Day 291 - June 10, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

4.8 pounds

1,088 pounds total 

1 cigarette butt

I remember when Pringles hit the market! You could eat the whole can in one sitting. 

My mouth waters thinking about it.

Yesterday a BBC & Lonely Planet special called, CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE aired. They interviewed me out on the beach doing a Daily Ocean cleanup. A big thank you to the crew and producers who represented this blog so well. It was such an honor to be a part of. 

Thank you. Thank you. 

One email that really touched me from someone who saw the show was from a woman who recently moved from San Diego to Chicago. She's missing the ocean very acutely. Once the ocean is in your blood, it is crushing to be away from, at least this holds true for me too.

After seeing the cleanup, she got inspired to do Lake shore Cleanups - Chicago is a coastal city she pointed out. I hope she gets some comfort from walking the shores there, and connecting with the Daily Ocean community here. I'm looking forward to posting her findings. Thank you Renee.

One of the major reasons I do what I do is to reach you. I love hearing from people on twitter, or FB, or on comments left here on my blog. I really enjoy answering you, connecting one person at a time. 

Hearing that you've been inspired helps me keep going. 

After all, beach cleanups in a vacuum are not the solution. I see them as a teaching tool for change. 

You can only pick up the same plastic garbage time after time before it sparks a change in you to use less, learn more, become more active and inspire those around you. Anyone can do what I do. 

That's the point and the hope!

I find way to many of these. 

Not too many of these, although they are made from the same material. Most everything I find on the beach is made from plastic. Even cigarette butts are made of plastic acetate. 

From my dear friend Danielle's latest post on her amazing blog, "It Starts With Me."

"For in the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." 

~ Baba Dioum

Day 290 - June 9, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20  min. 

4.6 pounds

1,083.2 pounds total 

0 cigarette butts

While I walked along picking up trash, a teenage couple scooped up what they could and threw it my bag. "Thank you," they said as they carried on. This is one of the only times people have actively joined me when they saw what I was up to. 

Beach cleanups alone are not the solution. An awareness arises from bending down, picking up this stuff yourself, looking at it, and throwing it "away". 

Because in the "throwing away"(only there is no away) other questions form. 

Where is all this trash going even when put in a can? (buried in landfills most likely)

How long does plastic hang around? (forever...seriously)

I use this in my everyday life and it's ending up on the beach? (ziplocks!)

Where can I buy a reusable water bottle? (after seeing half a dozen in 20 min. left on the sand)

And OK so there IS a problem with plastic grocery bags. (I find one almost every time I come out)

 I'll buy a reusable cloth one next time I'm out. (Someone in line sees you make the change.)

I rarely post the totally icky stuff I find, but these next two pictures are too timely to ignore.

While in the water the other morning, I almost inhaled a band aid into my mouth. Yuck!

Trash of all kinds floated in on the tide late last week. As is my habit, I had my mouth open for a second in the water before seeing the little plaster float by my face. 

I shared my near miss with my friend Kitt. We agreed, totally disgusting and started to joke about how at least, "you didn't inhale a condom!"

"Or a maxipad. I find those too," I said. We laughed, knowing that both of these items would be a major bummer. Somewhere in the back of my mind I felt like the possibility of either was far fetched. How odd considering I've found them before. I don't recall finding both a condom, and pad on the same 20 minute beach cleanup until tonight. The funny, or not-so-funny point being my friend and I had laughed about the horrors of encountering these items only hours before.

A mother and son stopped me while I was picking up trash with my handy trash picker. Community service and city workers use them to cleanup the parks and beach. The mother wanted to buy one for her and her son. The beach was trashed. 4.6 pounds doesn't adequately show how every time a wave receded there was another piece or two of clear plastic wrapper to pick up. 

These wrappers even when wet and sandy weigh fractions of a pound. 

My bag was full after 20 minutes and I didn't get much past Tower 26. Currents, tides, wind, ocean dynamics that are too complex for me to understand deposit more trash on the beach than you can stand to look at every once in awhile. I wished for the tides to shift, the currents to take back their plastic bounty after I finished. Seeing exactly what is "under the surface" weighs on me. 

Sometimes I'd like to look away. 

But now that I know, what's my choice?

Action feels so much better than inaction. This is one promise I can make you.

Day 289 - June 6, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

6.8 pounds

1,078.6 pounds total 

3 cigarette butts

My friend Jess Cramp is "a scientist, pilot, diver, surfer, and conservationist" residing in the Cook Islands. Her mission: to create one of the biggest Shark Sanctuaries in the world!

Read an inspiring Q&A on Element's website as she becomes their newest guest blogger. 

You can also find her on THE MATADOR NETWORK'S  site. 

