knowledge with others.

20 minutes on February 20, 2014 at Access 15

Litter by weight: 1.3 oz

Cigarette butts: 27

Total cigarettes removed: 57,684

Our Daily Ocean: Day 205

Having done over 200 beach cleanups, I'm always grateful for the days when I can walk the beach relaxed.... eyes focused on the sand and not find much to pick up.

I found the piece of plastic (pictured above) very intriguing.  Through my eyes, it looks like someone took the time to tie the plastic so it wouldn't blow away in the wind... yet, it got left on the beach.  Hmmm.....

Want to help clean up our world?  It's easier than making sure your trash gets thrown away.  The best way to help clean up our world is to not make so much trash.

One word: Refuse

20 minutes on October 1, 2013 at Access 15

Litter by weight: 1.1 oz
Cigarette butts: 22

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 205 days:

56,105

Our Daily Ocean: Day 132

For me, there is no better place than the beach.  It doesn't really matter what I'm doing there... I always love it.  I love the sounds of shorebirds and crashing waves... I love the smell of the salty air... I love the sand between my toes... I love love love it all... for everything it has always been and for everything it will be... and so I go to the beach to protect what I love.

For the past 132 non-consecutive days, I have gone to Wrightsville Beach and taken 20 minutes to pick up litter.  It's not something I view as a chore or an obligation.  It's something that I do as a commitment to the place I love because it's the right thing to do.  And so I have given thanks to the ocean, waves and Wrightsville Beach by removing 44,036 cigarette butts and over 261 pounds of litter with the help of my family and friends.

Bonnie and Ginger posing with a garden rake we found!

Tomorrow, I will go back to the Town of Wrightsville Beach and present to them (once again) the work that I continue to do at Wrightsville Beach.  I will be there wearing blue to show my continued support for the proposed ordinance to ban smoking on the beach strand.  As you know, Sara and I have been comparing how many cigarette butts we pick up in 20 minutes.  Sara is in Santa Monica where smoking is banned on the beach.  If anyone ever doubted whether or not smoke-free beaches work to help reduce cigarette litter... Sara and I are removing all doubt.  Here's where our comparisons are now:

9 beach clean ups-- 105 cigarette butts in Santa Monica

9 beach clean ups-- 2,784 cigarette butts in Wrightsville Beach


Come out to the WB Board of Alderman meeting at WB Town Hall at 6PM to show your support for helping eliminate the number one littered item on the beach strand.  Come wearing blue and support Smoke-Free WB!

20 minutes on April 10, 2012 at Access 15

Litter by weight: 3 lbs 9.4 oz

Cigarette butts: 380

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 132 days:

44,036

Our Daily Ocean: Day 126

Friday afternoon, my husband and I went to Wrightsville Beach.  Because it was such a gorgeous day, I made the decision that I wanted to go to Johnnie Mercer's Pier.  I often have mixed feelings about that particular area at WB, because it is no doubt part of the trashiest area on the beach strand.  My mixed feelings come from it being a place where I can easily show the lack of responsibility people take and just how disrespectful some people are.... but... as much as this is good to teach awareness, it just gets overwhelming and frustrating sometimes.  Case in point:

Because there was so much trash in just this one area, my husband decided to drag the trash can down and pick it all up.  (Yes, part of our 20 minutes was taken to clean up that mess and I didn't add it to the tally.)  SO... as we saw that big mess strewn across the sand... we questioned why the people couldn't just walk the trash up to the trash cans??  BUT... then we raised a bigger question.  If people that litter THAT much trash and aren't caught and/or cited... then how in the world do the three Wrightsville Beach aldermen that voted down the proposed smoking ban expect someone who litters something as small as a cigarette butt to be cited for littering??  I ask that question in all seriousness.  I wonder from a police officer's point of view how difficult that task must be??  

It sounds daunting if not impossible.  Though I would be the first to say that I believe that anything is possible.  BUT, with a small police force at WB... I wonder about the feasibility of police officers being able to truly enforce the littering law... especially when it comes to cigarette butts?  Hmmm... Since the public hearing we have done 3 clean ups at Wrightsville Beach.  My friend Sara has done 4 beach clean ups in Santa Monica.  We're comparing the amount of cigarettes found on our two beaches in just 20 minute increments.  So far the difference is staggering.  We ask, "Can you tell which beach has banned smoking?"

