WORLD OCEAN'S DAY - JUNE 8, 2010

WORLD OCEANS DAY - JUNE 8TH, 2010

DAY 33 - SANTA MONICA, CA

11.2 POUNDS COLLECTED BY 11 PEOPLE IN 20 MIN.

COMMUNITY COLLECTION COUNT TOTAL 229.6

In honor of World Oceans Day, Ocean Hero winners from Green Chimneys Deborah and Robin, Julianna Stein from Oceana, Jon Frank from Oceana, Garen Baghdasarian, Dean Miya, Mark Armen from Gulpable, and myself met at the Santa Monica Pier to do a Daily Ocean style beach cleanup.

We collected from the pier to Shutters Hotel, which is about a 20 min. walk down the beach.

We all decided that today was the day of the cigarette. Our group picked up dozens.

Of course, we couldn't have a cleanup without a candy wrapper. Three most common types of trash that are found on the beach:

1. cigarette butts

2. candy wrappers

3. fast food wrappers

I would amend this list to put anything made from plastic right at the top.....

Shutters hotel that looks out on the beach, but sits right on top of the Pico-Kenter storm drain, which in the rainy season is a sludgy, polluted nightmare running straight into the pacific but today was neatly buried in sand...
Above is Deborah Bernstein of Green Chimneys who won the Junior Ocean Hero Award for their Shark Fanatics program. Deborah and Green Chimney teacher Robin were so much fun to meet and the award was well deserved. Read more about their program here.

Dean, Deborah and Robin at the Oceana World Oceans Day party sponsored by QG and Nautica at the Sunset Tower Hotel in Hollywood. Robin was beaming, as she should have been. Congratulations!!!!

The CEO of Oceana awarding the Ocean Hero Award to Robin

Unfortunately I didn't get a great picture of the representative from the IBRRC (International Bird Research and Rescue Center) that came up from Long Beach to accept on behalf of Jay Halcomb who is in the Gulf right now rescuing birds from the oil spill. It was a somber day of celebration as we all reflected on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill disaster now decimating the Gulf of Mexico.

Thank you IBRRC and Jay for all of your hard work. And a well deserved Ocean Hero Award. For more about what they do, read more here.

Please wtch Julliana Stein's message about World Oceans Day below

then go to: STOP THE DRILL to sign Oceana's petition

Community Count - Groovy News Network - Day 126

Day 32 - 5 pounds for a total of 218.4

Cayo Costa Island in SW Florida ~ Cayo Costa island became a park in 1976 when it was acquisitioned by the state of Florida. The park is 2,416 acres of undisturbed beauty boasting nine miles of beautiful beaches as well as pine forests, oak-palm hammocks, and mangrove swamps.

The only way to get to it is by boat & the part we go to is at the other end, away from the state park entrance, etc.. It is a beautiful pristine place w/ wild pigs & a wide variety of other wildlife ~ in & out of the sea. We were happy to find a sea turtle nest near where we were & a manatee swam past our boat. The shelling & snorkeling is amazing & the island needs to be nurtured & protected. Every time we go, we always do a beach clean up.

I am so happy to report that we found very little trash. A portion of the trash consisted of cigarette butts, which was an excellent example of how long they take to degrade & stay in the environment. Previously plastic was more common, but there haven't been many storms, which is probably the reason for the lack of plastics.

Not 5 min. into our beach clean up a sacrifice for the cause was given. Though I had flip flops on, a tree stump, dried nicely by the sun & sand, w/ razor sharp wood was in my path as I was walking.... I unfortunately was not looking where I was going :o) & it gored the side of my foot (pic. included). We doctored it & continued collecting what trash we could find for 20 min.. The accumulated trash weighed approximately 5 lbs. w/ the diaper :oP, full can of tobacco, bottles, etc..

We collect trash every where we go! But, I highly recommend, when cleaning up wild & wooded beach areas, wearing closed toe water shoes, & have gloves & a first aid kit on hand!

SORRY FOR YOUR FOOT SACRAFICE, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY COUNT!!

go to THE GROOVY NEWS NETWORK "YOUR SOURCE FOR NEWS, STORIES, RESOURCES OF INSPIRATION & HOPE"

MY GOAL - TO HAVE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD SEND ME PICTURES OF WHAT THEY COLLECT FROM A BEACH IN 20 MIN. HOW MUCH IT WEIGHED AND THEIR THOUGHTS....HOW ABOUT YOU?

International Surfing Day with Surfrider, June 20

JOIN THE DAILY OCEAN AND WLAM SURFRIDER CHAPTER ON SUN. JUNE 20

FOR A BEACH CLEANUP, RAFFLE, PRIZES, PASTRIES, MUSIC & SURFING

TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL SURFING DAY

WHERE: TOWER 26, OCEAN PARK SANTA MONICA (Ocean Park Blvd. meets Barnard Way)

WHAT TIME: *CLEANUP FROM 9:00 - 10:30 with prize giveaways, 11 Surfing/Paddle out begginers and all levels welcome!!

A NOTE ON THE CLEANUP- I collect for 20 min. so we are going to take inspiration from that and have you collect for 20 min. too! We will weigh everyone's collection at the end to add to the Community Count Collection of The Daily Ocean.

So come anytime btwn 9 & 10:30 to cleanup for 20 min. to enter the raffles, then hang out and enjoy the food, music, sun and surf! Raffle and prizes will be called at 10:30.

WHY: TO HAVE FUN IN THE WATER AND REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF OUR BEACHES AND OCEANS BY MAKING SHIFTS IN YOUR OWN LIFE LIKE:

- CUT BACK ON SINGLE-USE DISPOSABLE PACKAGING

- DON'T DRINK BOTTLED WATER, USE YR OWN REUSABLE CONTAINER AND TAP H20

- CHOOSE PRODUCTS WITH LESS PACKAGING

- NEED SOMETHING? BUY IT USED. EBAY, THRIFT STORES, LOCAL CRAIG'S LIST

- BRING YOUR OWN - MUG, BAG, TUPPERWARE, UTENSILS

- BUY LESS STUFF!

YOU'LL WANT TO DO ALL OF THIS AFTER YOU PICK UP - WITH YOUR OWN TWO HANDS - ALL THE POINTLESS TRASH - MOST OF IT PLASTIC - THAT IS ENDING UP IN OUR OCEANS.

SURFRIDER VOLUNTEERS AT A RECENT BEACH CLEANUP AT TOWER 26

ENJOY A LIVE AUCOUSTIC SET FROM THE BAND LA VIE PICTURED ABOVE

FREE RAFFLE FOR SURFBOARD AND WETSUIT RENTALS COURTESY OF LOCAL ZJ BOARDING HOUSE ON MAIN ST. IN SANTA MONICA

FREE FIREWIRE SURFBOARD DEMOS COURTESY OF ABROR IN VENICE

SO JOIN US!

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET WET

BUT YOU MAY WIN COOL PRIZES

GET SOME FREE GRUB

LISTEN TO GOOD MUSIC

HAVE FUN

WHILE REMEMBERING THAT CHANGE STARTS ONE PERSON AT A TIME....

HOW ABOUT YOU?

GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/intlsurfingdayla TO R.S.V.P. OR JUST SHOW UP!

OR GO TO: http://www.surfriderwlam.org