Matador is "an independent media company and nexus of travel culture worldwide." 

Jess is a solid addition to their ambassadors because she works to "produce tangible results....driven to take risks in life, not just in sports."

I really believe in Jess and the work she is doing. Take a minute to please nominate her for this year's OCEANA OCEAN HERO CONTEST. I was lucky enough to be one of the finalists two years ago. They work tirelessly for the ocean, and emphasize the need to help sharks. 

Jess and OCEANA - a perfect match! 

OCEAN HERO CONTEST

JESS'S INSPIRING BLOG - DESTINATION GLOBAL GOOD

JESS'S WORK IN COOK ISLANDS - PACIFIC ISLANDS CONSERVATION INITIATIVE

LONELY PLANET TV SPECIAL SUNDAY JUNE 10TH

This Sunday the 10th, I'm in the Lonely Planet special, "CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE."


Tune in at 10 AM EST on BBC AMERICA, or record it on your DVR. 


Pass the info. on if you feel so inspired!

Community Count Day - 229

Susie Stephen

Day 229 - May 25, 2012

Kailua, Oahu

2.2 oz (but 81 pieces of micro-plastics painstakingly excavated from the sand!)

Community Count total - 963.3 pounds

Community Count + The Daily Ocean combined weight - 2,035.1 POUNDS

This is the latest addition to our COMMUNITY COUNT - where people like you do a Daily Ocean style cleanup (20 min., photography and weighing their findings) to add to the 963.1 pounds already taken off beaches around the world. You can also do a collection in your neighborhood, rivers, lakes... since all "drains" lead to the ocean. 
Find Susie's beach report re-posted below:


"Dear Sara

I have been inspired! So much so that on Tuesday night my husband and I went along to a talk given by a local non-profit called B.E.A.C.H. who have recently been sponsored by Wholefoods in Kailua, here on Oahu.

http://www.b-e-a-c-h.org/index.html

Last week, May 25th, I went out on my first 20min beach cleanup, along Kailua beach, on the windward side of Oahu.

It was almost frustrating since most of the plastic on the beach seemed to be microplastic (it was tiny), but I collected what I could without a sieve!

It 'only' weighs 60g/ 2.2oz but in total I collected 81 pieces of plastic/ marine debris that ranged from a toy bucket to an aquaculture post/ piece (learnt that they wash over from Asia).

Please find attached a photo of everything on a plate - note the scrap of plastic that has nutritional information...

Interestingly I only found 1 cigarette butt!

Since finding your website, and going to the BEACH talk I've realised that the ocean plastic pollution/ marine debris issue is something, if not the most important thing I can integrate into a project I'm working on, which is a sailing expedition in 2014. I've uploaded a couple of beach plastic instagrams on to the tumblr blog for the expedition - which is more of an inspiration site (specific website coming soon!):

Sail our Seas - 

http://sailourseas.tumblr.com/ 

& 

http://sailourseas.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for the inspiration!! 

Are you doing anything for World Oceans Day?

cheers

Susie

twitter: @suzerose"


Susie's SAIL OUR SEAS project looks incredible! Connect with her on her blog by following the links above, or find her on twitter. 


And to answer your question about World Oceans Day Susie, I'll probably celebrate by doing a beach cleanup!


Thanks for your inspiring addition to The Daily Ocean!

Day 288 - June 3, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. with Tamara - an SMC student and Tahitian citizen

3.6 pounds (1.8 for the Community Count tally totaling 2,034.9 pounds!!)

1,071.8 pounds

I have a section of The Daily Ocean called the Community Count. During the early days of this blog, people started to email me wanting to get involved. I created the Community Count. 

You can do a 20 min. beach cleanup (lake, river or inland), take pictures, send me the weight and I will add your findings to a running tally. So far people around the world have written to me about cleanups that total 963+ pounds of trash off beaches, out of waterways, and collected from their local communities. Look on The Daily Ocean's right-side column for other Community Count postings.

My friend Danielle who writes the blog, It Starts With Me has taken 37.5 pounds off her North Carolina beaches since February alone! She also focuses her 20 min. Daily Ocean cleanups on cigarette butts. We've been comparing how many I find on my local beach where smoking is banned and how many she finds on hers. 

Last night I found 17 cigarette filters. On average, Danielle finds a few hundred!!

If you'd like to get involved email me thedailyocean AT yahoo.com or stop on over to Danielle's blog and learn more about her Community Count focusing on cigarette butts. We'd love you to do both!

