Our Daily Ocean: Day 235

On Sunday, as I drove to Wrightsville Beach to do a quick cleanup before taking my son to his hip hop class, I thought I knew what I was getting into.  Well,  I was wrong.  While getting onto the island was a breeze, there was loads of outbound traffic and the beach was still packed (ok, packed for February)!!  Apparently, I forgot that it was UNCW homecoming weekend.

I haven't seen major crowds at the beach in such a long time that the sight was a bit overwhelming at first.  Where to walk?  Which way to go?  Does that belong to someone or was it left behind?  There are so many more variables to contend with when people have their chairs, toys and blankets laid out.  Not to mention the larger groups playing various beach games (like volleyball and bocce ball).  It's a lot to weave through while searching the sand for what doesn't belong.

It's hard not to start thinking about summer and what the litter problem will be like with the increased number of visitors to our beach.  I wish there was a way to reach those people before they arrive.  A way to connect our love for the beach and ocean to an understanding and commitment to care for it... even in the midst of getting lost in what it means to be at the beach.

20 minutes on February 23, 2014 at Access 17
Litter by weight: 2 lbs 1.8 oz
Cigarette butts: 16

Total cigarette butts removed: 57,712

Our Daily Ocean: Day 228

Happy New Year y'all!  Tis the season for reflecting, refocusing and resolving.  Last year this time, I was reflecting on the passing of the WB smoke-free beach ordinance... optimistic for what was to come.... not having any clue that the outcome could be as good as it's been.

With the New Year, I'm introducing a change to one of the pages of this blog.  At the top, there's a tab that says "Our Daily Ocean".  I've made some updates to the page because as this project was originally started to help bring awareness to the problem of cigarette litter on Wrightsville Beach--with the passage of the smoke-free beach ordinance--it has now evolved to show how beach smoking bans can (and do) help reduce cigarette litter.  With the updates, I've included monthly as well as yearly tallies and averages.  

AND.... I just have to share here that the average cigarette butts removed for 2010 was 379, 2011 was 322 and 2012 was 249.  BUT, the 2013 average cigarette butts removed per cleanup was 72!!  That's a HUGE HUGE decrease from the previous years because that's a 70-80% decrease!!  I'd say that the Town of Wrightsville Beach did a fantastic job in the first year implementing the smoke-free beach ordinance!! 

View the all the tallies and averages from 2010 to present here. 

Moving forward this year, I will be heading back to the Wrightsville Beach Board of Aldermen to share the positive news and encourage the new board to continue with education and enforcement of the ban.    I've also committed to completing this project of 365 non-consecutive beach cleanups this year.  As of now, I have 137 to go!  It's a lot to do in a short amount of time... but I'm up for trying!  

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bring on the beach cleanups!

20 minutes on January 1, 2014 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 6.7 oz
Cigarette butts: 62

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 228 days:

57,431

Our Daily Ocean: 218

For the past week, weather here has been bouncing back and forth between warm and cold.  On November 13, a record was set for the first November snowfall in recorded history.  Then just 5 days later on November 18, our area reached 84˚F breaking the previous record high.  But like the weather lately, it was a short lived phenomenon and when I went to the beach on Tuesday morning... it was cold with a whipping wind.

Even though it was cold, I was immediately impressed by the sideways waves and loved watching them smash into the pier pylons. It's fun seeing the variances in the ocean... one day it can be completely calm and the next it can be rough and kind of violent.  I would have loved to sit on the beach and watch the waves and wind interact.  But there was something that I needed to do.... and it started with me walking the tideline...

The tideline was littered with cigarette butts, plastic wrappers, straws, and other various smaller plastics.    No doubt things that were left behind from beachgoers of the previous warmer days.

I often wonder how we can reach those who haven't yet learned ... or those who just haven't (or can't) made the connection that their actions make a difference.  How can we inspire and motivate others to do something beyond sharing a post or thought on social media?  How do we really inspire real motivated and committed change?  If you're up for it... I'd love to hear your thoughts.

20 minutes on November 19, 2013 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 8.9oz
Cigarette butts: 98

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 218 days:

56,848

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 187

My kids whispered to me, "mom, mom... MOM.... that guy is trying to light a cigarette."  We were under Johnnie Mercer's Pier picking up litter.  There was a really nice breeze and as such the man was standing behind one of the pier pylons attempting to light his cigarette... and when he did, I took a deep breath and for the first time said, "Excuse me sir... this is a smoke-free beach."  

