A must see video of a whale rescued from a massive gill net. Watch the sheer joy of the whale at the end!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Lumina News (Rescued Nest and Dragon Boat Racing)
Our adopted nest (or "rescued nest" as I like to call it) is featured in Lumina News this week along with our leader, Nancy Fahey and volunteers, Kathleen and Morgan Britton.
Read it here.
Also, a few weeks ago, Wilmington hosted the 1st Dragon Boat Racing Event on the Caper Fear River. Many WBSTP volunteers were present and participated in the race. Among volunteers racing was Stephanie Merrit. You can see Stephanie in the Lumina News photo. She is the first rower (a very tough position).
Other WBSTP volunteers racing that day included: Kim Meyer, John Marcucci, and TQ, Ginger Taylor! It was a fun event with proceeds benefiting two local charities: Step Up for Soldiers (a wounded warrior charity) and Sunburst (a charity for rescued canines).
Read it here.
Also, a few weeks ago, Wilmington hosted the 1st Dragon Boat Racing Event on the Caper Fear River. Many WBSTP volunteers were present and participated in the race. Among volunteers racing was Stephanie Merrit. You can see Stephanie in the Lumina News photo. She is the first rower (a very tough position).
Other WBSTP volunteers racing that day included: Kim Meyer, John Marcucci, and TQ, Ginger Taylor! It was a fun event with proceeds benefiting two local charities: Step Up for Soldiers (a wounded warrior charity) and Sunburst (a charity for rescued canines).
week 8 Rick & Jill---WB Commercial with Jim Cantore
Rick and Jill remind us that WB looks good on TV---click below to watch the weather channel commercial filmed here.
Hi Miss Ginger,
Here's the updates for this week:
6/21 Zone 4 - overflowing grocery bag (need to take more bags unfortunately)
6/24 Zone 0 - 1 full bag of goodies, snorkel, beer cans, single flip flops, plastic shark...
Two beautiful days on our keepin' it clean beach.
By the way, we saw the commercial they filmed on WB on the Weather Channel last night, and the beach looked spiffy clean!
Have a great weekend,
Jill
Hi Miss Ginger,
Here's the updates for this week:
6/21 Zone 4 - overflowing grocery bag (need to take more bags unfortunately)
6/24 Zone 0 - 1 full bag of goodies, snorkel, beer cans, single flip flops, plastic shark...
Two beautiful days on our keepin' it clean beach.
By the way, we saw the commercial they filmed on WB on the Weather Channel last night, and the beach looked spiffy clean!
Have a great weekend,
Jill
week 8 Cindy---JM Pier continues to have high trash volume
Ginger,
Well, today was the worst day so far for trash for our zone. It may have been that I walked without my partner Gina today. So here goes. I picked up 4 five gallon buckets of trash today. (= 8 bags)
There were cans, shoes, floats, shovel, 4 towels, bottle caps, bottles, chairs, boogie board, paper plates, socks, sand pails. There were also 2 of the blue trash containers turned over near the middle of my zone. Took about 10 minutes to clean that area! ( Not included in the bucket count) The area around the pier is the worst as well as near the bathroom and gazebo. Really disgusting there........I started at 6:05 and it was almost 7:30 before I finished today. It usually takes about 30 minutes. The fact that I was paying more attention to looking for tracks may have also slowed me down as well.
The End!!!! Ha!!!!!!
Have a good one!
Cindy
Well, today was the worst day so far for trash for our zone. It may have been that I walked without my partner Gina today. So here goes. I picked up 4 five gallon buckets of trash today. (= 8 bags)
There were cans, shoes, floats, shovel, 4 towels, bottle caps, bottles, chairs, boogie board, paper plates, socks, sand pails. There were also 2 of the blue trash containers turned over near the middle of my zone. Took about 10 minutes to clean that area! ( Not included in the bucket count) The area around the pier is the worst as well as near the bathroom and gazebo. Really disgusting there........I started at 6:05 and it was almost 7:30 before I finished today. It usually takes about 30 minutes. The fact that I was paying more attention to looking for tracks may have also slowed me down as well.
The End!!!! Ha!!!!!!
Have a good one!
Cindy
week 8 John & Terri -- Roses vs. Balloons
John and Terri Littlejohn found white roses on the beach in zone 1. The assumption is that they are either from a wedding or other type of ceremony. When helping Nancy locate eggs in nest #2 last Sunday, I saw something red at the water's edge. Convinced it was a red piece of plastic, I walked over to retrieve it, only to find it was a single red rose. I had seen a group of people form a circle earlier and my assumption is they placed the rose as a memorial.
Many times, people will use balloons as a celebration or memorial, probably not realizing that released balloons eventually fall back to the ground or ocean and become litter---very dangerous litter. The kind of litter that entangles wildlife and becomes toxic if wildlife eat it. So far KIC volunteers have collected at least 107 balloons from WB.
Although it is against WB town ordinance to release balloons or use balloons as outside decoration or on signage, some people still do. Likely they are not aware of the ordinance or do not understand the reasoning for the ordinance.
I am very happy to see that some are choosing other methods to symbolize their celebrations or memorials. It is a much nicer way to commemorate an occasion (in my opinion). A rose on the beach is much more beautiful (and meaningful somehow) than a burst or deflated balloon.
Ginger,
We picked up about 2/3 of one H/T bag - the kind you purchase for reuse. (2 grocery store size) Items collected included, sunglasses, sole of a shoe, men's underwear (for the second straight week), much larger than normal haul of plastics (mostly bags and wrappers), and cigarette butts. The most interesting items discarded were roses which we found in several locations (see attached photo). Couldn't figure out if they were from a wedding or a commemoration.
Turtle nest #1 is in our zone and we checked on it. Everything looked good; the sand was undisturbed except for the work of a few ants.
John and Terri Littlejohn
Many times, people will use balloons as a celebration or memorial, probably not realizing that released balloons eventually fall back to the ground or ocean and become litter---very dangerous litter. The kind of litter that entangles wildlife and becomes toxic if wildlife eat it. So far KIC volunteers have collected at least 107 balloons from WB.
Although it is against WB town ordinance to release balloons or use balloons as outside decoration or on signage, some people still do. Likely they are not aware of the ordinance or do not understand the reasoning for the ordinance.
I am very happy to see that some are choosing other methods to symbolize their celebrations or memorials. It is a much nicer way to commemorate an occasion (in my opinion). A rose on the beach is much more beautiful (and meaningful somehow) than a burst or deflated balloon.
Ginger,
We picked up about 2/3 of one H/T bag - the kind you purchase for reuse. (2 grocery store size) Items collected included, sunglasses, sole of a shoe, men's underwear (for the second straight week), much larger than normal haul of plastics (mostly bags and wrappers), and cigarette butts. The most interesting items discarded were roses which we found in several locations (see attached photo). Couldn't figure out if they were from a wedding or a commemoration.
Turtle nest #1 is in our zone and we checked on it. Everything looked good; the sand was undisturbed except for the work of a few ants.
John and Terri Littlejohn Wednesday, June 22, 2011
week 8 Michelle zone 4---shoulder deep hole
Good Morning,
Today is June 22. It was an absolutely beautiful morning:) AND not only was the weather perfect, but there was only one bag full of trash. Here is what I found at Zone 4.
- 1 sunglasses
- 1 boogie board
- 9 cigarette butts
- 1 toy football
- 1 plastic shovel
- 1 small metal garden shovel
- 1 plastic crab
- 5 plastic bottle tops
- 1 water bottle
- 1 Sprite can
- 1 broken pair of men's flip flops
- 1 HUGE TENT, CHAIRS, BOOGIE BOARD
(There was a sign on it that said it would be picked up if it was there after 6AM.)
- 1 DEEP hole just north of the Oceanic Pier. It was "shoulder" deep on me!
Lots of little pieces of paper and plastic.
