Our Daily Ocean: Day 203

I have no doubts of the powers of the ocean.  Whether I'm in the water or on the shore... just being near the ocean has such a positive effect on me.  It always just feels good...  

"The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul." ~Wyland

I'm grateful that 14 years ago, we made the decision to move from landlocked St. Louis and find our way to this beautiful coastal town.  There's no place I'd rather be... 

Find a place you love.  Cherish it.  Protect it. 

20 minutes on September 29, 2013 at Access 40

Litter by weight: 1.3 oz

Cigarette butts: 26

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 203 days:

56,037

Our Daily Ocean: Day 202

Back in 2010, months before I started this beach cleanup project, I  became aware of a local nonprofit called Ocean Cure that did free charity surf camps for at risk youth and those who are medically fragile.  Impressed by the idea, I (along with my husband) quickly signed up to volunteer.  We didn't know the founders... we didn't know anyone else volunteering.  But it was something that we felt so inspired by that we knew we wanted to support Ocean Cure in any way that we could.

A few months after our first volunteering experience with Ocean Cure, we became fast friends with the founder-- Kevin.  We quickly learned that Kevin is the type of person who gives without expectation... and he gives so much of his time and energy to helping those who normally couldn't get in the water the opportunity to do so.  AND... his nonprofit Ocean Cure does it for free.

Ocean Cure measures their success by the smiles they create.  And let me tell you... they are definitely succeeding!   

But, they don't just do free surf camps for those in need!  They also participate in and organize beach and waterway cleanups!  I love that Ocean Cure understands and acts on the knowledge that in order to enjoy our beaches and oceans, we need to keep them clean, protect them and nourish them!  Because Ocean Cure encompasses philanthropy and environmentalism... they are definitely my favorite local nonprofit!  If you'd like to volunteer, participate, donate or just learn more about Ocean Cure... please take the time to check out their website and go "like" them on Facebook.

Also, my friend Kim of Big Strong Girl Designs will donate $10 to Ocean Cure with purchase of this "together we are an ocean" copper cuff from her etsy shop.

20 minutes on September 24, 2013 at Access 39

Litter by weight: 2.3 oz

Cigarette butts: 49

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 202 days: 

56,011

Our Daily Ocean: Day 201

On Monday afternoon, while my daughter was at dance, I set out to Wrightsville Beach to make good on my personal goal of doing a beach cleanup as often as I could.  Wanting to do my 365th beach cleanup on August 9, 2014 is going to take focus, planning and commitment. 

Something I rarely mention is that the commitment is about more than just doing a beach cleanup.  Anyone who has taken the time to document beach cleanups, knows what I'm talking about.  The commitment for me involves a 20 minute drive to the beach, 20 minute cleanup, 20 minute drive home and the time to weigh, sort, and document.

  This is not a once a year beach cleanup. This is a portrait of a beach.... through the days, weeks and months of the year.  These small beach cleanups are how a lightbulb effectively got switched on for me.    My friend Harry (aka The Flotsam Diaries) just wrote a fantastic piece for the Portland Press Herald blog titled, "The International Coast Cleanup-- Bigger Isn't Better".  He writes:

"...have everyone get down in the sand, picking every last piece of garbage they can, til nobody can pick up one more scrap. Get in there with them. Make the beach spotless. Make it shine. Take a picture to remember how it looks spotless. Smile.

Then, gather your group at the same beach not in a year, but in a week.

There is nothing more jarring to the system than seeing a place you broke your back caring for, trashed again while the soreness of your effort is still in your limbs.

There’s nothing better to drive the point home that it’s time for a change."

Coastal Cleanup Day was on Saturday and I did this cleanup on Monday.  This is reality. 

It's time for change.

20 minutes on September 23, 2013 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 7.3 oz

Cigarette butts: 137

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 201 days:

55,962

Our Daily Ocean: Day 200

This is a true story.  I almost bailed on International Coastal Cleanup Day.  It's not an inspiring truth, but it's the truth nonetheless.  As volunteers were cleaning Wrightsville Beach this morning, I was contemplating my going to the beach.  It was raining and there was a triathlon going on.  And I wasn't feeling like braving either, so I gave myself a pass.  Then synchronicity happened.  I ended up talking to a friend and through our conversation I remembered why I should go to the beach.  Some friends are just so amazing that they help us see things clearly without even trying ;) 

So my 3 kids and I went to do our 200th 20 minute beach cleanup at Wrightsville Beach on Coastal Cleanup Day, on the last day of summer.  Admittedly, I'm a little sad to see summer go... but I'm feeling like the change of seasons is the perfect time to seize the opportunity for change.  Transition into creating a goal for myself.

Last year, I made the decision to continue this beach clean up project all the way to 365 non-consecutive beach cleanups.  With this being my 200th... I have 165 more to go!  I've been thinking about when I'd like to have the project completed... and as my friend and I were talking about this today and doing some math... look out now! ... I've decided to put it out there that I am going to refocus my energy and am setting a goal to complete my 365th beach cleanup on August 9, 2014.

