Day 25 - June 8

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park Santa Monica, California

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated trash collected today - 2.1

estimated trash collected to date - 163.2

I see plastic water bottles every time I am out there collecting trash. I wonder, "Should I take another picture of a water bottle? How boring." I think about these thoughts and laugh. This is exactly the point. There are a ton of water bottles littering the beach. If it wasn't disturbing, it would be boring. To make my point about how many I find, I think I will take a picture of every one that I find. Yes, it will be shot after shot of plastic water bottles with various brand labels, but maybe the quantity of the bottles I find will help make the statement that we need to clean them up. There are just too many.
Something else I was thinking about on my walk was that the trash can look beautiful out here. Especially the clear plastics, and the plastic bags when they are wet. I played with the composition of this shot to illustrate what I was thinking. But, I would rather look up and down the beach and see no trash at all.
This struck me as a little ironic. Let me use this space to highlight my local Surfrider Chapter.

Come hear students from Santa Monica High School talk about the state of the water in the Bay based upon water quality samples they've been taking throughout the year. What: Teach & Test Year End Presentation and Celebration When: 7 pm, June 11, 2009 Where: Arbor, 102 Washington Boulevard, Venice CA 90292 Please RSVP to education@surfriderwlam.org. Food, drinks and killer raffle prizes! Surfrider Foundation West Los Angeles/Malibu Chapter

This picture made me think about a person's relationship to the sea. It started for me this way. I was a little girl, learning to body surf in the Atlantic Ocean. Being in the ocean is a singular experience. You may be with friends, but you are alone in the three feet of water that separates you from them. You are also definitely alone when you look into an oncoming wave, or up at the horizon where the water disappears over the edge of the world. In those moments, a relationship between you and the water forms. It is one that either draws you in year after year, or lets you out without caring if you come back. It depends on the person. Maybe you are born with the desire to be in the water, and the love for it. Maybe you can be convinced to care, and come to like being in the water. In either case, it is a personal experience, and perhaps a relationship you can find comfort in for the rest of your life.

Day 24 - June 6

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds collected today - 3.7

estimated pounds to date - 161.1
Sailboats remind me of my friend Debbie. She is a fantastic artist and talented photographer.

Check her out. http://deborahsamantha.com/
Two young California Gulls. My dad's friend, Peter Steinhart, is a California Naturalist who has written many articles, and a few books worth mentioning. He loves birds. There are two books that come to mind, The Company of Wolves, and California's Wild Heritage: Threatened and Endangered Animals in the Golden State .
There is an artist that I admire who plays with light in his paintings.

His name is Gerhard Richter. Please take a second and click on his name to see an example of his work. I chose a painting of clouds that he did that I feel best illustrates why I am referencing him with this picture.
I found more than one of these on the beach today. Strange. Maybe it is in a happy meal I am not aware of. Although, what movie could it be attached to? Today is also D-Day.
Beautiful reflection. Not a happy finding.
In one direction was this view.
In the other direction, this view. Coastal California is an unbelievably beautiful place to live.

Day 23 - June 3

Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu, California

trash collected for less than 20 min.

estimated trash collected today - 5.3

estimated trash collected to date - 155.4

I like this sign. Someone was trying very hard to make the point that recycling is important and hip too. ha!
These are the steps leading down to my favorite beach. I started writing my book here. I drove every friday, (my day off then), for six months from Eagle Rock to this beach and wrote my first draft by hand sitting on the rocks. Anyway, there are a lot of cans to throw your trash, and/or your recycling into.
Recently, Gov. Schwartzenager proposed the closure of 80% of California's State Parks to help balance the budget. California will loose out on 350 million dollars in revenue this year if they do. Not to mention the local economies that will take a hit if their state park can no longer accept visitors. California is facing a deficit of over 24 billion dollars. Can the US government bail us out too? After the car companies and the banks...throw some our way. It was suggested on one of my favorite half hour radio shows last week called Left, Right and Center

You can find their show on 89.9 KCRW NPR radio on fridays at 2:30 and repeated at 7pm in Los Angeles.

The cons of closing the parks are many:

- increased risk of forest fire because people will still go in.

- illegal dumping (trash, chemicals, home appliances maybe?)

- lost revenue to the state and local economies

- lost opportunities for people to be out in, and enjoy nature.

I'm sure there are a lot more......

The pros:

- The animals that live in the parks get a reprieve from human interaction and impact on their environment. (if they get out of a potential forest fire, or away from anything that has been dumped into their environment because there is no one to enforce the law)

A little thin on the pro side....
The funny, or really sad thing about this diaper picture is that I wrote a line into my book that says, "I even saw a dirty diaper once on the beach back home." I had never seen a diaper on a beach until today.
Ah, plastic bags.......never seen these on a beach before.
Really?

Also, I collected trash for less than 20 minutes today, just the immediate area around me. I came up here to listen to a taping of my book where I wrote it. That is why I broke my own guideline of collecting in the same place every time. Today was a special exception.