Today is June 22. It was an absolutely beautiful morning:) AND not only was the weather perfect, but there was only one bag full of trash. Here is what I found at Zone 4.
- 1 sunglasses
- 1 boogie board
- 9 cigarette butts
- 1 toy football
- 1 plastic shovel
- 1 small metal garden shovel
- 1 plastic crab
- 5 plastic bottle tops
- 1 water bottle
- 1 Sprite can
- 1 broken pair of men's flip flops
- 1 HUGE TENT, CHAIRS, BOOGIE BOARD
(There was a sign on it that said it would be picked up if it was there after 6AM.)
- 1 DEEP hole just north of the Oceanic Pier. It was "shoulder" deep on me!
Lots of little pieces of paper and plastic.
Danielle Richardet--end of May counts
The following are the number of items that Danielle and her family have removed from the beach during the month of May and since her last posting here. Thanks Richardet Family!!!! You can check out her blog here.
1136 cigarette butts
22 straws
5 plastic sandwich bags
8 plastic bottles
20 plastic caps
1 glass beer bottle
9 beer bottle caps
13 juice box straw wrappers
1136 cigarette butts
22 straws
5 plastic sandwich bags
8 plastic bottles
20 plastic caps
1 glass beer bottle
9 beer bottle caps
13 juice box straw wrappers
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
week 6 Nancy Faye Craig zone 4
Nancy Faye Craig left me a message stating she had picked up 2 bags of trash in zone 4 on Saturday June 11th. 1 bag was full of beer cans that she found all along the zone and the other bag had 4 glass bottles and just "plain ole trash".
week 8 Abrons and Doss find a clean beach in zone 0!
We had hardly any trash not even a half bag. Mostly small scraps of paper and one good garden trowel.
Abrons and Doss
Abrons and Doss
(This is such good news---I am not adding any trash to our totals!)
week 8 John & Ginger zone 4
Although John and I did not find turtle tracks this morning, we did find a sea turtle in the sand.
We also found lots of tracks of a different sort.....
We collected 6 bags of trash which included:
3 plastic bottles
1 glass bottle
8 butts
1 cigar tip
8 toys
1 CO2 catridge
16 plastic bottle caps
6 cans (3 interesting beer cans)
8 plastic cups
2 plastic condiment cups
1 plastic spoon
13 straws
1 balloon piece
3 plastic bags (used to tie down tents)
2 bungee cords
2 t-shirts
1 girls cover up
1 sun shirt/rash guard
1 nightie
1 hat
2 ziplock bags
1 mesh bag for toys
Also, we removed 3 towels, 3 chairs and 1 boogie board.
While on the beach, we were able to greet the sun
and say "hello" the the WB ducks.
One last note is that my cat, Speckles always supervises me while I sort the trash. He really could care less about the trash, but demands that I pause long enough to pet him a few times---"Kaliwali"
week 8 Dick & Linda zone 1--Sand filled plastic bags used for tent stakes--new WB trend
TQ,
We had 2 full grocery bags this morning and one pretty nice Frisbee. Linda found 4 large plastic bags filled with sand that someone was using to hold down a tent. Too bad they only managed to remove the tent. Bags were emptied and put in the trash. Rgds Dick and Linda
I, (Ginger) also found 3 large sand-filled bags on Monday apparently used for the same thing! Also, I think the bags that Gina and Cindy found last week served the same purpose! People can be pretty innovative, but I really wish they would use something besides plastic bags (mostly a single use item that never biodegrades) and I really wish they would at least remove the plastic bags from the beach when they remove the tent! A true example of irresponsibility or laziness.
Below are the pics of the three bags that I found this morning.
We had 2 full grocery bags this morning and one pretty nice Frisbee. Linda found 4 large plastic bags filled with sand that someone was using to hold down a tent. Too bad they only managed to remove the tent. Bags were emptied and put in the trash. Rgds Dick and Linda
I, (Ginger) also found 3 large sand-filled bags on Monday apparently used for the same thing! Also, I think the bags that Gina and Cindy found last week served the same purpose! People can be pretty innovative, but I really wish they would use something besides plastic bags (mostly a single use item that never biodegrades) and I really wish they would at least remove the plastic bags from the beach when they remove the tent! A true example of irresponsibility or laziness.
Below are the pics of the three bags that I found this morning.
week 8 Kym Davidson has a nest and a hula hoop!!!!!
I collected 1.5 bags of recyclables & trash ysterday om zone 5...many cans were overflowing...also one bucket, one hula hoop, one flop ;) and one set of tracks!!! ;)))
week 8 Kim Meyer & Celia zone 1
In Zone 1 for Sunday, June 19th, approximately 4 bags of trash were collected. Mostly plastic bottles, a couple cans, toys, and straws. The trash cans were all pretty full in the area with many items around the trash cans because they were so full.
week 7 Kathleen Holly zone 5--2nd day
amongst the other adventures.. ie the couple and friend with an unleashed retrierver.. who peed and pooped.. Found 2 full gallon bags of the usual food stuff..plus little boy underpants, a sanitary napkin (in the surf; eeekkk), and toys... and a full opened pack of unsmoked cigarettes.. (20 cigs)
week 7 A good reason to carry two bags by Mellissa
my report from Friday June 17th, zone 4. I picked up 2 bags of trash. This included: - A disgusting, very large pair of leopard print underwear (I was glad I had the second bag to pick them up like I would dog poop) - A 3 foot long piece of plastic, don't know what it was a part of - 4 lawn chairs - And the remains of what looked to be flip flops at one time.
Have a good week!!
Have a good week!!
weeks 5 & 6 Annemarie zone 0
Hi Ginger.
I need to report my trash collection for last week (6/9) and today (6/16):
- 1 walmart bag each day.
(Today I found some kind of tool....maybe for a boat....large metal with a handle. )
Monday, June 20, 2011
Dick and Linda find Money for Sea Turtles!!
Dick and I need to submit an addendum to our trash report for Monday 13 June.
Also found $1 which was put in the donation box at Causeway Cafe.
In case any of you are wondering what Linda is talking about when she refers to the "donation box", let me fill you in.
WBSTP has a donation box at Causeway Cafe and also at Boomballatti's Ice Cream Shop. These businesses have been very kind in supporting the sea turtles and have placed a donation box in their establishments. So, if you want some really good food, stop and dine at Causeway Cafe (you can find Dick, Linda, Abrons, Doss, and Butler in there on Monday mornings after their turtle walks). For dessert, head on over to Boomb's for fabulous homemade ice cream.
Thanks Dick and Linda for the donation and thanks to the beach goer who left it behind!
Also found $1 which was put in the donation box at Causeway Cafe.
In case any of you are wondering what Linda is talking about when she refers to the "donation box", let me fill you in.
WBSTP has a donation box at Causeway Cafe and also at Boomballatti's Ice Cream Shop. These businesses have been very kind in supporting the sea turtles and have placed a donation box in their establishments. So, if you want some really good food, stop and dine at Causeway Cafe (you can find Dick, Linda, Abrons, Doss, and Butler in there on Monday mornings after their turtle walks). For dessert, head on over to Boomb's for fabulous homemade ice cream.
Thanks Dick and Linda for the donation and thanks to the beach goer who left it behind!
Week 5,6,& 7 Renee in zone 2 finds places to "reuse" the treasure she finds on the beach.
Renee Zone 2 – June 2, 9 and 16
I’ve collected about 3 ½ large tote bags of trash over the last three weeks. (this is 14 bags according to my (ginger's) conversion---and since these are "large" tote bags; 14 is likely a conservative number)
They have been filled with the regulars:
*Food wrappers, plastic utensils, straws, plastic bottles, beer and soda cans, juice boxes, popsicle sticks and lollipop sticks. In this category are also Styrofoam cups but I’m mentioning them separately because unlike the other things that usually don’t disintegrate on the beach….styrofoam does start to come apart and it is impossible to pick it all up.
