Day 364 - Dec. 5, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

3.4 pounds

1,332.5 pounds total 

9 cigarette butts

COMMUNITY COUNT DAY 261 - Arleen McGlade, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

1.5 pounds

1,092.2 pounds total

THE DAILY OCEAN COMBINED TOTAL AS OF DEC. 6TH 

 2,424.7 POUNDS TOTAL

(photo credit to my friend Arleen)

It feels very strange to write the 364th post tonight. Danielle from IT STARTS WITH ME is talking to my husband in the next room after 10 p.m. about the beach in North Carolina where Danielle lives. We are a bunch of ocean geeks and I'm smiling listening to them discuss the shells Danielle saw last time she went on her 20 min. beach cleanup. 

Tomorrow we'll have a party in Santa Monica to celebrate the 365th beach cleanup this Sat. at 3:00 p.m. at lifeguard tower 26. The invitation is open to all and I'd love you to join us. 

There's also a network of people around the world who've written to me, done Daily Ocean style cleanups, contributed to this project and blog, left me a message on Facebook or Twitter, and kept me going throughout the last three and a half years. I have not done this alone. 

Tip #1 TO HELP THE OCEAN - 

LOVE THE OCEAN? LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE OCEAN. 

(photo credit to my friend Arleen)

Looking at this photo of me weighing Arleen's haul it hits me that I've known her for years now. We met because of the Daily Ocean and have been out on the beach at least half a dozen times since.

(photo credit to Kurt via Arleen's phone)

Although this cleanup project is about one person inserting a sustainable amount of effort into their daily life, it is equally about the community of people that I've met because of it. 

If you've joined me on this journey years, months, or only days ago, I hope you'll stay. In many ways I'm just getting started. We are the people who can change our lives to help the ocean. 

What we do matters and we do it together.

LOVE THE OCEAN? LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE OCEAN.