Our Daily Ocean: Day 157

This past Saturday was Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup day!  If you're unfamiliar with ICC, it's the worlds largest volunteer effort for ocean health.   With our locally scheduled event being a couple of weeks away, I decided to do my own cleanup at Wrightsville Beach.

When it comes to ICC, one of the main things that happens is that EVERYTHING is counted and tallied.  Volunteers tallying trash from the shores of lakes, rivers, streams and the ocean has the ability to show us the BIG picture of the major trash problems found all over the world.    

One thing that I always try to reiterate here is that Wrightsville Beach is a beautiful beach and the litter problems here are not just a Wrightsville Beach problem.  With every beach clean up we do at our local beach, it only paints a small picture to what is a global problem.  But, here's the thing that is important to remember about the "small local" picture:  Solutions to global problems start at the local level.  If we want to begin to change a global problem, we first have to start locally.

And when we start locally, we first have to look at ourselves and our own personal habits.  Take a look at the TOP TEN ITEMS FOUND chart (above).  When I first started doing beach cleanups, I asked myself:  "What things do I use on this list?  How can I begin to help change this?"  

Repeat after me.

Change starts with me... 

I am part of the solution... 

I am the difference.

20 minutes on September 15, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 6.7 oz
Cigarette butts: 131

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 157 days:

50,260

Our Daily Ocean: Day 77

You know how during the last clean up, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of people at the beach??  WELL...Last night, I was pleasantly surprised to see the trash cans had been emptied (thank you WB!!)... but holy guacamole... thanks to it being the Fourth of July there were still SO many people on the beach!  Originally, my husband and I wanted to clean up again at Access 16... but with the amount of people all over the sand, we made our way to the slightly less crowded Access 15.  If you're unfamiliar with Wrightsville Beach... check out this map of the access points.

  Although the trash cans were all empty, we were so saddened and disappointed to see how much litter was left on the beach.  At the tideline, there were cigarette butts being washed in and out with the tide.  Under the pier was just horrible... lots and lots of plastic utensils and straws.  BUT... the worst thing??  Used disposable baby diapers.  By leaving diapers on the beach... it's like a double whammy.  Bad for the environment and totally gross.  I put used baby diapers up with feminine products and condoms on my list of the grossest things to find at the beach.

Whenever the beach is so trashed, we spend our time very focused picking up as much as we can in 20 minutes.  We find ourselves not talking as much because we feel this need to get it all... knowing, of course, that there is absolutely no way that we could ever get it all.  But we get what we can... and we do our best to help keep Wrightsville Beach clean and beautiful.

Every time we go to the beach, there is-- inevitably-- at least one person that says, "There sure are a lot of trashy people."  BUT... what I always find amazing is that those same people who judge others... have no problem walking past a piece of litter.  Hmmm.... (pause).... one thing that I have taught my kids is that if we walk by litter, then we are no different than the person who littered in the first place....

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does." 

 ~William James

20 minutes on July 4, 2011 at Access 15

Litter by weight: 10 lbs 15.6oz

Cigarette butts: 257

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 77 days: 

23,374

Our Daily Ocean: Day 65

 Now that the weather is staying consistently warm... and especially nice in the evenings... we're heading to Wrightsville Beach A LOT more often.... and it's making our kids SO happy :)

On Thursday, I removed litter from Access 24-- my friend (and brother's girlfriend) Gabby's adopted beach access.  Gabby-- a student at UNCW-- does frequent clean ups at Wrightsville Beach and often contributes to the community cigarette butt count.  I was super excited to find out that, while Gabby was nannying on Thursday, they picked up litter at Access 36--my family's adopted access. (woot! Thanks Gab!)

As I was picking up cigarette butts... I started to notice a trend.  Camel cigarettes.  All different kinds, but the one that stuck out to me was this one with the little pink camel.  I keep thinking... "Gee... I wonder who they're marketing to??"  My thought is young women.... err... teenage and college girls.  Yes.  I said it.  And I believe it.  I mean... it's obvious right?!?  

Found this empty pack of Camels by the bench. (yes all of the butts were scattered around the pack)  

The writing-- "Seize the Hump Day"-- on the package caught my eye.  I found it comical, but then I thought about the people that rely on a pack (or more) of cigarettes to get them through the week. :(  

Question of the day:  How do you get over hump day??  (Me?  Wednesday is my favorite day!)

20 minutes on May 19, 2011 at Access 24

Litter by weight: 7.3 oz

Cigarette butts: 148

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 65 days: 

17,934