*Personal hygiene items including diapers, band aids, barretts, rubber bands and scrunchies, suntan lotion, hand sanitizer and chapstick;
*Strings, nylon and twine cords, ribbons and balloon pieces, and a bungee cord.
*I usually don’t collect cigarette butts….but on June 9th I decided I would. I started counting and quickly got to 50. I was going to stop at 100…but once you get into the mode of noticing them it’s difficult to walk on without picking them up. I finally stopped counting at 250.
*Not included in the “bag count”: broken chairs, umbrellas and and boogey boards.
*Plastic bags all sizes and shapes. Speaking of plastic bags, have you ever gone to pick up a plastic bag only to find out it wasn’t a plastic bag at all? It’s easy to see how a turtle could mistake a plastic bag for a jelly fish!
I’ve been recycling some of the “trash”.
I’ve been taking flip flops and shoes to the Flip Flop store in Independence Mall. They collect them and it is my understanding that they send them to people around the world who literally have nothing to protect their feet.
I have found a Day Care Center close to where I live that can use all the beach toys, pails, shovels, frizbees and balls. They have also been able to use the (cleaned) clothes that are left on the beach for smocks or just to have in case there are “accidents”.
My vet uses the (cleaned) towels and blankets that are abandoned on the beach.
I’ve collected about 3 ½ large tote bags of trash over the last three weeks. (this is 14 bags according to my (ginger's) conversion---and since these are "large" tote bags; 14 is likely a conservative number)
They have been filled with the regulars:
*Food wrappers, plastic utensils, straws, plastic bottles, beer and soda cans, juice boxes, popsicle sticks and lollipop sticks. In this category are also Styrofoam cups but I’m mentioning them separately because unlike the other things that usually don’t disintegrate on the beach….styrofoam does start to come apart and it is impossible to pick it all up.
*Personal hygiene items including diapers, band aids, barretts, rubber bands and scrunchies, suntan lotion, hand sanitizer and chapstick;
*Strings, nylon and twine cords, ribbons and balloon pieces, and a bungee cord.
*I usually don’t collect cigarette butts….but on June 9th I decided I would. I started counting and quickly got to 50. I was going to stop at 100…but once you get into the mode of noticing them it’s difficult to walk on without picking them up. I finally stopped counting at 250.
*Not included in the “bag count”: broken chairs, umbrellas and and boogey boards.
*Plastic bags all sizes and shapes. Speaking of plastic bags, have you ever gone to pick up a plastic bag only to find out it wasn’t a plastic bag at all? It’s easy to see how a turtle could mistake a plastic bag for a jelly fish!
I’ve been recycling some of the “trash”.
I’ve been taking flip flops and shoes to the Flip Flop store in Independence Mall. They collect them and it is my understanding that they send them to people around the world who literally have nothing to protect their feet.
I have found a Day Care Center close to where I live that can use all the beach toys, pails, shovels, frizbees and balls. They have also been able to use the (cleaned) clothes that are left on the beach for smocks or just to have in case there are “accidents”.
My vet uses the (cleaned) towels and blankets that are abandoned on the beach.
Week 7 A lesson on Crab Mating by Julie Nichols
I always like learning new things and so I appreciate the lesson Julie shares with us below. I have a different and profound perception of crabs now :)
Ginger,
Well here’s my education lesson for this morning:
CRABS – Reproduction
When male and female crabs reproduce, they assume the doubler position, which is when the male carries the female. Mating lasts about five-and-a-half hours, but the crabs may stay in this position for up to three days afterward.
My apologies to the crabs I disturbed.
I subbed Zone 4 this morning (Sat. 6-18) for Nancy Faye. An absolutely beautiful morning for a walk on the beach – OK, so EVERY morning is a beautiful morning for a walk on the beach. I picked up 1 grocery bag of trash – mostly food packaging, cups, etc., some fireworks debris, 2 spools of kite string, a pacifier, a few children’s toys, 2 full Budweisers. I filled in a few holes with the nice wooden-handled toy shovel I found and decided to keep in the trunk of my car for future early morning walks.
Possible suggestion for Blockade Runner – their trash can was overflowing, most of it appearing to be plastic drink bottles. This sounds like a great spot for a recycle receptacle.
There were 2 people sleeping in the edge of the dunes just past the Blockade Runner.
On my way back I climbed the Life Guard stand and watched pelicans skim over the water and a few fishing boats on their way to a great day of angling. What a view!! Also a great view for looking for tracks or anything that looks repetitive in the sand.
I also subbed Zone 4 Wednesday morning, gathering about 1/3 bag of trash that morning.
Julie
Ginger,
Well here’s my education lesson for this morning:
CRABS – Reproduction
When male and female crabs reproduce, they assume the doubler position, which is when the male carries the female. Mating lasts about five-and-a-half hours, but the crabs may stay in this position for up to three days afterward.
My apologies to the crabs I disturbed.
I subbed Zone 4 this morning (Sat. 6-18) for Nancy Faye. An absolutely beautiful morning for a walk on the beach – OK, so EVERY morning is a beautiful morning for a walk on the beach. I picked up 1 grocery bag of trash – mostly food packaging, cups, etc., some fireworks debris, 2 spools of kite string, a pacifier, a few children’s toys, 2 full Budweisers. I filled in a few holes with the nice wooden-handled toy shovel I found and decided to keep in the trunk of my car for future early morning walks.
Possible suggestion for Blockade Runner – their trash can was overflowing, most of it appearing to be plastic drink bottles. This sounds like a great spot for a recycle receptacle.
There were 2 people sleeping in the edge of the dunes just past the Blockade Runner.
On my way back I climbed the Life Guard stand and watched pelicans skim over the water and a few fishing boats on their way to a great day of angling. What a view!! Also a great view for looking for tracks or anything that looks repetitive in the sand.
I also subbed Zone 4 Wednesday morning, gathering about 1/3 bag of trash that morning.
Julie
Sunday, June 19, 2011
weeks 6 & 7 Nicole zone 2
Friday June 10th Zone 2 I picked up .5 grocery bag of trash. Lots of little pieces of plastic and first balloon of the season. Lots of holes dug on the beach too.
Friday June 17th Zone 2 I picked up 1 grocery bag full of trash. More bottles this time and another balloon.
Nicole
Friday June 17th Zone 2 I picked up 1 grocery bag full of trash. More bottles this time and another balloon.
Nicole
Susan--41 bottle caps and 1 cool sun hat!!
Hi Ginger,
It was yet another lovely morning in Zone 3 today.
Contrary to the norm, I did not find any large items, such as flip flops, clothing items, towels, or chairs. There were plenty of small bits of litter, though! I picked up a total of 1 bag of trash, and filled half of my large reusable bag with recyclables (which is equivalent to 2 grocery bags of recyclables).
My dog Tiesto helped me sort through the litter after I returned home. It must have all smelled very interesting!
Collected items included:
5 beer bottles
7 aluminum beer cans
158 cigarette butts
41 plastic water/Gatorade bottle caps
5 plastic water/soda/iced tea bottles
1 plastic dog toy
1 tennis ball
5 plastic spoons
1 plastic fork
3 styrofoam cups
11 plastic straws
4 plastic sand toys
1/2 bag of assorted paper and plastic trash, such as granola bar and candy wrappers
Particularly gross items that I threw away immediately at the beach were 2 dog poops and 1 dirty diaper. The biggest surprise to me of the day was the 41 plastic bottle caps. I have a feeling there were a lot more that I missed, too, because they tend to blend in with shells sometimes.
I also found a very large, flawless Olive shell that is quite a beauty.
Has anyone else ever met the gentleman who cleans the restrooms at 7:30 am at Johnnie Mercer's Pier? He wears a cool sun hat and is very nice.
-Susan Miller
It was yet another lovely morning in Zone 3 today.
Contrary to the norm, I did not find any large items, such as flip flops, clothing items, towels, or chairs. There were plenty of small bits of litter, though! I picked up a total of 1 bag of trash, and filled half of my large reusable bag with recyclables (which is equivalent to 2 grocery bags of recyclables).