I realize this goal means that I'm going to have to hit the beach more regularly (like 3-4 times a week) and honestly I don't even know how possible that will always be.  But.... one thing that I do know is that I will never know if I don't try.  FILDI

20 minutes at Access 16 on September 21, 2013

Litter by weight: 6 oz

Cigarette butts: 57

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 200 days: 

55,825

Our Daily Ocean: Day 199

Friday evening, my family and I planned to go to Wrightsville Beach and for the first time in a long time... our plans didn't get interrupted by rain!!  Blue skies and the sun was shining bright!!  So, of course, we took a picnic dinner and spent our evening surfing, swimming, snorkeling and relaxing at Wrightsville Beach!

Because we love where we live SO much... we take time while we're enjoying the beach to give a little back.  Picking up litter for 20 minutes doesn't take much time, but (as I've learned over the course of this project)... it's just enough time to make a difference.

While we not only pick up litter off the beach to help keep it clean... we also (in the case of things like beer caps) save fellow beach goers feet some potential pain.

One of my kids' favorite things to find during our beach cleanups is the little army men.  I've never bought any, but thanks to finding one every now and then... my kids have themselves a nice little collection.  And to add to their collection... a first for us.... a pirate!  Arrgh!

Oh and a reminder:  When trying to make the world a better place, don't get lost in the enormity of whatever it is that you're attempting to do...

Always make time for fun. :)

20 minutes on August 23 at Access 38

Litter by weight: 1 lb 8.3 oz
Cigarette butts: 94

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 199 days:

55,768

Our Daily Ocean: Day 198

Summer 2013 can be summed up with one word: Rain.

Sitting in my car at Wrightsville Beach Thursday late afternoon, I was feeling fed up with the rain.  All I wanted to do was to go to the beach and the rain was coming down heavy flecked with thunder and lightning.  I sat waiting patiently while my kids waited not so patiently for about an hour.... but as the saying goes: All good things come to those who wait.

The thunder and lightning finally subsided and we got our evening at the beach.

It was still sprinkling, but it was ok.  There's something kind of magical about being in the ocean and rain drops falling all around you.  Diving under the waves and coming up to little kisses of rain.  Magic.  And we had it all to ourselves.... giving me a perfect opportunity to practice surfing.  I was nervous because last time I went surfing was Winter 2011 (with my friends from Odysea Surf & Kiteboard School), but... I could still stand up!  (I need to get photographic evidence of my being able to surf ;) )

After a good while in the water,  I was ready for a little sand time.  My two youngest decided to join me as I walked Access 39 for 20 minutes.  Here are some notable pieces of litter we found:

PSST! Most stickers on fruit are plastic! 

"Open your eyes now before you get hurt." ~ Tiana, Disney's The Princess and the Frog

Things aren't always what they appear to be.  Looked like a clam, but it was just a beer cap in disguise.

 20 minutes on August 22, 2013 at Access 39

Litter by weight: 1 lb 5.3 oz

Cigarette butts: 64

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 198 days:

55,674

Our Daily Ocean: Day 197

This past Sunday, my family and I were getting around to go to Wrightsville Beach when we saw the sky change.  As dark clouds began rolling in, we made the decision to wait on going to the beach.  And I'm glad we did because the storm that rolled in brought very heavy rain, lightening and... at Wrightsville Beach... funnel clouds (umm... no thank you!!)  See photos here: Sunday, 8/11/13 Storm Pictures  Once we felt comfortable that the storm had passed, we unpaused our beach plans.

Obviously, after such a storm... the beach was fairly deserted. And as expected, signs of people who had rushed off the beach were everywhere.

But once again, what was barely there were cigarette butts.  There's only one other cleanup that I remember specifically doing after it rained: my 127th beach clean up on March 19, 2012.  Then I picked up 91 cigarette butts.

Sunday, I picked up 10.  Only ten.

Friends of Wrightsville Beach.  We are beginning to see what "better" looks like.  And although it took a lot of work to make Smoke-Free WB a reality, people are complying with the new ordinance.  I've even taken the time while at the beach to let anyone I see smoking (which has been very few!) know that WB is smoke-free.  It's a nerve wracking experience, but everyone I've talked to has been super nice (and appreciative of me letting them know).   

A recent Star-News article reports on the topic here: Wrightsville Beach sees compliance, with little fuss, on smoking ban

smiling.  I. can't. stop. smiling.

"We live in a time where we don't need more ideas... we're swimming in solutions, we just need more volunteers.  So if there's anything in this world that fires you up, lean into the discomfort and go out there and do something and make a difference." 

