Our Daily Ocean: Day 252

Usually, I'm not a morning person.  I may wake up around 7 am, but I move slowly spending a good 2-hours sitting around sipping tea, playing word games and reading before I am ready to "start" my day.  But with my three kids out of town visiting family, I've been forcing myself to move in the morning so that I can go to a morning yoga class and do a beach cleanup!

Even though I only spend enough time at the beach to do my cleanup and then dip my toes in the ocean before heading off to yoga... I'm really enjoying this new routine.  It's making me feel energized and complete.  ... I suppose that I've really just missed being at the beach and the meditative state I get into while walking and cleaning up.  Plus I'm really glad I made it out this morning... there were a lot more littered cigarette butts than I've picked up in a LONG time.

Do you carry a reusable water bottle?  If you haven't made the switch from single-use bottled water, I highly recommend watching the documentary Tapped to learn about the health and environmental issues of bottled water. (and don't forget to share with friends)

July 15, 2014 at Access 18
Litter by weight: 1 lb 10 oz
Cigarette butts: 117

Total cigarette butts removed: 58,157

Our Daily Ocean: Day 240

For 2 months, I had planned to do a beach cleanup on March 25 while my kids had their science class at Airlie Gardens.  So when I woke up that Tuesday morning, you can imagine my disappointment when it was overcast and raining.  Thankfully, by the time my kids had their class, the rain let up and I was able to do my planned 20 minute beach cleanup! (AND no time more because as my timer went off... the rain began to fall again!)

As usual when it's an overcast rainy day, the lone people are just me on the sand and a few surfers in the water.  It makes cleaning the beach SO much easier not having to weave through people and their possessions.  That being said, I still pause at things like water bottles.  With surfers in the ocean, it's possible that a seemingly left-behind bottle of water could still have an owner.  But, I always err on the side of "reality"and pick it up.

20 minutes on March 25, 2014 at Access 19
Litter by weight: 15.2 oz
Cigarette butts: 42

Total cigarette butts removed: 57,837

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

Our Daily Ocean: Day 186

While eating dinner at Mellow Mushroom on Memorial Day, my husband asked me which access I wanted to go to do a cleanup.  I laughed and smiled to bring a bit of lightheartedness to the fact that I wanted to go to access 16.  Friends... what I'm about to share with you is important.  It's really hard to know where to start... so let me start with this:

Words and pictures will never be able to convey what we witnessed.  

 When we first got to the beach, we were immediately distracted by ocean rescue and a large crowd that were gathered by the pier.  I learned today that a boater ran into the pier with his 52' yacht.  As soon as we moved our eyes away from the scene and to the beach, we could hardly believe the mess that lay ahead of us.  To say that it looked like people dumped their trashcans on the beach wouldn't be stretching it.  There were more littered water bottles than we had ever seen... and as the tide was coming up littered plastics were washing in and out.

It was a sad sad scene.

We picked up everything that crossed our paths and went out of our way to get what we could from the incoming tide.  After only 8 minutes into our 20 minute clean up... my bag was overflowing.  I could have easily gotten overwhelmed.  It would have been SO easy to get mad and frustrated.  But I wasn't.  I told myself before we stepped onto the sand, "The trash on the beach is going to be bad.  That's why we're going."  And in the middle of staying focused on putting some effort into cleaning up a mess that wasn't ours, I realized something that made me smile and that gave me hope.

Claire found these sunglasses that brought out another side of her personality ;)

When my bag was full, I said to my family: "I haven't found many cigarette butts.  Just focus on cigarette butts and throw away the bigger stuff."  And we looked and we looked, but they really weren't there in the numbers we have seen in the past.  In 2011, when we did our Memorial Day cleanup we picked up 487.  This year? 43 cigarette butts in 20 minutes.  FORTY-THREE!!!!!!  No piles. None being uncovered by the incoming tide.  Just some stray littered butts.  Perfect?  Nope.  Better?  ABSOLUTELY!!

On instagram my friend Kate and purveyor of Landshark Skateboards captioned one of their photos with something I think is so worth sharing:

"Love the beach?  Care about marine life?  As soon as you set foot on the sand, both are your responsibility."

Let me remind everyone to not feel overwhelmed or defeated by problems that seem too big to make a difference.  Find a mantra.  Repeat it over and over again until you believe in it.  And when you waiver and second guess yourself.  Start repeating it again.  I say this:

I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  I will not let what I cannot do get in the way of what I can do.  