My dog Tiesto helped me sort through the litter after I returned home. It must have all smelled very interesting!
Collected items included:
5 beer bottles
7 aluminum beer cans
158 cigarette butts
41 plastic water/Gatorade bottle caps
5 plastic water/soda/iced tea bottles
1 plastic dog toy
1 tennis ball
5 plastic spoons
1 plastic fork
3 styrofoam cups
11 plastic straws
4 plastic sand toys
1/2 bag of assorted paper and plastic trash, such as granola bar and candy wrappers
Particularly gross items that I threw away immediately at the beach were 2 dog poops and 1 dirty diaper. The biggest surprise to me of the day was the 41 plastic bottle caps. I have a feeling there were a lot more that I missed, too, because they tend to blend in with shells sometimes.
I also found a very large, flawless Olive shell that is quite a beauty.
Has anyone else ever met the gentleman who cleans the restrooms at 7:30 am at Johnnie Mercer's Pier? He wears a cool sun hat and is very nice.
-Susan Miller
week 7 Rick & Jill zones 0 & 4
Hi Miss Ginger,
It seems the tourists are back....
Tuesday, 6/14 Zone 4: 2 grocery bags
Friday, 6/17 Zone 0: 3/4 grocery bag
Beautiful moon and sunrise, gentle breeze that prevented the gnats, and we visited the WB adopted nest -- great morning.
Nothing special to report today for the trash and short on time., so have a great weekend!
Thanks much!
Jill
It seems the tourists are back....
Tuesday, 6/14 Zone 4: 2 grocery bags
Friday, 6/17 Zone 0: 3/4 grocery bag
Beautiful moon and sunrise, gentle breeze that prevented the gnats, and we visited the WB adopted nest -- great morning.
Nothing special to report today for the trash and short on time., so have a great weekend!
Thanks much!
Jill
weeks 4 -7 Gina and Cindy zone 3 (14 bags of trash!!!)
Gina and Cindy are new volunteers this year and they are walking in zone 3. They have been collecting trash for a while, but we have just been able to connect through email. I am so excited to meet Gina and Cindy in cyber world and can't wait to meet them in the real world! I am so thrilled that they have been picking up trash in zone 3. This zone is near JM Pier and can be quite overwhelming. Thank you Gina and Cindy.
Hi Ginger,
Cindy and I started walking ZONE 3 on Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The following is our TRASH RECORD from the last 3 weeks.
5/25: 2 GROCERY BAGS OF ITEMS
plastic items, papers, straws, bottle caps
6/1 : 4 GROCERY BAGS OF ITEMS
plastic tops, plastic pieces from misc items, metal bottle caps, plastic straws,
2 towels, 2 flip flops.
6/8 4 GROCERY BAGS OF ITEMS
plastic tops, plastic pieces from misc items, plastic straws, papers, 2 beach towels,
2 large empty trash bags that were wet and on the sand.
Thank you,
GINA DEVAUGHN AND CINDY WILSON
ZONE 3 WEDNESDAYS
Hello Ginger,
Cindy Wilson and I walk on Wednesdays at 6AM ZONE 3
The following is our TRASH RECORD FOR TODAY, 6/15
The following items FILLED UP 4 GROCERY BAGS
2 CONDOM WRAPPERS
PLASTIC CONTAINERS
A WHOLE BUNCH OF PIECES OF PLASTICS FROM ITEMS
PAPERS, INCLUDING TAGS FROM ITEMS
BEER CANS
PIECES OF STRING & NETTING
METAL BEER CAN TOPS
3 FLIP FLOPS
UNDERWEAR
SOCKS
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE ITEMS, THE FOLLOWING WAS PICKED UP OFF THE BEACH AND THROWN AWAY IN THE TRASH CANS:
2 BLANKETS
2 BEACH TOWELS
GINA DEVAUGHN
CINDY WILSON
A side note is that John and I were at the beach on Tuesday night and we picked up litter in zone 3. Perhaps we picked up the condom from one of the condom wrappers that Gina and Cindy collected. Also, John had his brand new Reef flipflops stolen while we were picking up trash. I already checked with Gina and she said the flipflops they collected did not match the description.....bummer.....
Hi Ginger,
Cindy and I started walking ZONE 3 on Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The following is our TRASH RECORD from the last 3 weeks.
5/25: 2 GROCERY BAGS OF ITEMS
plastic items, papers, straws, bottle caps
6/1 : 4 GROCERY BAGS OF ITEMS
plastic tops, plastic pieces from misc items, metal bottle caps, plastic straws,
2 towels, 2 flip flops.
6/8 4 GROCERY BAGS OF ITEMS
plastic tops, plastic pieces from misc items, plastic straws, papers, 2 beach towels,
2 large empty trash bags that were wet and on the sand.
Thank you,
GINA DEVAUGHN AND CINDY WILSON
ZONE 3 WEDNESDAYS
Hello Ginger,
Cindy Wilson and I walk on Wednesdays at 6AM ZONE 3
The following is our TRASH RECORD FOR TODAY, 6/15
The following items FILLED UP 4 GROCERY BAGS
2 CONDOM WRAPPERS
PLASTIC CONTAINERS
A WHOLE BUNCH OF PIECES OF PLASTICS FROM ITEMS
PAPERS, INCLUDING TAGS FROM ITEMS
BEER CANS
PIECES OF STRING & NETTING
METAL BEER CAN TOPS
3 FLIP FLOPS
UNDERWEAR
SOCKS
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE ITEMS, THE FOLLOWING WAS PICKED UP OFF THE BEACH AND THROWN AWAY IN THE TRASH CANS:
2 BLANKETS
2 BEACH TOWELS
GINA DEVAUGHN
CINDY WILSON
A side note is that John and I were at the beach on Tuesday night and we picked up litter in zone 3. Perhaps we picked up the condom from one of the condom wrappers that Gina and Cindy collected. Also, John had his brand new Reef flipflops stolen while we were picking up trash. I already checked with Gina and she said the flipflops they collected did not match the description.....bummer.....
week 7 Abrons/Butler/Doss zone 0
We had 2 bags of trash this morning plus a broken chair. Many cups and water bottles and a pair of sunglasses.
Abrons/Butler/Doss
Abrons/Butler/Doss
week 7 John & Terri zone 1
Ginger--
Here is our trash report from this morning:
About 2 grocery trash bags containing--
1 homemade (from tree branch) sling shot
5 plastic children's scoops, toys, etc.
1 orange frisbee
1 plastic ring/gasket?
1 pair child's socks
1 single child's sock
1 child's top
1 tee shirt
1 full can of beer--unopened
6 soda/beer/water cans/bottles
lots and lots of bandaids, bottle caps, plastic wrappers, straws, baggies and fruit rinds, cigarette butts, clothing tags
Terri
Here is our trash report from this morning:
About 2 grocery trash bags containing--
1 homemade (from tree branch) sling shot
5 plastic children's scoops, toys, etc.
1 orange frisbee
1 plastic ring/gasket?
1 pair child's socks
1 single child's sock
1 child's top
1 tee shirt
1 full can of beer--unopened
6 soda/beer/water cans/bottles
lots and lots of bandaids, bottle caps, plastic wrappers, straws, baggies and fruit rinds, cigarette butts, clothing tags
Terri
week 7 Kathleen Holly zone 5
further adventures... called the WBPD to roust the campers who set up in the dunes.. Lots of trash; filled 3 gal bags. wine bottles, 5 plastic fish bait containers, a few empty bait bags, lots of fishline, Ice House beer cans, Miller lite beer cans, soda bottles, styrofoam cups, straws, bottle caps, men's large tidy whities, lots of pieces of bags, napkins, candy bar wrappers.
Kathleen
Kathleen
week 7 Dick & Linda zone 1
TQ
We got one full grocery bag of trash, 3 broken chairs and one broken belly board. Also found 2 more towels for Nancy's stash.
