Our Daily Ocean: Day 246

Memorial Day weekend is considered the official start of beach season.  It's also the start of what any of us who clean the beach would call the "trashing of the beach".  Beach goers come in droves for their moment at the beach... and they live in the experience... but somehow a sad majority forget to respect and protect this natural wonder that they rush to visit.  Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the beach on Memorial Day (I heard the horror stories of trash lined beaches)... but I did make it out to Wrightsville Beach on Saturday evening to do a beach clean up with Bonnie Monteleone and her daughter Tricia (not pictured).

Bonnie is a good friend and a local environmental hero of mine.  Her nonprofit-- Plastic Ocean Project-- educates through field research, implements progressive outreach initiatives and is currently working on 5 solutions to address the global plastic pollution problem.  Plus she created an eye-openning art exhibit entitled "What Goes Around, Comes Around" that will be traveling across the US this summer and throughout the rest of 2014 (and hopefully beyond).  

AND... yes, there's more... for  Jack Johnson's All At Once campaign during his recent tour (happening now!), Plastic Ocean Project was chosen to be a partner to receive direct and matching donations from the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation!  Any donations made now through September 1, 2014... Jack Johnson will MATCH (doesn't matter if the donation is $1 or $100)!  

Learn more about Plastic Ocean Project (POP) and how to donate here.

Are you ready for the run down of what Bonnie and I picked up during Saturday's beach cleanup?  Here we go... from most to least items found!

Cigarette butts: 44 (this is a fantastic improvement!)

Food Wrappers: 28

Straws: 14

Toys: 10

Misc. plastics: 8

Caps: 3

Boogie boards/broken leash: 3

Zip ties: 3 (these are from the beach renourishment project)

Cups: 2

Clothing/eyeware: 2

Plasticware: 1

See the common problem?  ... PLASTIC.  Plastic. plastic....  

May 24, 2014 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 1 lb 7.1 oz

Cigarette butts: 44

Total amount of cigarette butts removed: 57,932

Our Daily Ocean: Day 24

On Sunday, my family and I went to the beach.  It was really a gorgeous day... the sun was shining bright and the sky was as blue as blue could be... BUT... it was a very windy and cold day at the beach...

That's the Oceanic Pier at Access 36.  Access 36 has become a regular spot for us to do our 20 minute clean ups.  It's one of those accesses that even in off-season... litter still abounds.  Liz, who writes the Litter Sucks blog, joined us at Access 36.  Liz does clean ups at Carolina and Kure Beaches... where she often loses track of time while picking up litter.  The butt counts for CB and KB in the Community Butt Count come from her efforts :)  Go Liz!!!

Sorry for the uber dark photo... the sun was strong!!

Whenever we hit Access 36, my husband and I always make a right... heading south to the Oceanic Pier.  It never fails that we find a good portion of our butt count under the pier... especially in the Oceanic Restaurant's employee break area.  I know I bring this up A LOT....BUT... when I... and I alone... am able to pick up 42 fairly "fresh" cigarette butts in one area.... I think that's a problem.  A problem not only because of the obvious... but also because if those people can casually put their butts in the sand under the pier... it means that they're casually putting their butts out everywhere else.  That's a HUGE problem and such a bummer.

Of course, I always take photos of the litter that we find during our 20-minute clean ups... I feel like I'm always taking the same photos... cigarette butt here... plastic something there... with the most beautiful backdrop.  Over the weekend I took some of the photos that I've taken during our 20 minute cleanups and made this video....

20 minutes on November 28, 2010

Litter by weight: 13.5 oz

Cigarette Butts: 434

Total amount of cigarette butts picked up off of Wrightsville Beach, NC in 24 days:

10,398