For me, it's about community one person at a time. Every time you bend down to pick up a cigarette butt, plastic water bottle or bag, I hope it is a reminder to watch for these "disposable" items in your own life. It's a clear picture of where they really end up, (on the beach, in the ocean, along your street, in your park.) And the ultimate empowering message in this is that if we don't use these products, they can't end up there harming our environment. Demand for these plastic products creates the supply. 

But who am I to do one little thing like refuse plastic bottled water? 

You are one more person changing the tide in favor of your health, your world, and the world for future generations. You have tremendous power. 

Now what if we all remembered that? Oh but we can....and we are!

Thanks Tamara for coming tonight. This funny picture is of her quick thinking when reaching for a pair of discarded boxers in the parking lot. Flip-flops as trash tongs. Nice!

Inspiring to meet you and you're welcome anytime!

Day 287 - May 30, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

3.2 pounds

1,070 pounds total 

4 cigarette butts

If the oceans could deliver a "message in a bottle" to us, the note might include the same information as you'll see in this beautiful video from OCEANA. 

OCEANA is the "largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation." 

OCEANA has won key policy victories in many countries. They focus on measurable outcomes in three main areas: STOP OVERFISHING, CONTROL BYCATCH, PROTECT THE NURSERIES.

"We can restore the oceans' vitality...ensure it remains bountiful and beautiful for generations to come."

"SAVE THE OCEANS AND FEED THE WORLD"

Please consider supporting OCEANA today.

Here's a clip from BLUE PLANET footage of dolphins teaming up to hunt. 

Who doesn't want to watch dolphins? 

Day 286 - May29, 2012

This is my dad. 

He's on vacation with his wife Gretchen in the Grand Caymans. I love seeing how relaxed, and happy he is. They deserve a fun break from their hectic NYC lives with all the various work and family related responsibilities they shoulder during their day-to-day. 

I also love that while out on the beach, they picked up the trash they saw. 

Gretchen's email said, "trash we picked up far too quickly." While I am sure this plastic junk colored their walk, they addressed it rather than dismiss the obvious. They're still having a good time on vacation, and while they're enjoying a much needed break, they're positively impacting their little stretch of beach.

Hope their example inspires you to do the same whether at home or at play. 

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

5.9 pounds

1,066.8 pounds total 

2 cigarette butts

This is an oldie, but goodie - TIM MUNCHIN'S CANVAS BAG MUSIC VIDEO

Could the solution to plastic bag garbage clogging our beaches and waterways be as simple as his song suggests? Watch the video and let me know what you think.

Summer is here, it's after Memorial Day, and the sun sets around 8 p.m., giving people a chance to get their toes in the sand after work. I really enjoy seeing people have fun on the beach, but I also know that with people comes trash. 

I see the direct connection every time I weigh my collection after 20 min. from now until about October. Let's all try to remember when we go to the beach this summer, to bring less stuff to loose in the sand, get tossed aside and forgotten. Once you're there, all you need are bare feet, a swimsuit, towel and if I can be so bold, a reusable water bottle to refill at the water fountain next to the bathrooms. 

Day 285 - May 25, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

5 pounds

1,060.9 pounds total 

ZERO cigarette butts 

(the second beach cleanup in a row where I've found 0. Smoke-free beaches work!)

The first piece of trash I saw walking out onto the beach was...

Sometimes I start composing my post for the day in my head while collecting trash. In general, it occurred to me that I want to emphasize more alternatives to single-use plastic convenience items, so that you feel empowered to make choices that affect positive change in the environment. 

Let's start with plastic bags.

Replace them with cotton, or vinyl reusable bags. Both materials are easy to wash and durable!

Instead of making the same point as I did above, let's move on to plastic water bottles. 

I collected two this night. 

A stainless steel water bottle can be filled up at home, sanitized after you've drunk out of it, and used again. Filling up water at home will also save you money since most bottled water is taken from a municipal source already coming out of your tap and sold back to you anyway.

Here's a non-liter addition to tonight's list - natural sunscreen. Yes, stop by your local health food store or natural beauty supply store for chemical free sunscreen. There are natural alternatives that don't pollute the ocean, and are better for your health. Many natural alternatives can be found in main-stream pharmacies in the natural products section. Chemical exposure on your skin, and into our oceans is more costly than the initial price bump you may find when switching over. Try Burt's Bees.

Day 284 - May 24, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min. 

4.8 pounds

1,055.9 pounds total 

0 cigarette butts!

Good news for the ocean! Like I mentioned in earlier posts, LA City Council voted to draft a City-Wide Plastic Bag Ban Ordinance. Over twenty-five news organizations and blogs picked up the story. 

Here's a selection if you'd like to read up on the latest news concerning the largest City-Wide ban to move forward in the USA. Congratulation Clean Seas Coalition and Heal the Bay!

