Day 338 - oct. 2, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

5 pounds

1,275.5 pounds total 

2 cigarette butts

My friend Danielle who writes the blog, IT STARTS WITH ME, and I are in the October issue of DIVE magazine. DIVE magazine is now FREE online. You can download it onto any device - laptop, desktop, tablet, or smart phone. They featured our beach cleanup collaboration. Danielle focuses on cigarette butts, although she collects all liter. When out on our respective beaches (California and North Carolina) we collect how many butts we've found in 20 min. and each keep a tally on our sites. 

Here's the latest: (found on the right side column of this blog)

76 - 20 min. beach cleanups - Santa Monica - 478 cigarette butts

36 - 20 min. beach cleanups - Wrightsville Beach, N.C. - 8,587 cigarette butts

On Tues. I spoke to a class of thirty 13, and 14 year old students at SMASH (Santa Monica Alternative School House) which is down the street from me, in between where we live and the beach. It was satisfying to share my photographs and story with people who have grown up at the beach I do my cleanups at. They asked smart questions, and inspired me with their genuine interest. I really love talking to students, which makes phase two of THE DAILY OCEAN - OFF THE SAND AND ON THE ROAD speaking tour even more exciting. I'll be hitting the road in 2013. More information coming soon along with a whole new DAILY OCEAN website and re-design. Exciting times!

When I first envisioned THE DAILY OCEAN, I named it as such because I was going to collect trash off my beach daily! Then it struck me that this was a near impossible goal. What if I got sick, wanted to go to a wedding, or on vacation? I decided to ease back on myself and go as often as I could, but the name THE DAILY OCEAN stuck. Now I take it to mean that every day I am out there, I find trash, plastics and other liter out there daily. This is the modern detritus strewn across the sand DAILY whether I'm there to pick it up or not. And by not going every day, but most days, I hope you relate to my efforts, follow in my footsteps, and do what you can with the time you are given.