Dick
We got one full grocery bag of trash, 3 broken chairs and one broken belly board. Also found 2 more towels for Nancy's stash.
Dick
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
"The Nest That Needed a Beach" by Nancy Fahey (6/14/11)
Good Evening WB Turtlers,
A mid-day phone call from Matthew revealed some of the strangest turtle news, ever: A gentleman from Southport had called to report that he saw a huge loggerhead sea turtle nesting on the bank of the Cape Fear River near his home last night. At first, the man thought it was a deer thrashing around in the brush, but a closer look for the source of the noise brought him face to face with a tired loggerhead turtle emerging from the sea grass and slowing making her way back to the water's edge.
Say what? My thoughts: this must have been the work of one humongous snapping turtle! Matthew, however, went on to say that another sea turtle nest had been found a little over two weeks ago near the very same area on the river. Hmmmm.....very interesting! Next, he asked if I would be interested in going down to relocate the nest to a more sea turtle friendly environment. Really? No kidding? You bet ya....I've got just the place for some beautiful sea turtle eggs!!
A quick call to Kathleen and Morgan Britton elicited a similar response of, "Heck yea.....we would love to go help relocate a nest!" And we were off!
Once reaching the river, I could hardly believe my eyes! Sure enough, the faintly imprinted tracks of a sea turtle had been left behind on the sand. This turtle had drug herself up the bank of the river through debris of all kinds: rocks, trash, construction materials, you name it.
How could a nesting mother turtle choose such a place for her precious clutch? However, in the grass at the top of the bank were the distinct signs of a successful nesting site; buried grass, broken roots, and piles of displaced sand.
For reasons we may never understand, this turtle appeared to have nested in this less than desirable place, after all. One thing was immediately clear: left in this place, the hatchlings would be doomed. We had to find that clutch!
Finding the eggs was no easy task, but after a few hours of digging, find them we did!! There nestled in the sand was the lone gleaming egg that would lead us to the others. Wha-hoo!!
Quickly, but carefully, we placed the soft eggs one by one into the bucket. One hundred and two eggs later, we were ready to head back to Wrightsville Beach.
Thinking of our One-derful Nest Number One of a few years ago, we decided on the perfect spot for the
safe keeping of our booty.
Nestled on the north end between Wrightsville Dunes and Shell Island Resort, you will find one very special nest for Wrightsville Beach; our first adopted nest ever. A nest that needed a beach for a beach that needed a nest. I just love happy endings! :)
Congratulations and many thanks to the nest parents, Kathleen and Morgan Britton. I really do not know what I would have done without your help, unwavering dedication, and enthusiasm for the great nest relocation effort today. You are both more than awesome, and the turtles are ever so lucky to have you on their side!
Hope you enjoy the beautiful pictures courtesy of Kathleen and Morgan.
Happy Turtling!
Nancy
A mid-day phone call from Matthew revealed some of the strangest turtle news, ever: A gentleman from Southport had called to report that he saw a huge loggerhead sea turtle nesting on the bank of the Cape Fear River near his home last night. At first, the man thought it was a deer thrashing around in the brush, but a closer look for the source of the noise brought him face to face with a tired loggerhead turtle emerging from the sea grass and slowing making her way back to the water's edge.
Say what? My thoughts: this must have been the work of one humongous snapping turtle! Matthew, however, went on to say that another sea turtle nest had been found a little over two weeks ago near the very same area on the river. Hmmmm.....very interesting! Next, he asked if I would be interested in going down to relocate the nest to a more sea turtle friendly environment. Really? No kidding? You bet ya....I've got just the place for some beautiful sea turtle eggs!!
A quick call to Kathleen and Morgan Britton elicited a similar response of, "Heck yea.....we would love to go help relocate a nest!" And we were off!
Once reaching the river, I could hardly believe my eyes! Sure enough, the faintly imprinted tracks of a sea turtle had been left behind on the sand. This turtle had drug herself up the bank of the river through debris of all kinds: rocks, trash, construction materials, you name it.
How could a nesting mother turtle choose such a place for her precious clutch? However, in the grass at the top of the bank were the distinct signs of a successful nesting site; buried grass, broken roots, and piles of displaced sand.
Finding the eggs was no easy task, but after a few hours of digging, find them we did!! There nestled in the sand was the lone gleaming egg that would lead us to the others. Wha-hoo!!
Quickly, but carefully, we placed the soft eggs one by one into the bucket. One hundred and two eggs later, we were ready to head back to Wrightsville Beach.
Thinking of our One-derful Nest Number One of a few years ago, we decided on the perfect spot for the
safe keeping of our booty.
Nestled on the north end between Wrightsville Dunes and Shell Island Resort, you will find one very special nest for Wrightsville Beach; our first adopted nest ever. A nest that needed a beach for a beach that needed a nest. I just love happy endings! :)
Congratulations and many thanks to the nest parents, Kathleen and Morgan Britton. I really do not know what I would have done without your help, unwavering dedication, and enthusiasm for the great nest relocation effort today. You are both more than awesome, and the turtles are ever so lucky to have you on their side!
Hope you enjoy the beautiful pictures courtesy of Kathleen and Morgan.
Happy Turtling!
Nancy
Monday, June 13, 2011
week 7 John & Ginger zone 4
Today John and I collected 4 bags of trash. Apparently, it was a great surf session this morning and there were tons of surfers in the water. I wish I had taken a picture, but my hands just seemed too yucky to want to touch the camera.
It is amazing the bits and pieces of plastic that we collect on the beach. Much of it I just throw away without even counting it as anything---it is just too gross to sort. However, I had the thought that sometimes "one time use" plastics are not even "one time use". This thought occurred to me because I pick up plenty of straws that are still in the wrappers---never used at all, but they become litter--not just any litter, but litter that does not biodegrade and it dangerous to wildlife and the environment. What a shame. "Kaliwali"--must be more "mindful" to not buy one time use plastics when possible.
We picked up 32+ plastic food wrappers (plastic packaging for snacks and candy).
We also collected:
12 butts
1 cigar tip
3 cigarette packages
3 balloons (one was very long (about 2 feet)
6 toys or toy pieces (I think I found the ball that goes with the beach paddles I found last week---score!)
3 clothing articles (hope I will look good in the "Life is Good" hat)
5 plastic bottles
1 beer bottle
2 cans
3 plastic cup lids
2 plastic spoons
13 straws
3 fireworks remnants
3 styrofoam cups
24 plastic bottle caps
2 plastic bags
5 ziplock bags
1 plastic comb
1 pair of broken sunglasses
1 plastic hair bow
1 pacifier
1 fishing lure
1 boogie board
5 chairs that we moved away from the tideline
1 metal rod from a broken umbrella
Also, John and I took the boat out for a quick ride this weekend (quick b/c it was so windy); and as always we retrieved trash from the waterway. This weekend it was another plastic bag. I sure hope New Hanover County will work towards banning plastic bags or at least creating a bag fee. Plastic bags never biodegrade, they only photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller particles making it impossible to remove them from our environment (land or water). They also are mistaken for food by wildlife and often times lead to the death of animals such as whales, seals, birds, and sea turtles. When in the water, plastic bags resemble jelly fish. Jelly fish are one of the main food sources for sea turtles; and sea turtles will mistake the plastic bag (& balloons) for jelly fish.
Please so "no" to plastic bags.
It is amazing the bits and pieces of plastic that we collect on the beach. Much of it I just throw away without even counting it as anything---it is just too gross to sort. However, I had the thought that sometimes "one time use" plastics are not even "one time use". This thought occurred to me because I pick up plenty of straws that are still in the wrappers---never used at all, but they become litter--not just any litter, but litter that does not biodegrade and it dangerous to wildlife and the environment. What a shame. "Kaliwali"--must be more "mindful" to not buy one time use plastics when possible.