I wish I had weighed one empty can and one empty glass bottle separately because......
I collected just under two pounds of recyclable cans and bottles from the beach. As you remember if you have been reading from the top of this post, there are at least two trash cans at the top of the stairs to dispose of this trash. 2 pounds filled a bag to bursting.
This place is also special to me because just north of this beach is where Garen and I were married last Dec. 6th.

Day 22 - June 2

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds for the day - 2.1

estimated pounds to date - 152.1
Here is what I do:

I write down in this notebook, the weight for the trash collected, the date, where I am, and any thoughts/notes I have for posting later.
I wear a watch with a timer. This is the only time in my day that I wear a watch. I'm not a big fan of them.
In this bag is my kit of what I need.

-bags for collecting trash

-camera

-pens/pencil

-notebook

-dollars for the parking meter

-sanitary wipes for my hands when I am done

-gloves

-my car keys when I am on the beach

Here's the parking lot I use.
And the meter I feed for my ticket which, once printed, I take back to display on my dashboard.
Then I start taking pictures when I find something picture worthy. Today I found a few band-aids. This shot had the best composition.
I liked this sand sculpture mermaid because she had been sculpted and nearly washed out, but her tail lasted even though the tide-line was right above it.
Surfers. This looks like a great place to learn. Lots of big spongy boards and people who don't take themselves too seriously. But sadly, I wouldn't swim here. Not after seeing what I've found.
Ahhhh, my new shipping scale from Staples. It works rather well. Today was the first time I had a chance to use it since we bought it on Sat..

And I weigh the trash in the back of my car before I deposit it in a row of trash cans that is not on the beach, but next to the parking lot. I do this because more than once I have seen the trash being carefully collected from their by Santa Monica City employees.

There you have it. My routine, in case you were curious.

Today I didn't collect as much because I got talking to a mother and daughter who just drove cross country to move the daughter into Santa Monica so she can start her new job as a vet in West Los Angeles. The mother had called out to me, "You're a good person for doing that."

So I stopped to chat, say thanks, and tell them about my project.

It was a great conversation where we briefly brainstormed the need to raise people's awareness about trash, and how to dispose of it properly. They had saved their diet coke cans for the entire trip to recycle in California. They had tried in Kansas, I think the mother said, and the people they had asked about recycling had looked at them like, "What's that!"

She suggested that we get someone like Michelle Obama to remind people about not littering, anywhere, but I'd like the beach to be emphasized. Although, trash washes down the storm drains from all over LA when it rains. But I'll save that discussion for another time.

Briefly, about the "good person" comment. Thank you. When people say encouraging things to me when I am out there collecting on the beach, it feels good. But, a huge part of why I am doing this is so that I am not depressed. It is a selfish act to feel like at least two less band-aids didn't go back into the water from that beach today because of me. And while that may not sound significant, I feel better every time I do this. Because I am naturally overwhelmed and full of fear when I think about all of the environmental problems we are now facing. And while a bag of trash is not solving global warming, and I am not President Obama, I feel better doing something, rather than nothing. I do this for the planet, and all of us, but I really do this for my own peace of mind too.

Day 21 - May 30

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds collected today - 2.5

estimated pounds collected to date - 151

Ocean Acidification - What is that you say? Well, it is not good, and it impacts shells. The acidity of the ocean is increasing.

Here is a very brief explanation.

Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere are rising. We create carbon dioxide when we drive a car. There are a lot of cars being driven around the world. This is one of the biggest ways Carbon Dioxide, or CO2, is created.

The ocean absorbs the CO2 from the atmosphere, and when it does, it turns CO2 into Carbonic Acid. This acid is making the acidity level in the oceans increase. The PH balance of the sea water is changing, and becoming more acidic.

Shells and Coral Reefs are formed by Calcium Carbonate. The acidity in the water erodes the Calcium Carbonate, making it harder for Coral Reefs and shells to form. A Coral Reef is a major marine habitat for many, many animals. Also, the creatures that live in shells, mussels and crabs to name a couple, are the food source for a lot of marine animals.

Think about what will happen if the ocean water keeps becoming more acidic, and these food sources and habitats are no longer able to be formed?

If you would like a further explanation, and a more level-headed one, click here to read a Science Daily article explaining recent studies on Ocean Acidification.
Oil Spills - Lets cover all the really cheery topics in one post. It will insure that you keep coming back to read more! I know, awareness about the major problems facing us in marine and environmental conservation can be upsetting. I have often wanted to just cry DOOMED, WE'RE DOOMED. But these same feelings, if I sit with them long enough, can make me do some funny things, like start a blog and collect trash!

Maybe you can come up with a similar antidote. Maybe you already do.

This is a website I found - similar to Heal the Bay in Santa Monica where I live - that addresses San Francisco Bay and the Oil Spill of 2007. click here to see their site and support their efforts.