~ Jason Mraz

20 minutes on August 11, 2013 at Access 39

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 7 oz

Cigarette butts: 10

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 197 days: 

55,610

Our Daily Ocean: Day 196

On August 9, 2010... my kids and I went to access 43 to do our very first 20 minute beach cleanup at Wrightsville Beach.  I felt such a strong pull to start this project of documenting, collecting weighing and tallying that as soon as I started... I knew that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

I said to myself: "I am going to help fix the cigarette litter problem on Wrightsville Beach."

That first clean up, we picked up 346 cigarette butts and put them in a plastic jug.

Every year on August 9, I head back to Wrightsville Beach access 43.  I love the feeling of being connected to where this all started.  As much as the beach has been reshaped over the course of this project, so have I.  Without going into the myriad of things that have happened over the past 3 years, let me just say that amazing things happen when you expand your comfort zone.

As this year is the first year of the smoke-free beach ordinance, I was super excited to do my "Anniversary Beach Cleanup".  One of the greatest things about documenting the number of cigarette butts picked up in 20 minutes since 2010 is that I have data to make comparisons.

Different year, same date (August 9), same access (Access 43).

2010: 346
2011: 378
2012: 172
2013: 47

Now one thing that I will never claim to be is a math wiz... but thanks to my googling abilities, I'm able to figure out that comparing 2010's cleanup to 2013 that's a decrease of 86%.  Or comparing more recently 2012 to 2013 (both years have part of the beach closed for shore-bird nesting), that's a 73% reduction in cigarette litter!!!!  I'm just thrilled.  Absolutely thrilled.

Once upon a time, there was a mom who believed she could make a difference.  And she did... but she didn't do it alone.

  

20 minutes on August 9, 2013 at Access 43

Litter by weight: 13.1 oz

Cigarette butts: 47

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 196 beach cleanups:

55,600

Our Daily Ocean: Day 195

On Wednesday, while my two youngest were finishing up with camp, my oldest son and I did a beach clean up together at... I mean... under Johnnie Mercer's Pier.

Normally, I pick an access and walk as much of the access as we can in 20 minutes.  But when we got to the beach at 3pm, the sun was so bright for my non-sunglass wearing son that he asked if we could stay under the pier in the shade.  And for the most part we did.  We only ventured out from the cover of shade to pick up a plastic bag and a few other items that caught our eyes within 5 feet of the pier.  

But even though we limited where we picked up litter for 20 minutes... there was no shortage.  Just as the shade of the pier offered us relief from the harsh afternoon sun... so many other people take refuge there throughout the day shading themselves and their children from the sun in between playing in the waves.  

Plastic juice box straw wrappers were a sure sign that children had been under the pier... and we found lots and lots of those little wrappers.   But the little plastic wrappers weren't the only things we were finding under Johnnie Mercer's Pier.   Some notable items we picked up were 13 plastic straws, 15 caps, an unused still wrapped condom and two hair extensions!  We also-- surprisingly-- found 104 littered cigarette butts under the pier.  Hmm...

20 minutes on August 7, 2013 under Johnnie Mercer's Pier

Litter by weight: 1 lb 3 oz

Cigarette butts: 104

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 195 days:

55,553

Our Daily Ocean: Day 194

This time of year, the forecast is almost always 30% chance of rain.  Based on past experiences with the "30% chance of rain forecast" that usually means that it's not going to rain.  70% sunny, right?  Well, as we were driving to the beach Sunday afternoon the sky got super dark and... it rained.  A LOT and HEAVY. Hesitantly optimistic the rain would stay clear of the south end of Wrightsville Beach, we made our way to the sand... and guess what?!  No rain!  Not one drop!

But that doesn't mean we didn't get wet!  We played in the waves and at one point my husband took his surfboard out past the break and we all used it as our "base" as our kids snorkeled exploring the ocean floor.  When we were ready for a break, my kids and I took a walk down the beach.

Normally when we go to the beach, I have with me a designated beach cleanup bag.  But as we didn't take my car, I forgot and had to improvise and use a cloth bag that I brought our reusable water bottles in.  Speaking of reusable water bottles, in the 194 beach cleanups I've done... I've only ever found ONE reusable water bottle.  (a plastic camelback water bottle).  While I can't even begin to remember how many single-use plastic bottles, I've picked up in 194 clean ups... the awesome volunteers of WB Keep It Clean have picked up 197 this summer alone.

The average American consumes an average of 167 single-use bottles of water each year.  Add that to the other average Americans who do the same and it's somewhere in the 50 billion range.  OH MY PLASTIC!!  I am proud to say that our family is not contributing to that statistic.  I can't help but think that if that one person who left their single-use plastic water bottle on the beach had brought a reusable water bottle instead.  For starters, that plastic bottle wouldn't have been littered.  But besides that something else would have also happened-- others would have seen and learned.  (or felt a sense of reusable water bottle camaraderie ;) )  Everything we do matters.

20 minutes on August 4, 2013 at Access 40

Litter by weight: 10.2 oz
Cigarette butts: 94

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 194 days: 

55,449