*I* am the difference.

 20 minutes on May 27, 2013 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 10 lbs 9.3 oz
Cigarette butts: 43

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 186 days:

54,969

Our Daily Ocean: Day 176

For the past several days, warm weather has been making winter feel like spring.  It's been really really nice!!  As far as my beach clean ups have gone-- knowing the beach has been getting more traffic than normal-- I've been pleasantly surprised by the minimal amount of litter I've been finding on the beach.

See that plastic bottle of water?  It's only one now, but come summer littered single-use plastic water bottles will abound.  ...and to be completely frank, bottled water is one example of a littered item that is completely unnecessary.  Of course, there are more problematic issues to bottled water than just the littered plastic bottle that could send me on a long winding tangent... instead, I'll recommend watching the documentary "Tapped" (it's available on Netflix) and grabbing a reusable water bottle.  

It's always worth reminding ourselves that with our own conscious purchasing habits we have the power to change the system.  If we all get together to make a change... that change is unstoppable.

20 minutes on January 15, 2013 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 7.5 oz

Cigarette butts: 46

 Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 176 days:

54,048

Our Daily Ocean: Day 175

Warm weather is here!! Most likely not to stay, but it's here and it feels like early Spring!!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!  Warmer weather brings out a lot of people to the beach and... well... 

Love was in the air at Wrightsville Beach.  Ok, a lot of love was in the air.   In one small section, I found a beer can and then....  a used condom.  I cringed.  Then, I saw another.  Seriously?!  You've got to be kidding me!!  And when I found a third used condom, I just laughed.  I guess they had a good time.  

A little mannerism to remember for all those who get it on at the beach:

 Wrap it and trash it, PLEASE

20 minutes on January 13, 2013

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 6 oz

Cigarette butts: 48

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 175 days:

54,002

Our Daily Ocean: Day 155

Our actions shape our lives.  It is impossible to be alive without making an impact on the world that surrounds us.  And, when it comes to making the world a better place, what we choose not to do can be just as important as what we choose to do.  

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

20 minutes on August 27, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 3 lbs 13.2 oz

Cigarette butts: 707

Straws: 18

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 155 days:

49,579

Our Daily Ocean: Day 145

News Flash! Today was a record breaking day!  With a high temperature of 103˚F,  June 30, 2012 has broken the old daily record of 100˚F from way back in 1959!  (Umm... just to give you a base as to how HOT it was here compared to our "normal"... the average is 89!!)  Hot temps mean LOTS and LOTS of people heading to the beach to cool off in the ocean and enjoy the nice ocean breezes.... and that means lots and lots more litter.

Speaking of records... it reminds me to tell you that my friend Sara who writes The Daily Ocean reached a major milestone just the other day!  She did her 300th beach clean up!!  WOWZA!  To think that I met Sara on her 130th clean up, makes me SO happy and proud of her for not giving up on her goal!  365 non-consecutive beach clean ups is a goal not many would take on... but she did and she's so close to seeing this through!!  With 65 clean ups to go, Sara will complete her goal this year!  AWESOMENESS :)

So, if you haven't been following what Sara has been doing...  I encourage you to start now.  Get inspired.  Go check out her blog: The Daily Ocean.  "Like" her facebook page and follow her on twitter @thedailyocean  :)(And, of course, if you feel so inclined be sure to thank her for making such a big difference in our world.) 

20 minutes on June 30, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 4 lbs 11.5oz 
Cigarette butts: 305
Straws: 15

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 145 days: 

47,339

Bottled Water

Hurricane Irene is pounding the North Carolina coastline as type.  Just sitting here, I can hear the wind whistling and the heavy rains being whipped with every gust.  Since we're in the middle of "extreme weather" I thought I'd take a quick moment to share how I do "bottled" water!  Of course, you know that I've made the commitment to not buying bottled water, so I have to get creative in prepping emergency supplies just in case we lose power or don't have access to drinkable water.  This morning, my daughter and I filled glass juice bottles full of water from our very own tap!  Check it out.... 16 (32 oz) bottles of water ready in case of an emergency!

Curious what's happening here in Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach?  Check out this short video I found on YouTube from earlier today.  (In case you're wondering... No, I didn't even attempt to make it out to the beach today!!)

It's going to be a windy night... wherever you are, be safe.