We picked up 32+ plastic food wrappers (plastic packaging for snacks and candy).
We also collected:
12 butts
1 cigar tip
3 cigarette packages
3 balloons (one was very long (about 2 feet)
6 toys or toy pieces (I think I found the ball that goes with the beach paddles I found last week---score!)
3 clothing articles (hope I will look good in the "Life is Good" hat)
5 plastic bottles
1 beer bottle
2 cans
3 plastic cup lids
2 plastic spoons
13 straws
3 fireworks remnants
3 styrofoam cups
24 plastic bottle caps
2 plastic bags
5 ziplock bags
1 plastic comb
1 pair of broken sunglasses
1 plastic hair bow
1 pacifier
1 fishing lure
1 boogie board
5 chairs that we moved away from the tideline
1 metal rod from a broken umbrella
Also, John and I took the boat out for a quick ride this weekend (quick b/c it was so windy); and as always we retrieved trash from the waterway. This weekend it was another plastic bag. I sure hope New Hanover County will work towards banning plastic bags or at least creating a bag fee. Plastic bags never biodegrade, they only photodegrade, breaking down into smaller and smaller particles making it impossible to remove them from our environment (land or water). They also are mistaken for food by wildlife and often times lead to the death of animals such as whales, seals, birds, and sea turtles. When in the water, plastic bags resemble jelly fish. Jelly fish are one of the main food sources for sea turtles; and sea turtles will mistake the plastic bag (& balloons) for jelly fish.
Please so "no" to plastic bags.
week 7 Kim Meyer and Celia zone 1
In Zone 1 for Sunday, June 12th, approximately 6 bags of trash were collected. Several buckets and toys were also found. My walking buddy, Celia and I placed them up by the lifeguard stand so perhaps they will be reused. There are several large holes as well in that area. Just hoping the buckets and shovels aren't used to contribute more holes!
We collected 7 water bottles and only 2 beer bottles. You can tell when the heat starts taking its toll! All the usual items were found today: discarded plastic bags, paper towels, handy wipes, wrappers, etc. We did pull 2 beach towels and 1 blanket out of the sand as well.
The trash cans close to the dunes appeared to be either empty or about 1/4th full. However there were several around the major access points (Duneridge area) were cans were overflowing. I hope they empty cans on Sunday morning otherwise there would be no room for sunbather's trash today.
We did find one woman on the beach with a black lab mix running wildly off-leash through the dunes. Celia ever so politely spoke with the woman about the nests at CB that were destroyed by dogs. The woman very politely thanked us for collecting trash on the beach, regained control of her dog, put the leash on and exited the beach. The woman indicated she lived about a block from the beach which made me wonder how she did not know of the leash law and restricted months for which dogs could be on the beach. Perhaps she was new to the area. However it was one of the first things I learned as a pet owner living on the beach in the 80's.
We collected 7 water bottles and only 2 beer bottles. You can tell when the heat starts taking its toll! All the usual items were found today: discarded plastic bags, paper towels, handy wipes, wrappers, etc. We did pull 2 beach towels and 1 blanket out of the sand as well.
The trash cans close to the dunes appeared to be either empty or about 1/4th full. However there were several around the major access points (Duneridge area) were cans were overflowing. I hope they empty cans on Sunday morning otherwise there would be no room for sunbather's trash today.
We did find one woman on the beach with a black lab mix running wildly off-leash through the dunes. Celia ever so politely spoke with the woman about the nests at CB that were destroyed by dogs. The woman very politely thanked us for collecting trash on the beach, regained control of her dog, put the leash on and exited the beach. The woman indicated she lived about a block from the beach which made me wonder how she did not know of the leash law and restricted months for which dogs could be on the beach. Perhaps she was new to the area. However it was one of the first things I learned as a pet owner living on the beach in the 80's.
week 6 Kym Davidson--Hammock Sleepers have Ocean Front Property for Free :)
I collected 1 bag of litter & 1 bag of recyclables today in zone 5. The hammock sleepers were under Crystal pier again bit w/o a litter trail this time :)
week 6 John & Tammy zone 2
Ginger,
During my walk of Zone 2 yesterday, I picked up about 3/4 of a plastic grocery bag of trash. I was kind of excited that it was only 3/4 of a bag, but then it hit me that it was 3/4 of a bag. That’s like getting excited because gas dropped to 3.61 a gallon.
Tammy and I try to let people with dogs know that dogs are not allowed on the beach this time of year and they could get fined. We’ve been told the same “Yeah, but we’re out with them early” response as well as “Well, they don’t enforce it anyway.”
John
During my walk of Zone 2 yesterday, I picked up about 3/4 of a plastic grocery bag of trash. I was kind of excited that it was only 3/4 of a bag, but then it hit me that it was 3/4 of a bag. That’s like getting excited because gas dropped to 3.61 a gallon.
Tammy and I try to let people with dogs know that dogs are not allowed on the beach this time of year and they could get fined. We’ve been told the same “Yeah, but we’re out with them early” response as well as “Well, they don’t enforce it anyway.”
John
week 7 Kathleen and Morgan zone 0
Hi Ginger,
Morgan and I picked up the equivalent of two grocery sized bags this morning. The contents are below:
6 plastic drink bottles
3 beer cans
12 plastic cocktail cups
7 straws
3 dryer sheets
1 binki
1 child's butterfly net
1 sand sieve
1 plastic shovel
3 cigarette butts
1 plastic dog squeaky toy
2 balloons - SCORE!
4 various plastic pieces
1 plastic/worm-type fishing lure
Morgan and I picked up the equivalent of two grocery sized bags this morning. The contents are below:
6 plastic drink bottles
3 beer cans
12 plastic cocktail cups
7 straws
3 dryer sheets
1 binki
1 child's butterfly net
1 sand sieve
1 plastic shovel
3 cigarette butts
1 plastic dog squeaky toy
2 balloons - SCORE!
4 various plastic pieces
1 plastic/worm-type fishing lure
Sunday, June 12, 2011
KIC Newsletter June 11, 2011
HI KICers!!!
I am so proud to be a part of you guys.
So far, you have reported collecting 147.33 bags of trash and you just keep on "KICing"!!!! Please view the updated blogsite: wbkeepitclean.blogspot.com. If you have not sent in your reports, please do so and I will add to our totals.
I do have two tidbits of news that I want to share in this email. One is frustrating and one is hopeful. So I will post the frustrating news first:
Dog Destroys Sea Turtle Eggs on Carolina Beach
A sea turtle nest at Carolina Beach was predated by an unleashed dog this week. The dog destroyed at least 20 of the eggs in the nest. Please click on this link to read the article and view a picture of the predated nest:
Dogs are not allowed on WB from April 1 to October 30. From October 30 to March 31st, dogs must be leashed and owners must have a bag with them so that they can clean after their dogs.
Please understand that I love dogs and I understand why people want their dogs to be able to play on the beach. However, dogs have a very keen sense of smell and very strong natural instincts to dig up, chew, roll in, eat, lick, etc. anything they think smells good. And usually no amount of owner's commands can deter this very undomesticated type of behavior. They just can't help themselves. So, dogs will certainly be able to smell a freshly laid turtle nest and will surely find it irresistible. This is a very good reason for dog owners to follow the WB ordinance and keep dogs off the beach during nesting season.
On our blog this week, you will read John and Terri Littlejohn's email in which they approached a dog owner who told them she thought she was out early enough that she would not get caught!
Now for the Hopeful News:
Injured Leatherback Sea Turtle Gets Help Digging Her Nests
Please click on the link below to meet Clover, an endangered leatherback sea turtle who has had both of her rear flippers severed by a shark. Clover is unable to dig her nests, so volunteers on Juno Beach, Florida watch for her and help dig her nests when she comes ashore. So far, this year, she has laid 7 nests on Juno Beach. http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/11/injured.leatherback.turtle/index.html
Thanks for all you do.