Wrigthsville Beach: 3 beach clean ups-- 781 cigarette butts

Santa Monica: 4 beach clean ups-- 57 cigarette butts

Another thing that happened yesterday, was us seeing a group of people pack up their stuff and leave their trash. (See the people standing just to the right of the access sign?  Yeah, that's them.)  They grabbed all their chairs, towels, etc... but failed to grab 2 plastic water bottles and 2 freshly smoked cigarettes.  When my husband approached them to let them know that they forgot some things, he received a common response: "Oh, we were going to come back for that." (RIGHT, because those water bottles and cigarette butts are so important they'd never be forgotten.)  Please note the sarcasm... because as often as we've heard that line (along with the "that's not ours" line)... no one ever packs up everything... walks all the way to the access and goes back for their cigarette butts or other trash.  By the way, as the conversation progressed... her story changed to place the blame on the young teenager that was with them.  (sad)

I'm here to make a difference.  Want to join in?

20 minutes on March 16, 2012 at Access 15

Litter by weight: 1 lb 12 oz

Cigarette butts: 210

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 126 days:

42,033

Our Daily Ocean: Day 56

On Monday... I took my three kids to the library and to Coastal Cupcakes.  Then I asked them which beach access they would like to go to... in unison they yelled, "The rock!!".  At access 16, there is rock that my kids LOVE to jump off of... you can see them in all their happiness jumping off of it in the FilterForGood Film (which, by the way is now on YouTube!!)....



Having just been to access 16... I decided to do 20 minutes at access 15 and while I did my kids played under the pier.... digging a hole....looking for sand crabs.  So... it was just me... and my two hands.

With this 20 minute clean up... I've hit a milestone.  Surpassing the 16,000 mark.

16,084 to be exact. (...and I'm not stopping anytime soon.) 

I can honestly say that when I started this project... I never (in a million years) would have ever imagined picking up that many cigarette butts.  (who could imagine that?!?)  I'm so extremely grateful to everyone that has shown their support and encouraged me along the way.... and have to give special thanks to everyone that has joined us at Wrightsville Beach to do a 20 minute clean up.  Mark, Zak, Liz, Ryan and Gabby, Tracy with Liam and Emma, Bonnie, Butch, Goffinet, my in-laws, and my mom and sister :)  LOVE and GRATITUDE. 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

Pay no attention to the numbers on the containers... I used to know how many were in each container... but after filming (some were dumped out to get close up shots of the butts).... I lost track. ;)

20 minutes on April 11, 2011

Litter by weight: 9 oz
Cigarette butts: 115

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 56 days:

16,084

Our Daily Ocean: Day 32

In an effort to "spice up" our 20 minute clean ups, I'm really trying to go to accesses that we haven't been to before.  Of course, I still want to hit up the regulars like accesses 16 and 36... but I'm thinking it'll be interesting-- if not fun-- to visit every access.  Sooo.... after the dentist and lunch, my kids and I parked at access 16 and walked under Johnnie Mercer's Pier to....

It was one of those days that I always refer to as a "deceiving day"... beautiful blue skies... looks like a perfect summer day... then you go outside and are reminded that it's winter.  Based on how cold it was... I was really surprised by how many cars were in the parking lot and even more surprised to see many groups of people on the beach. (some looked like they were going to have a picnic!! and yes, they had loads of plastic grocery bags :( )  I suppose people are in town visiting for the holidays... and you can't visit our area without going to the beach.  ;)

Unlike people from out of town... we can go to the beach anytime we choose. :)  Today, wasn't a day that I would normally choose to go to the beach...besides being cold... there was a northerly wind that just cut right through us.  Because of the wind, my kids were done after about 10 minutes.  They found a plastic sand shovel and began to play....eventually making their way back under the pier...they got sidetracked... forgot about the cold and came running to me with straws and 2 beer bottles.

I also found a plastic fork under the pier and it got me thinking.  There are all of these products made to make our lives more "convenient," but I wonder... how convenient do they really make our lives??  Is it really that big of a deal to wash a fork??  I don't get it. 

We're using all these disposable products... because we've been convinced that we need them... that somehow our lives will be easier.  But the truth is... we're filling up our land with trash... littering our beaches, waterways, roadways, streets, sidewalks, parks.... oceans.... polluting our air and water... poisoning ourselves (and the animals we share this Earth with)...    All for convenience of making our already busy lives easier or being able to "not have to deal" with cleaning something.  But it seems to me-- and this is my opinion-- that this mess created for convenience doesn't really make our lives easier because in the end we're just putting off what we should have done today... and this mess of "convenience" is a lot harder to clean up.... 

Disposable products don't fit in an indisposable world.

20 minutes on December 23, 2010

Litter by weight: 1 lb 9.2 oz

Cigarette butts: 69 (and the numbers keep dropping!!!)

Total amount of cigarette butts picked up off of Wrightsville Beach, NC in 32 days:

11,813