Day 42 - August 9, 2009

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 6.4

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 239.4

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT BY SIGNING UP TO FOLLOW MY BLOG. YOU CAN TOO IF YOU SCROLL DOWN AND LOOK AT THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN. I AM THRILLED TO HAVE YOU ALONG.

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST.
I have spent the last three days attending the SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators) conference here in Los Angeles. I probably don't need to mention that I am full of inspiration, and completely brain fried. When I collected last night, I went a little wild with the photos and writing. This post will be longer than usual.
The beach is something you can interact with. It has a personality the way other environments may not. Sure mountains have snow, breezes blowing through tall trees, and other ways to interact with them. Sand moves in the desert, but the ocean has an immediate interaction with you when you step up to the waves and let them lap over your feet. That edge between sand and water is an unexpected world that can send you reeling back, knee deep in water that you thought would only be toe high. Enter further and it's a doorway to a new world. You are no longer a land creature, trading your sure feet for floating uncertainty.
This foot print happened as I was taking the photo of just the bag for my, "How many plastic bags can I photograph in 20 minutes?" game. Let me explain. I am aware that this blog is and will be repetitive, maybe even redundant. I think this sometime in the first five minutes of every collection. My thought process goes something like this, "How am I going to keep this interesting? If I see one more straw...People will be bored with this whole thing, I am, oh joy, another cigarette butt." Then I had an AH-HA moment. What if I tried to make a game out of seeing how many pieces of a certain kind of trash I could collect at one time. I know, it sounds like a demented game, but stay with me a moment longer. Maybe one day it would be straws. See how many I can collect, and take a picture of every one of them. Sure, those reading would scroll through ten pictures of nearly identical straws, but isn't that the point? The repetitiveness, the ridiculous nature of drenching our beaches in candy wrappers and plastic bottles over and over again?
Not a diaper and a bottle that our children need. Diapers, like band-aids, come off in the water. Why do we leave them on while taking our toddlers into the ocean?
Birds at the beach do what we do. They stand and play at that line of wave and sand. They fly up, like we step back, run away to keep from getting soaked. Except they also eat there, like we do not. We wouldn't like to sit at our table with a diaper, let's not leave one on theirs.
List of good things I saw at the beach today -

- A little girl planting her feet in the sand to see how deep they'll sink as a wave recedes.

- A boy of about 10 lying belly down in the sand pretending to be a sea turtle.

- A mother taking pictures of her children which will someday become their baby pictures at the beach.
If I had a wish for today it would be to remember what you felt like when you were a kid at the beach, (that is if you liked the beach then, or maybe you're still a kid, but I'm assuming if you've read this far, you like the beach). The wonderment and play that takes place there. Remember that and more so that we can work towards saving this place for future generations to experience the same amazing afternoons there that we had. Sand Dollars are more fun to discover than tampons, seriously.

Day 41 - August 5, 2009

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 5

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 233

The Daily Water Bottle. Yesterday I came across a site that someone who is following my blog also follows. It is called 365 Days of Trash, "One man's attempt to throw nothing away for a year....and beyond." He has an article posted called, "Isn't it time to give up on plastic water bottles?" If you are interested, click on the article name above and read a thoughtful, concise, argument against single use water bottles.
This did not go into the water, but you get the point. In fact, Garen and I saved about 10 band-aids from entering the ocean today. I picked one up completely bare handed by accident, yuck! I am not sure why people enter the ocean with band-aids on, they do not stick! We labeled today, "Big Band-aid Wednesday", a reference to the beloved surfing move, "Big Wednesday".
We were up at Zuma today and saw dolphins twice, then again down here in Ocean Park at about 6:00 pm. Three dolphin sightings in one day made me very happy. I made a list in a recent post of all the trash items I collected in a day. To counter that with a positive list, here are all of the animals we saw today:

- 3 flocks of Pelicans in V formation 12 - 16 approx. in each group!

- Sea Gulls, at least three different varieties.

- Crows on the beach, (my favorite!)

- Dolphins - hard to know how many, you can see the same ones again and again.

- Humans - too many to count!! Many of them having a very good time.

What is this you may ask? It is a picture of the blue sky I saw above us at the end of our collection time. If only house paint COULD capture colors from nature. There is a brand that I can recommend, Fresh Aire House Paint. We have painted most of our house with it, and I am very happy with the colors. Exclusively at Home Depot, these paints to not contain V.O.C.'s, (Volatile Organic Compounds....toxins that get into the water when flushed, or washed down the sink). You can barely smell them, even with the windows and doors closed, and the AC on. I speak from experience.
Occasionally Garen, (my husband), comes out to help me on a collection. Other people, (friends and people who have found me online), have offered to help collect trash from the beach too.

The plan is: If you want to join in!

- collect trash for 20 minutes.

- take a few pictures (trash, something inspiring, where you're standing...)

- email the pictures to me along with the name of the beach, how many pounds you collected, and a little something about you.

- my email: sara_bayles@yahoo.com

I will start a Community Collection Count, people doing what I do, from anywhere in the world, connecting to this project via the internet, and spreading the word. Let's Do It!!!