Keep It Clean,
Ginger
I am so proud to be a part of you guys.
So far, you have reported collecting 147.33 bags of trash and you just keep on "KICing"!!!! Please view the updated blogsite: wbkeepitclean.blogspot.com. If you have not sent in your reports, please do so and I will add to our totals.
I do have two tidbits of news that I want to share in this email. One is frustrating and one is hopeful. So I will post the frustrating news first:
Dog Destroys Sea Turtle Eggs on Carolina Beach
A sea turtle nest at Carolina Beach was predated by an unleashed dog this week. The dog destroyed at least 20 of the eggs in the nest. Please click on this link to read the article and view a picture of the predated nest:
Dogs are not allowed on WB from April 1 to October 30. From October 30 to March 31st, dogs must be leashed and owners must have a bag with them so that they can clean after their dogs.
Please understand that I love dogs and I understand why people want their dogs to be able to play on the beach. However, dogs have a very keen sense of smell and very strong natural instincts to dig up, chew, roll in, eat, lick, etc. anything they think smells good. And usually no amount of owner's commands can deter this very undomesticated type of behavior. They just can't help themselves. So, dogs will certainly be able to smell a freshly laid turtle nest and will surely find it irresistible. This is a very good reason for dog owners to follow the WB ordinance and keep dogs off the beach during nesting season.
On our blog this week, you will read John and Terri Littlejohn's email in which they approached a dog owner who told them she thought she was out early enough that she would not get caught!
Now for the Hopeful News:
Injured Leatherback Sea Turtle Gets Help Digging Her Nests
Please click on the link below to meet Clover, an endangered leatherback sea turtle who has had both of her rear flippers severed by a shark. Clover is unable to dig her nests, so volunteers on Juno Beach, Florida watch for her and help dig her nests when she comes ashore. So far, this year, she has laid 7 nests on Juno Beach. http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/11/injured.leatherback.turtle/index.html
Thanks for all you do.
Keep It Clean,
Ginger
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Meet Joe Peters---Welcome to KIC (week 6)
I'm so happy that Joe Peters has joined the KICers. Joe picks up trash while he walks on the beach and was encouraged by a KIC volunteer, Susan Miller, to report his numbers. Well, you know, we KICers love people who pick up trash, so Joe is now considered one of us! Welcome Joe!!! You can read Joe's report below and his numbers will be added to our total and will be included under "unspecified zones".
A big thanks to Joe and Susan!
Hi,
I was encouraged by Susan Miller to send you my trash totals while out at Wrightsville Beach. I was out on the beach around 7pm on Wednesday, 6/8/11. My totals during my 30 minute walk:
5 plastic bottles
2 plastic bags
4 aluminum cans
4 juice bags (think Hi-C, Capri Sun)
6 plastic bottle caps
(I am counting this as 1.5 bags unless Joe indicates otherwise)
Quite sad, since Wednesday was World Oceans Day. Take care, and continue to do good work.
Joe
A big thanks to Joe and Susan!
Hi,
I was encouraged by Susan Miller to send you my trash totals while out at Wrightsville Beach. I was out on the beach around 7pm on Wednesday, 6/8/11. My totals during my 30 minute walk:
5 plastic bottles
2 plastic bags
4 aluminum cans
4 juice bags (think Hi-C, Capri Sun)
6 plastic bottle caps
(I am counting this as 1.5 bags unless Joe indicates otherwise)
Quite sad, since Wednesday was World Oceans Day. Take care, and continue to do good work.
Joe
week 6 Susan zone 3--recycling, hoels and plastic
Hi Ginger,
It is so interesting to me to see how the beach changes each Friday morning that I go. This morning, there were a lot of people walking, running, and lounging, even as early as 6:00 am. The sand seemed particularly hot, dry and powdery, which I am sure has something to do with our extreme lack of rain lately.
Today I collected 3 bags of trash and one large bag of recyclables (one large bag converts into 4 bags making Susan's total bags = 7). There was a very high concentration of litter right next to Johnnie Mercer's Pier; I collected one whole bag of trash there alone, most of which consisted of snack wrappers and chip bags.
The bulk of what I picked up today was plastic water and Gatorade bottles-- I found a total of 15 of these. At one moment I looked out across the high tide line and could just see plastic shimmering in the sand. Conversely, I found only one glass beer bottle and a few beer cans, which is drastically less than normal. I can only assume that this is due to the very hot weather.
One thing I observed today is that there seemed to be several areas where people had just sat down, smoked 5-10 cigarettes, and stuck the butts right in the sand like an ashtray.
Ugh. This makes me concerned not only for these individuals' blatant disregard of the environment but also for their personal health. Another thing I observed today is that the vast majority of the items in the trashcans were Rita's cups, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Of course, I am grateful that these items made it into the trashcans and were not left on the beach. But it seems like a real shame that all of this is going in trash when the vast majority of it is recyclable. I really do think that people would use recycling bins for cans and plastic if they were right alongside the trash cans.
The most interesting thing I found today was a very deep hole with a sea turtle sand sculpture right next to it. I am not sure if this qualifies as irony or just deserves a facepalm.
-Susan Miller
It is so interesting to me to see how the beach changes each Friday morning that I go. This morning, there were a lot of people walking, running, and lounging, even as early as 6:00 am. The sand seemed particularly hot, dry and powdery, which I am sure has something to do with our extreme lack of rain lately.
Today I collected 3 bags of trash and one large bag of recyclables (one large bag converts into 4 bags making Susan's total bags = 7). There was a very high concentration of litter right next to Johnnie Mercer's Pier; I collected one whole bag of trash there alone, most of which consisted of snack wrappers and chip bags.
The bulk of what I picked up today was plastic water and Gatorade bottles-- I found a total of 15 of these. At one moment I looked out across the high tide line and could just see plastic shimmering in the sand. Conversely, I found only one glass beer bottle and a few beer cans, which is drastically less than normal. I can only assume that this is due to the very hot weather.
One thing I observed today is that there seemed to be several areas where people had just sat down, smoked 5-10 cigarettes, and stuck the butts right in the sand like an ashtray.
Ugh. This makes me concerned not only for these individuals' blatant disregard of the environment but also for their personal health. Another thing I observed today is that the vast majority of the items in the trashcans were Rita's cups, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Of course, I am grateful that these items made it into the trashcans and were not left on the beach. But it seems like a real shame that all of this is going in trash when the vast majority of it is recyclable. I really do think that people would use recycling bins for cans and plastic if they were right alongside the trash cans.
The most interesting thing I found today was a very deep hole with a sea turtle sand sculpture right next to it. I am not sure if this qualifies as irony or just deserves a facepalm.
-Susan Miller
week 6 Rick & Jill zones 0 & 4
Hi Ginger,
We just saw the KIC sign at the beach this morning -- love it!
Here's the report for this week. Nothing as fun as last week, though
6/7, Zone 4: 1 full grocery bag
6/10, Zone 0: 1/3 grocery bag,...must have been a sale on french fries as there were quite a few used ketchup packages scattered about.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tell John we say hello!
Best,
Jill
We just saw the KIC sign at the beach this morning -- love it!
Here's the report for this week. Nothing as fun as last week, though
6/7, Zone 4: 1 full grocery bag
6/10, Zone 0: 1/3 grocery bag,...must have been a sale on french fries as there were quite a few used ketchup packages scattered about.
Have a wonderful weekend! Tell John we say hello!
Best,
Jill
week 6 Mellissa zone 4--lots of holes
Hi Ginger
Today Friday 6/10/11 in Zone 4 I picked up 1 grocery bag of garbage. There were a lot of holes too, but I didn't have enough time before work to fill them all in. Seems like that is almost a part time job on its own.
Have a great week!
Today Friday 6/10/11 in Zone 4 I picked up 1 grocery bag of garbage. There were a lot of holes too, but I didn't have enough time before work to fill them all in. Seems like that is almost a part time job on its own.