Speaking of smoke-free beach.  I've reached a little... err... big milestone.  This cleanup, I passed the 55 thousand cigarette butt mark.  Picking up 113 cigarette butts pushes the current tally to 55,082 cigarette butts removed from WB!  Thanks to everyone who has come out and helped do a 20 minute beach clean up!

Since beach season is in full swing, that means there's A LOT more people visiting Wrightsville Beach Contrary to what the above photo may trick you into believing, there were people everywhere on the sand and in the water on a Thursday afternoon!   A lot more visitors means that there's a lot more trash littered on the beach.  The beach needs all the help it can get.  Want to help clean up the beach?  Let's do it together!  

Connect with me via email DanielleLR55 [at] aol [dot] com or on Facebook: It Starts With Me

20 minutes on May 30, 2013 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 13.2 oz

Cigarette butts: 113

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 187 days:

55,082

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 183

At the beginning of March, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to help kick-off "No Impact Week Greensboro" by giving a joint presentation on plastics and plastic-free living with Beth Terry and Bonnie Monteleone.   I have yet to share about the experience here... but I will soon because it was an amazing experience for me on so many levels.  One of the best parts of sharing what I do is connecting with like-minded people, inspiring them to do more and making new friends.  On Friday, (thanks to that event in Greensboro) I met Marie with her baby on her back and her 2 year old daughter in hand!

Marie was visiting Wilmington over the weekend and had emailed me to see if we could meet at Wrightsville Beach to do a beach clean up.  ABSOLUTELY!  I can't say enough how much I love having company with me at the beach.  Doing a beach clean up together is a great way to connect and make new friends.  Which by the way, all of the friends that I've made is my most favorite thing about having started these beach cleanups.

I'm also grateful for the insight that doing beach cleanups has given me about my own purchasing habits and the power I have to help create change.  Fed up with seeing the same products strewn all over Wrightsville Beach day after day, I've made personal changes to become part of the solution.  Plastic isn't so fantastic when it's used for mere minutes and thrown out.  There's an easy solution to plastic straws.  My personal solution is to say: "No straws please".  It takes practice, but it's really that easy.  Another solution is to use reusable straws.  Check out GlassDharma and Strawesome

Teaching future generations to care for our planet is another solution.

Kids of any age can help clean up our world.  Teach them to care for the places they love by doing a little clean up at their favorite park or beach.  

Cleanups are an easy way for kids to get involved in making a difference in our world.

...and that's exciting to be a part of.

20 minutes on April 19, 2013 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 1 lb 1.7 oz

Cigarette butts: 100

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 183 days:

54,889

Our Daily Ocean: Day 181

This morning, I met Ann aka Beach Chair Scientist with her husband and daughter at Johnnie Mercer's Pier.  It was 46˚ and there was a brisk breeze... but the sky was a beautiful blue and the best part was that we had the beach to ourselves!

Since the weather isn't really reflecting the spring season yet... brrrr.... the beach still isn't getting a lot of beach goers (yet).  So at first glance, the beach didn't really seem to have much litter at all.  Little bits here and there, but nothing really noticeable... that is... until we really started looking.

As always, the majority of everything we found was plastic.  In fact, out of the over 2 and a half pounds of litter we picked up, nearly all of it went into the trash and only 2 things went into my recycle bin-- a glass bottle and a plastic water bottle.  It's important for me to say: If there's something you want to do to make a difference in our world, I would like to suggest taking the time to pay attention to the products you buy.  Make a conscious decision to try something different.  Rethink and refuse plastics.... 

The truth of the matter is, no matter who we are or where we live we are connected to each other and we are inexplicably connected to the ocean.  The ocean may be this vast expanse... and like outer space... it's really another world that deserves exploration.  The more we learn about the ocean and how we impact it, the more we will take steps to protect it... starting with ourselves.  Beach Chair Scientist has a fantastic blog on all things ocean from facts about sea potatoes to watersheds to inspiring people who making a difference for our oceans. 

Beach Chair Scientist 

20 minutes on March 26, 2013 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 2 lbs 6.7 oz

Cigarette butts: 169

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 181 days:

54,764

Our Daily Ocean: Day 168

Tomorrow.  Election day.  A day I've been waiting for since April... well, probably for different reasons than most.  I have personally already voted... casting my ballot for the environment... choosing candidates that will stand up against big polluters and stand up FOR clean air, water and protecting our natural environment.

