The inspiration for this project came when I realized I could treat everyday like a beach clean-up day, instead of waiting for an organization like Surfrider to host one. I do belong to Surfrider, and I think membership to organizations like theirs is important. However, since moving closer to the beach - I live in Santa Monica, California - I decided to do something to help protect our oceans as often as I could. I can easily feel overwhelmed from reports about how the environment, and especially our marine environments, are suffering. They suffer from causes which can be traced back to human activity. These reports still frighten me, but I know that every time I drive down to Ocean Park, and collect beach trash for 20 min., I feel better. At least what I collected stayed out of the water for that day.
This got me thinking; how much trash would I collect if I did this for a year? So I set a goal, here are the guidelines:
-Everyday I can, go to the beach and collect for 20 min.
-Do this until I have 365 days recorded, (days do not have to be in a row)
-Weigh the collection and keep a tally of the lbs. for one year
-Photograph what the beach looked like that day
-Photograph some of the trash I collected
-Photograph something beautiful
This blog is a way for me to share what I find, thoughts I have collecting, and related environmental topics. I also hope to leave some inspiration here as well.
Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA.jpg)
Do you see what I see? .jpg)
Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA.jpg)
I'd like to document most major brands of fast food and candy wrappers. Then I think, "Wouldn't it be nice if I didn't find any? If I didn't find anything to pick up ever again?"
Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA.jpg)
I have found so many balloons. The problem is not that the balloons aren't biodegradable, they are. Most balloons are made from laytex, and laytex is made from the sap of rubber trees. The tapping process doesn't even hurt the tree. The problem is the strings that tangle more things into them, creating a hazard for turtles flippers and other animals to get trapped in the mess. Also, turtles mistake them for food, jellyfish, and that can kill the turtle. It gets stuck in the digestive system and eventually blocks them up, and they die. .jpg)
Of all the sea birds that I like, these Sandpiper's are my favorite. .jpg)
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This is just a scenic shot. It always amazes me how beautiful the water is. All I did was point and shoot..jpg)
Did someone forget something? Finding something like a pair of shoes makes me curious about the story behind them..jpg)
A glass bottle embedded straight up into a tangle of seaweed. Trash, and beautiful.
Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA
Day 1
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