Have a great week!
week 6 Kathleen Holly--zone 5 (2 days)
Last 2 walks picked up 3 1/2 gal bags trash.. Lots of Cig butts, cups, straws, kiddie shovels, 8 beer cans, 5 plastic gator aid bottles, 2 water bottles, 3 flip flops; 1 man's, 2 unrelated women's, 2 tee shirts, 1 pr men's boxers, 3 bra fillers; unrelated sizes but interesting find, 4 plastic baggies, assorted tags from purchases.
I saw at least 4 different sets of dog tracks this am on my turtle walk; all between access 39 and Oceanic Pier.
I pick up trash over by the USCoast Guard dock on the inlet side. I dragged 2 broken chairs, a beach umbrella and a large broken cooler last week. The debris was still there on Tues. I met one of the DPW fellows driving the street sweeper. I told him the trash had been there for 5 days. I asked if he would please let the garage know this bin hasn't been attended. Neither were 2 other overfilled bins on the inlet side across from Masonboro Island.
I saw at least 4 different sets of dog tracks this am on my turtle walk; all between access 39 and Oceanic Pier.
I pick up trash over by the USCoast Guard dock on the inlet side. I dragged 2 broken chairs, a beach umbrella and a large broken cooler last week. The debris was still there on Tues. I met one of the DPW fellows driving the street sweeper. I told him the trash had been there for 5 days. I asked if he would please let the garage know this bin hasn't been attended. Neither were 2 other overfilled bins on the inlet side across from Masonboro Island.
week 6 Ginger zone 4 "KaliWali"
When I walked my zone on Monday, it was a little cleaner than it has been in the past few weeks.
My favorite thing to look forward to is greeting Sonny, John and Jesse as they "greet the Sun" at Crystal Pier. The Ancient Polynesian Martial Art they are practicing is called "KaliWali" which means "mindfulness".
Here is some of what I found today: (3 bags)
1 pair of goggles
10 toys including one purple mouse cat toy
5 brightly colored water balloons
1 blowing plastic bag (please say no to plastic bags---they never biodegrade)
2 ziplock bags
23 butts
1 cigar
2 plastic cigar tips
21 straws
10 plastic bottle caps
1 pair of boxer shorts
1 pair of extra small pink lacy victoria's secret panties
2 towels
2 aluminum cans
5 plastic bottles
2 glass bottles
1 plastic cup
1 plastic fork
2 empty cigarette packs
The funniest thing was: Beached Barbie
The best part of my day was when I went back to the beach on Monday evening. I was walking in my zone and noticed several large holes. One was by a family who was packing up and they had a full size garden shovel with them. I took a deep breath, thought about KaliWali, and approached them with a smile. After saying hello I explained that I helped monitor the beach for sea turtle nesting activity and explained that nesting turtles could easily become trapped in holes. They began filling in the hole and thanked me profusely for the work that we do for sea turtles. They asked about ordinances for holes which I was able to explain; and they told me about a children's book their child had just gotten about sea turtles. They were really happy to help. I left feeling great about our interaction.
As I walked farther down the beach, there was another very large hole, so I began to fill it in. There was a young family in the life guard stand watching me. The little girl (about 3 years old) came running down and in the cutest way said: "It took me all day to dig that hole!". I giggled and told her she had certainly done a great job at digging such a large hole and then explained to her that I was filling it in because sea turtles sometimes come on the beach at night to lay eggs and if they fell into the hole it could hurt them. She immediately started helping me push dirt in the hole with her tiny hands. Her young parents came down and also joined in. The mother explained that she often has dreams that she and her daughter are flying and they are watching sea turtles; and she hopes to get more involved with the sea turtles some day as she is looking for some bigger meaning in life. As our conversation continued, I learned that the mother had just recently finished her last round of chemo for breast cancer.
I am so thankful that I took the time to practice "KaliWali", approached these families with openness vs. frustration, and had the chance to share education and receive education at the same time. The universe is so good to us when we allow it to happen.
My favorite thing to look forward to is greeting Sonny, John and Jesse as they "greet the Sun" at Crystal Pier. The Ancient Polynesian Martial Art they are practicing is called "KaliWali" which means "mindfulness".
Here is some of what I found today: (3 bags)
1 pair of goggles
10 toys including one purple mouse cat toy
5 brightly colored water balloons
1 blowing plastic bag (please say no to plastic bags---they never biodegrade)
2 ziplock bags
23 butts
1 cigar
2 plastic cigar tips
21 straws
10 plastic bottle caps
1 pair of boxer shorts
1 pair of extra small pink lacy victoria's secret panties
2 towels
2 aluminum cans
5 plastic bottles
2 glass bottles
1 plastic cup
1 plastic fork
2 empty cigarette packs
The funniest thing was: Beached Barbie
The best part of my day was when I went back to the beach on Monday evening. I was walking in my zone and noticed several large holes. One was by a family who was packing up and they had a full size garden shovel with them. I took a deep breath, thought about KaliWali, and approached them with a smile. After saying hello I explained that I helped monitor the beach for sea turtle nesting activity and explained that nesting turtles could easily become trapped in holes. They began filling in the hole and thanked me profusely for the work that we do for sea turtles. They asked about ordinances for holes which I was able to explain; and they told me about a children's book their child had just gotten about sea turtles. They were really happy to help. I left feeling great about our interaction.
As I walked farther down the beach, there was another very large hole, so I began to fill it in. There was a young family in the life guard stand watching me. The little girl (about 3 years old) came running down and in the cutest way said: "It took me all day to dig that hole!". I giggled and told her she had certainly done a great job at digging such a large hole and then explained to her that I was filling it in because sea turtles sometimes come on the beach at night to lay eggs and if they fell into the hole it could hurt them. She immediately started helping me push dirt in the hole with her tiny hands. Her young parents came down and also joined in. The mother explained that she often has dreams that she and her daughter are flying and they are watching sea turtles; and she hopes to get more involved with the sea turtles some day as she is looking for some bigger meaning in life. As our conversation continued, I learned that the mother had just recently finished her last round of chemo for breast cancer.
I am so thankful that I took the time to practice "KaliWali", approached these families with openness vs. frustration, and had the chance to share education and receive education at the same time. The universe is so good to us when we allow it to happen.
week 6 John & Terri zone 1--Dogs on the Beach
Hi, Ginger--
It was a "buggy" morning on the beach!
John and I collected approximately two grocery bags of trash, including:
--black rubber gasket, about 5 inches in diameter
--2 men's tee shirts
--1 rusting beach chair
--1 child's top
--1 pair men's good quality flip flops
--2 beer cans
--1 champagne cork
--numerous water and soda bottles, and bottle caps
--candy and plastic wrappers
--bandaids
--fruit rinds
--tissues
--1 medium sized plastic toy bucket
--2 toy shovels
--1, one-quart oil can which had obviously been in the ocean long enough to be sprouting some sea life
--many plastic cups and 1 plastic fork
--one woman walking dog; she said she was aware of the prohibition but thought she was out early enough not to get caught
There was a fair amount of litter at Shell Island, enough to be seen glittering in the sunlight from a distance.
Terri
It was a "buggy" morning on the beach!
John and I collected approximately two grocery bags of trash, including:
--black rubber gasket, about 5 inches in diameter
--2 men's tee shirts
--1 rusting beach chair
--1 child's top
--1 pair men's good quality flip flops
--2 beer cans
--1 champagne cork
--numerous water and soda bottles, and bottle caps
--candy and plastic wrappers
--bandaids
--fruit rinds
--tissues
--1 medium sized plastic toy bucket
--2 toy shovels
--1, one-quart oil can which had obviously been in the ocean long enough to be sprouting some sea life
--many plastic cups and 1 plastic fork
--one woman walking dog; she said she was aware of the prohibition but thought she was out early enough not to get caught
There was a fair amount of litter at Shell Island, enough to be seen glittering in the sunlight from a distance.
Terri
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