Over the weekend, there were TWO different beach clean ups at Wrightsville Beach.  Both cleanups started at Johnnie Mercer's Pier and one focused specifically on cigarette butts. Normally, I would never go to an access that had just been cleaned... but today, I wanted to see what would happen.  I wondered if the beach would be clean... I wondered how many cigarette butts I would find....

When I walked onto the beach, I picked up a quick 8 cigarette butts... then I kept seeing more.  I then questioned whether or not many people showed up to do the cleanups over the weekend.  I walked casually... picking up... and then my timer went off.  225 cigarette butts.

I then got on the phone with my friend Ginger to find out about those two weekend beach clean ups... and couldn't believe what she told me.  Volunteers with the beach clean up that was focusing on cigarette butts picked up 10 lbs of butts off of Wrightsville Beach.

Photo credit: Great American Butt Clean

AND... volunteers with the other beach clean up organized by a high school student picked up 1,641 cigarette butts!!  Both of  those cleanups were on Saturday and today (Monday) I picked up 225 cigarette butts at the exact same location.  Problem?

Photo credit: Ginger Taylor

So why have I been waiting for tomorrow?  On November 6, Wrightsville Beach voters will vote on a referendum to ban smoking on the beach strand.  I'm going to be electioneering at Wrightsville Beach FOR a smoke-free beach!  If you're a WB resident, tell your family, friends and neighbors to get out to the polls!  Vote FOR our environment... Vote FOR a clean beach... Vote FOR clean air... Vote FOR the referendum!!

20 minutes on November 5, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 6.3 oz
Cigarette butts: 225

Beach toys?  

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 168 days:

 52,993

Our Daily Ocean: Day 161

I got to Wrightsville Beach bright and early this morning... 9 is early, right? ;) to chat with Melanie (from Greensboro, NC) about plastic.  Before I got to sharing how I reduce the amount of plastic our family uses, recycles, and throws away... I started a quick beach clean up.

What's great about doing a beach clean up and talking about reducing plastic is that every time I bend over to pick up something... it's most always plastic.  Doing consistent beach clean ups has been a major catalyst in me focusing on how much plastic we as a family use and connecting our plastic use with the global problem of plastic pollution.

Easy ways to become part of the solution to plastic pollution:

• Carry reusable shopping bags.  Take them everywhere from the grocery store to the mall.
• Say adios! to bottled water (and other plastic packaged beverages)
• When dining out request no straw in your drink (you can even request no disposables)
• Carry a bag with reusables so you're not stuck using plasticware or styrofoam take-out containers
• Instead of single serving products (juice boxes, granola bars, fruit cups, chips, etc), buy the larger size with less packaging or learn to make your own!  Check out my Plastic-Free Food 
• Share what you're doing with others!  Do you have a tip on how you use less plastic?

Let's get drastic about reducing plastic... because in today already walks tomorrow.

20 minutes on October 13, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 8.5 oz

Cigarette butts: 132

Straws: 4

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 161 days:

51,098

Our Daily Ocean: Day 142

It isn't every May that a tropical weather system comes rolling into town.  But, today Tropical Depression Beryl made its way through Wilmington with the gift of rain! (My garden is happy I'm sure!)  Knowing we were going to get a lot of rain, I (being the planner that I am) did a beach clean up yesterday!

As I did my 142nd beach clean up, The Daily Ocean did her 286th on the exact same day.  The day after Memorial Day and our beach clean ups couldn't be more different.  

Here's the comparison:

Santa Monica:  5.9 lbs of litter and TWO cigarette butts

Wrightsville Beach: 1 lb 3.6 oz of litter and 148 cigarette butts

When I see the overall difference between our two beaches, I get even more excited about the possibility of Wrightsville Beach becoming the first smoke-free beach in North Carolina!  Less litter means a cleaner more family friendly beach!!  Just maybe we'd find Wrightsville Beach on a top beaches list like this one: Dr. Beach's Top American 10 Beaches

Another reason to keep our beaches clean is that the majority of people that visit the beach come barefoot.  No one wants to be stepping on or worry about stepping on trash.  One of my personal favorite things about the beach is feeling the sand beneath my feet... I like feeling the variance of the texture... the heat... the coolness.  It grounds me.  For me, life is better barefoot.  And from what I read yesterday, going barefoot is healthy.  Check it out and then (if you haven't already) kick off your shoes :)  7 Health Benefits of Going Barefoot Outside

20 minutes on May 29, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 1 lb 3.6 oz

Cigarette butts: 148

Straws: 10

That's my cat Millie checking out the litter we picked up at the beach ;)

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 142 days:

45,530