Sunday, January 3, 2010

Day 86 - JAN. 1, 2010

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA
trash collected for 20 minutes
estimated pounds of trash collected today - .93 lbs.
estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 367.87 lbs.

community count - 5 people
day 10 - 355 days to go
collected trash for 20 minutes
estimated pounds of trash collected - 3 lbs.
total pounds of trash collected to date - 112.9 lbs.
I got an email from friends of ours early on Jan. 1st saying that the whole family wanted to come out and collect trash with me today. Adam, who is 18 and a freshman at American University in Washington D.C., came home wanting his family to do some volunteer work together during the holiday. They thought of the Daily Ocean, and I was happy they did. I thought it was a great way to kick off 2010.
This is Adam in shadow profile out on the beach. He collected apprrox. .37 lbs. of trash in 20 minutes.
Someone didn't make the resolution to quit smoking in 2010.
Team Marine went out and did some plastic trash collecting at the Pico Kenter storm drain just north of tower 26. They counted the different items they found, measured off a portion of the tideline around the stagnant water leaving the storm drain, and spent 25 minutes doing it. I volunteer with this group of high school students from SAMOHI and they do amazing things. Check out their post here.
This is Sarah collecting trash. Several times she commented on how many cigarette butts she was finding. Adam also said the same thing, and added that he thought smoking was illegal on the beach. I told him it was, but that Santa Monica is at the end of the storm drains that lead all the way from Los Angeles where lots of cig. butts fall in from the streets. But as you can see from the picture above, the cigarette butts get left right on the beach too.
This is Deirdre's collection at the end of 20 minutes. She also collected approx. .37 lbs. of trash in 20 minutes.
Our group - Sarah - Deirdre - Nancy - Adam - Garen
As always, the colors from a Pacific Sunset never cease to dazzle. Today, any building facing west was lit on fire in the setting sun.