Los Angeles Times

San Fransisco Chronicle

Reuters - YAHOO

"Californians use 12 billion plastic bags a year and that less than 5% of the state’s plastic bags are recycled."

A few weeks ago, I emailed President Obama inviting him to come body surfing with us at Tower 26 in Ocean Park. Right at the top of the www.whitehouse.gov is an open invitation to, "Submit Your Comments and Questions Online. President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history. That begins with taking comments and questions from you, the public, through our website." It was a thoughtful sentiment, but how seriously would they take my body surfing invite? Turns out, very!

I checked my email from the beach parking lot this morning after I got out of the water. Jumping up and down, I read the following aloud to two of my friends. 

"Dear Sara Bayles: 

Thank you for inquiring about an opportunity to join President Obama for a morning of body-surfing.

President Obama values the goodwill and engagement of all those who contact the White House. However, the constraints of his schedule and the volume of inquiries are such that the majority of requests must be declined. We have reviewed your request, and we unfortunately cannot arrange for a morning of body-surfing with the President.

                                      

Thank you for your interest in including the President in your plans. We appreciate your understanding.  

Sincerely,

The White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling"

There was a one in a billion chance he'd actually come down and catch some waves with us.  But I will say I'm still super pleased that the White House responded. And I like to imagine that there's some small chance the President got to see the email I sent and got a good chuckle out of it. If not him, maybe  an aide who then decided the request was sincere and quirky enough to respond to. 

Whatever happened  to warrant an email response, I am totally STOKED! 

I'll keep waving to Marine 1 as it flies over our little shore break in Santa Monica the next time President Obama comes to LA, and maybe, just maybe there will be an opening in his schedule to join us! 

Day 283 - May 22, 2012

lifeguard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2.7 pounds

1,051.1 pounds total 

7 cigarettes

Miscellaneous plastic film was tangled throughout all the seaweed along the beach last night. Conditions like this make for a painstaking 20 minutes, picking and sorting amongst the bundles of debris. I also grabbed a baseball sized wad of plastic from the ocean this morning. 

A woman emailed me about another website that's found inspiration from Wallace J Nichols. I dedicated Day 282 to him. He's certainly one of my ocean heroes. And BROWN SURF GIRL has highlighted his work as well, from the Blue Mind summit to PLUCKFASTIC, he works tirelessly for his employer - the ocean. 

This plastic bag was waiting for me in the parking lot last night at the end of my 20 min. cleanup. 

Los Angeles City Council voted to draft a city-wide plastic bag ban today. This is HUGE! Congratulations to Heal the Bay, and the Clean Seas Coalition who've put countless hours into making this happen. LA is the largest city in the nation to take this step.


Here's the overview of the progress made today in THE LA TIMES

Day 282 - May 17, 2012

lifeguard 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

2.5 pounds 

1,048.4 pounds total

3 cigarette butts

This post is dedicated to an ocean hero of mine, Dr. Wallace J Nichols, known affectionately by all who meet him as J. He's worked for the ocean for decades. 

This is not an exaggeration. He is a marine biologist who's done ground breaking research on sea turtles. He's on staff as a Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences and is the founder of OceanRevolution.org. 

He's harnessing social media and an inclusive philosophy to spread the motto - 

LivBLUE - Live like you love the ocean. 

His goal is to disseminate one blue marble through the hands of everyone on this planet as a symbol of gratitude for our ocean (we look like a blue marble from space.) When you get a marble, you pass it on with gratitude and do one good deed for the ocean 

before you ask the next person in the chain to do the same. In short, this man rocks!

Here's why this day is dedicated to him. 

About ten minutes into last night's beach cleanup, a surfer going out at sunset stopped me to say thank you, and then continued, "It's just a brain thing, but as I was coming out here and I saw what you were doing (picking up trash) I thought the word devotion could be broken down into DEV-OCEAN. And I thought, what you're doing, that's DEV-OCEAN." I smiled and said thank you. 

But when I think of DEV-OCEAN, I think of J instantly. 

This surfer had a creative, new thought looking at the ocean. It is a brain thing! And J is putting together professional symposiums to illustrate this very point!

He's having another BlueMind summit where top-notch Marine Scientists, Ocean Explorers and Neuroscientists will gather on the Grand Banks in June to discuss the positive effects the ocean has on us, and our brain chemistry. 

One main goal is to harness this for successful conservation of this blue planet we all so dearly love. 

BLUEMIND - MIND AND OCEAN LINK

Here's a great PSA about J and his family by Nautica showing their DEV-OCEAN. I found it inspiring, I bet you will too. After watching, maybe pass on that inspiration today in your own way. 

A recent TEDx talk in Monterey by J