Our Daily Ocean: Day 171

Every Christmas, my family and I go to Wrightsville Beach.  It's been a tradition for us since we moved to Wilmington... ask me what I want for Christmas and my response would be "To go to the beach."  I guess, growing up in the Midwest, there's just something special about being at the beach on Christmas and reminding myself that this is not a vacation.  I don't have to hop on a plane and leave....  THIS is life.

...and I've missed being here.  I spent the end of November and the first half of December traveling.  For a short part of my trip, I visited my good friend Sara Bayles in Santa Monica.  I was there to share in celebrating Sara's 365th beach clean up (and lots of other good fun that friends have when they don't see each other but once a year!)  Now that Sara has completed her goal, she's taking her passion and inspiration off the sand and on the road for her speaking tour.  For more information on how to have Sara come to your school or business, visit:

www.dailyocean.org   

 Since 2010, it has been a tradition for me to do a Christmas day beach clean up.  It's my gift to the beach and ocean.  I get so much from just being there that in the midst of being busy and not having time... Christmas Day is a day that I make time.  My 33rd beach clean up was on Christmas 2010 and I did my 111th beach clean up Christmas 2011.... and now my 171st.  Which I'm happy to share that this has been my smallest Christmas Day beach clean up! 

It's not how much we give, but how much LOVE we put into giving. 

~Mother Teresa

20 minutes on December 25, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 7.5 oz

Cigarette butts: 275

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 171 days:

53,455

Our Daily Ocean: Day 170

As I prepare to do some traveling, my days are filled and getting to the beach before sunset to do a clean up has proven difficult.   Normally, I'd be a little disappointed... but ever since I committed to doing 365 non-consecutive beach clean ups and the smoking ban passed... I don't feel any kind of pressure.  There's plenty of time to do what I want to do.... 

My friend Sara, who inspired me to start these beach clean ups, is nearing the end of her 365 non-consecutive beach clean ups.  She's been collecting, weighing and documenting beach trash on her blog The Daily Ocean for the past 361 non-consecutive days and on Saturday, December 8 she'll do her 365th.  For her last 10 clean ups, she's giving away photos she's taken on during her clean ups.  "Like" The Daily Ocean on Facebook and learn how to enter yourself into winning one of her beautiful photos.

Another thing that Sara is doing for her last 10 clean ups is offering some advice, suggestions and solutions to how WE can help the ocean....

10. Take it off the sand and take it out of your life.

9. Use reusable grocery bags

8. Get a group together and go clean the beach.

7. Buy less food in plastic packaging

6. Pick a place and make it yours.  (.... mine is Wrightsville Beach)

5.  Challenge yourself to be bolder with your talents and creativity for the ocean.

4. Feel overwhelmed with the pollution in the ocean?  Let it fuel you to action!

Whatever it is that you can do... do it.  Trust me when I say that it all matters.  When at the beach to do my most recent clean up, the beach seemed so clean that I almost decided not to do a clean up.  ...and just as I had that thought, I looked down and found a piece of sea glass.  I reminded myself that every little bit matters and although this was one of my smallest cleanups, it still matters.  Everything we do matters. :)

20 minutes on November 27, 2012 at Access 28

Litter by weight: 4.8 oz

Cigarette butts: 37

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 170 days:

53,180

Our Daily Ocean: Day 165

For as long as I've been doing these 20 minute beach clean ups, I have often been asked when I would stop.  At first my response was, "hmm... I don't know... haven't even thought about it.  Well, at least until this whole cigarette litter problem is under control."  Then it changed to "when Sara-- The Daily Ocean-- finishes her 365 day goal."  Both are nearing.

With Sara and me doing comparative beach clean ups, the differences we find in the amount of cigarette litter on a non-smoking beach vs. a smoking beach continually blows my mind.  When updating mine and Sara's comparisons, I noticed that in 84 clean ups in Santa Monica... Sara has picked up 565 cigarette butts.  On Wednesday, I (alone) picked up 582 cigarette butts in 20 minutes.  In one 20 minute beach clean up, I picked up more cigarette butts than Sara has picked up in 84! (insane)  

If you're a registered voter at Wrightsville Beach... 

YOU have the POWER to CHANGE this!  Smoke-free beach ordinances help to majorly reduce cigarette litter!!  

Tell your neighbors, tell your friends, tell your family.. get out and VOTE FOR the referendum!  

So with the WB vote and knowing Sara will complete her goal of 365 non-consecutive beach clean ups by the end of 2012... I have been thinking a lot about how long I should continue documenting, collecting and weighing litter picked up in 20 minutes at Wrightsville Beach.  To be honest the past few months, I've felt this ball of energy in me... what to do? what to do?   

I've never really had an end plan... I started this because I was inspired... I was moved to do something... to take action.  Everything just flowed... as it should when something is so right.  But what I've realized is that this ball of energy within me, is about moving forward.  As Wrightsville Beach residents will vote on a referendum to (hopefully) make WB smoke-free and as Sara is 18 beach clean ups away from her goal... I know that I'm not ready to stop.

So here is my official announcement!!  From this point forward, I have an end plan.  Inspired by the dedication and commitment of Sara, I'm going all the way.  (Happy Belated Birthday Sara!!!)  365 non-consecutive beach clean ups here I come!  

165 down... 200 to go!!!  

20 minutes on October 24, 2012 at Access 16

Litter by weight: 11 oz

Cigarette butts: 582

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 165 days:

52,337

It Starts With Me

Over the weekend, my husband and I went to the Sundance Film Festival courtesy of the Brita FilterForGood Film Project.  We had such a great time at the Festival... saw some really great films-- The Last Mountain, Win Win, Higher Ground, Being Elmo and The Lie... made new friends and of course, got to see the film that was inspired by my efforts at Wrightsville Beach, NC.  To say that I LOVE it... could be an understatement ;)  I am so grateful that Destin completely saw and understands who I am and was able to convey (better than I could have ever imagined) who I am and why I do what I do....

Destin, Brett and Ron are remarkably talented... and while I may be no critic... I can certainly critique myself... and I've watched the film so many times and haven't once went to critique anything.  I can only keep saying that they made everything "so beautiful." Also, the music-- which I've been referring to as beautiful, inspiring and hopeful-- in the film was composed by Joel P. West... like Destin, Brett and Ron... I'd invite him to our home anytime.  He's part of The Tree Ring who will be releasing their album in February.  Check them out :)

My friends Sara and Mark are in the film along with my family. Please take the time to learn about what they're doing :)  You can find Sara at The Daily Ocean and Mark at The Bait Tank.

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to vote for my project back in October and for all of the support (and friends that I've made) since...