Beach Lesson

July 25, 2016

Wrightsville Beach now has 15 sea turtle nests!!! Wowza!  I am predicting 20.  Our record was 16 nests in 1999.

Volunteers have been on the beach making sure everything is going swimmingly for our nests and I have to tell you that WB is busy this week!  I'm thinking this must be a prime time for everyone to get their beach holiday in before the kiddos head back to school.

Speaking of school, how about a lesson?  Please don't leave ANYTHING on the beach except for your footprints.

I pick up trash every time I am at the beach monitoring nests.  It is insane.  So far at nest #1, I have collected 20 toys, 3 food wrappers, 2 foam plates, 2 shoes, 2 grocery bags, 4 plastic bottles, 2 plastic cups, and 1 boogie board.  This was all found in the dark and mostly in the tide line which means it would have all been washed away by the morning to be eaten by the sea and her inhabitants.

Do you love the ocean?  (I'm assuming you do because you spent all day there.)  Then be active with your love and help keep her free from trash.  

Thank you.

Part of the items found left on the beach during nest sitting activities.

So….on to today, my normal nest monitoring beach walk.  John and I were greeted by the heat and noseeums.  This prevented me from going up to the dune lines to collect all of the trash like I normally do, but we still removed our fair share.

We also ran into Nicole, who was monitoring zone 3 (includes Johnnie Mercer Pier).  Nicole had a full bag of garbage too.  I wish I had taken her photo, but I was so happy to chat with her that the phone stayed in my pocket.  It is always fun to talk to sea turtle peeps!

Here is what was in our bags today:

10 cigarette butts
41 food packaging
13 plastic bottle caps
3 metal caps
3 plastic lids
11 straws, (7 of which were paper)
1 plastic spoon
1 wooden spoon
1 piece of painters tape
6 pieces of fireworks
8 plastic bottles
2 glass bottles
1 aluminum can

1 Ziploc bag
2 plastic cups
16 pieces of various packaging (foam, plastic, paper tags)
1 other plastic bottle (not sure what it was)
1 plastic zip tie
1 tobacco packaging
4 articles of clothing
13 toys or toy pieces
2 hair ties
1 cotton ball
8 pieces of paper
4 wet ones
1 band aid
2 fabric chair straps

3 plastic mesh bags that package toys

Peace and Clean Oceans,
ginger