"On November 7, 2007, the Cosco Busan ran into a Bay Bridge tower in heavy fog, dumping more than 50,000 gallons of thick fuel oil into San Francisco Bay. Fouling 56 miles of shoreline and killing 3,000 birds, the spill was a tragedy. The outpouring of public concern following the spill proved how much the community loves our Bay and understands that a healthy Bay is vital for our quality of life and economy." - Save the Bay

The feather that I have posted above, is from my local beach, found on May 29, 2009. It reminded me of this tragic accident.
More plastic bottles. So many of them never get recycled. A stainless steel water bottle is a great alternative to this. It keeps the water cold for a long time, and is reusable indefinitely.
I pick up a lot of straws. I'm talking about 5-10 every time I am out there. It is a boring picture, but I needed to mention it because of how many I come across.
Ahhhh, end on a good note. It was a beautiful day to be walking on the beach. Lots of people enjoyed themselves and I collected some trash so that it did not get sucked into the water. Small steps.

Day 20 - May 27

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds for today -10

estimated pounds to date - 148.5

I interviewed a Santa Monica  Area South Lifeguard Capt., Brent Katzer

He is very familiar with Life Guard Station 26.

My thanks to him for taking a few minutes out of his day to answer some questions.

Our interview is what follows:

1. What kind of trash to you see most often on this part of the beach?

"Plastics, cigarette butts, styrafoam...anything that floats and can be brought in when the currents and winds shift....especially after it rains."

You are advised in LA, not to go into the water after it rains for 2 - 3 days because the toxins and trash that wash in, mostly from storm drains. We need a new drainage system, and awareness not to dump trash even inland in the city.

 - I took the picture of the Beach Ordinances because, if you didn't know, you can't smoke on the beach. But, one of the answers Brent gave was cigarette butts. I wonder what the solution is. A lot of  the cig. butts wash in, but some wash out. I stopped a policeman riding a A.T.V. today to ask him what the fine was for smoking on the beach. He didn't know, and said that it is mostly tourists who need to be told to put out their cigarette. How many get left in that sand that way? I would bet most.
 
2. What is the worst example of trash you have seen on the beach?

"Life Guard Station 26 is an interesting place...there is a lot of illicit night activity there...you see a higher number of cigarette butts, and prophylactics....hygienic trash."

3. What is something that you have seen at the beach that inspires you?

"When organizations like Heal the Bay have beach cleanups....when kids come out and participate....when other patrons pick up trash on their own."

Another organization that hosts local beach cleanups is Surfrider. They also have monthly chapter meetings in Venice Beach, or elsewhere in CA, and in many other states. Check them out. You do NOT have to be a surfer to join. I'm not, and I have been a member for a long time. 
Garen, my husband who is a Marine Biologist, says that these seagulls were searching for small crustaceans (crab-like-critters) and worms in the sand.

I looked these gulls up on a site my friend sent me recently. Inspired by a biologist named E.O. Wilson, it is called -

The Encyclopedia of Life 

I guessed that what I saw was a mature California Gull, and a juvenile California Gull because before they turn 3 - 4 yrs. they have a brown mottled feather look.

Talking about E.O. Wilson brings to mind one of my favorite sites 

TED - ideas worth sharing 

 Wilson on Saving Life on Earth

Above is the link to Wilson's talk. But at this site you can find many fascinating people who have been given 15 - 20 min. to give a talk about what they do. Scientists, politicians, authors, Bono (only if you want to watch him, do you have to:)). I strongly recommend that you check it out.

Day 19 - May 26

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds collected today - 2.5

estimated pounds collected to date - 138.5
I hate when I see a piece of trash right next to the water, and I don't make it in time to pick it up. It bums me out when I see it wash back into the ocean. This is funny to me because I DO get so many pieces of trash off the beach. It is a gut reaction I have. I guess that feeling is a part of the same feelings that brought me to the beach today.
Candy wrappers and beach tar. The beach tar is natural, but smells like tar, and is really hard to get off flip-flops. There was a ton out there today. 

Lately, I find myself thinking a few thoughts that are not the point when I am collecting.

1. I think - when it is windy - "I need a big piece of trash to keep my bag weighed down in the wind." - NO I DON'T. I HOPE MY BAG REMAINS EMPTY.

or

2. I think - "I hope that there's more trash at the water line, it's easier to walk there than on the soft sand." NOT THE POINT, I COLLECT TRASH WHEREVER IT IS.

or

3. I think - "I hope I find something really gross today." WOW - AGAIN, I SHOULD HOPE I FIND NOTHING. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF I HAD NO PICTURES OF TRASH TO POST?

Then I hit the "jackpot". A condom, washed clean. Should I be excited? NO!
Even though the time stamp from my camera is wrong on these pictures, I am posting on the same day that I collected. Meaning, I've caught up, and am now posting in real time. I thought about doing this blog a couple of weeks ago. It has been a time consuming project to learn the bare bone basics of the blog-o-sphere. In fact, it took a lot of my time away from collecting beach trash. I found this frustrating, but there are only so many hours in the day. Garen, ever my voice of reason and positivity, kept reminding me it's all part of it. But now I can go back to more days on the beach. That's the point. And I've thought about this before, when I was writing the introduction to this blog, that I wouldn't be doing this without Garen's influence. He's the glass full guy, and I am perpetually, the glass half empty girl on just about everything. 

So thank you Garen, if you're reading this, you help me feel like life is easier to live. Truly.