Day 40 - August 3, 2009

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds collected today - 4.8

estimated pounds collected to date - 228
This is one of the first things I saw today on the collection. Quizno's disposable cups. Which made me think about the weight of the individual items I collect. I often collect pieces of trash that do not exceed a few ounces in weight. For example; a plastic lid, plastic water bottle, paper cups, cigarettes, thin miscellaneous clear plastic wrappers, and so on. For all of these items to add up to 5, or even 7 pounds, well you get the idea, that means I am collecting a lot of them to equal the daily weight. A disclosure: I often grab grosser items with the sand around it to protect myself. Cigarette butts, and band-aids don't need to touch my hands for me to be making my point. Some of the weight tallied is from the sand that ends up in my bag from collecting these things.
This is an accurate snap shot of what the ground looks like at the beach at the end of the day. I like to collect after 6:00 p.m. because there aren't as many people, and it is cooler. When I arrive lately, the beach basically looks like this for as far as I can see.
This morning when I logged on to my blog account, I saw that a fellow blogger had posted about me! She had found The Daily Ocean, and was featuring it on, green LA girl,

Please take a minute to look at her site, and support it. She gives environmental news for Los Angeles and beyond that is current, savvy and very much appreciated. Thank you for showing interest and giving support to my project!

Day 39 - July 31

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica, CA

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 5.1

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 223.2

Nets. Free floating nets are one major cause of death to marine wildlife. Animals get entangled in the net and are unable to escape. I found a piece today on the beach. I am also reminded of a fishing process that causes a lot of bycatch (a word used to describe animals that are caught along with the intended catch--turtles, rays, birds, dolphins). The process is called Long Line fishing. To read a concise explanation of bycatch and the fishing practices that catch the most, click here.
Trash items found on the beach today -

maxi pads - 2

clear bits of plastic

plastic spoon

straws, straws and more straws!

plastic water bottles

aluminum cans

underwear

flip flops

sand toys

fast food wrappers

balloons

tin foil

gum wrappers and packaging

bandaids

styrafoam

bits of broken hard plastic

plastic bags and zip locks

cigarettes

We are approximately 94.5 million miles from the sun. F.Y.I.
"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world." - Louis Armstrong

Day 38 - July 29

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 6 (filled two bags)

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 218.1
It is all about the sand toys. I collect a few every time. Maybe I should start to save them and either donate them to Good Will, or hand them out at the beach to people who are already making castles. I have done that a few times, but after I've passed them on I wonder if their new owner will keep them out of the water. There is no way to monitor or control that. I have to focus on what I can do. Which is, picking up trash, a bag at a time, and setting a time limit so I have a reasonable goal. Otherwise, I might not go out there at all. Like I have mentioned in my last few entries, there is just too much trash on the beach in the summer and it is hard to look at.
A little green man, this reminded me of a t.v. show on Santa Monica Bay that I caught the tail end of. There were people on this show I can't remember the name of, that claimed there were aliens living in the bay under the water in their space ship. Every once in awhile, they would emerge from the depths to fly around. What they did when they flew around was not mentioned. Anyway, I thought this was a funny thought and decided to pass it on. Here is a website that claims to have put a list of over 50 UFO sightings that have taken place off of the coast of Southern California. Click here to read more.
The daily water bottle collection keeps expanding.
Have you aver noticed Sea Gulls legs and feet? They have a wide variety of colors. The shades range from pastel pinks, to greens, and blues. I have grown fond of observing the color variations in their legs. I enjoy it when Sea Gulls join me on my walk. They see me with a bag, and assume I may have food for them. I end up with 3 -4 followers on a given day. This gives me many opportunities to observe these birds that beach goers take for granted, or as a nuisance because they steal food from your blanket. I would like to put in a plug to appreciate them, they are beautiful birds, and in my opinion, especially their legs.

Day 37 - July 21

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds collected today - 7.1

estimated pounds collected to date - 212.1
After 13 minutes I collected this much trash. Summertime is tough to be out here because of the increase of trash to collect. I can feel overwhelmed by seeing it all. 
People smoke for many reasons. Being an ex-smoker myself, I feel like I may have an insight or two on this. I liked to smoke a cigarette to take a moment and relax. I often felt like this was the only time I took deep breaths during my day. This may sound like a strange motivation to non-smokers, but smokers will understand. A cigarette was a way to relax, a reward. 

I became dependent on smoking for many other factors as well, but one was really to have a break. The beach offers this to people. I see many, many people enjoying the sun, sand, and waves. This is a positive dependence that could be also thought of as a gift you get from the beach. You relax, take a deep breath for the first time in days, all of this is a reward for carrying out the beach chair, applying sunscreen and getting sand in your hair. I wonder if people thought more about the benefits they receive from a day at the beach, would they leave their trash behind so often? Would they want to fight to preserve the beauty of this place for people to come and experience the same benefits that they have experienced themselves? And if so, how do you convince them? I think about questions like these all the time. Especially when I am out there picking up trash.
The daily water bottle collection.
There was an incredible court ruling this week in San Diego. The city wanted to scare away a group of Harbor Seals that had made a new home at a beach called Children's Pool in La Jolla. At the last minute the courts decided to leave them in peace and not spend 688,000$ to blast their barking dog recordings. People are strange, we are not the only animals that like the beach, and most of us don't call it home like these Harbor Seals and seagulls. For the full story, click here. 
This is my first week back to collecting and posting in awhile. I discovered an interdependence that I knew I had, but hadn't felt the full implications of. My husband Garen was away for two weeks. I was home in our life with our injured dog, and a scrapped up elbow as the result of falling off of a horse. I was also getting ready for a wedding back east for my cousin, and a family visit that would go along with that. All in all, I really found that I felt miserable without his love, sanity and support. I had a difficult time doing more than the task at hand. I missed this project, and it feels good to get back to it. I found out that much like the beach, I feel relaxed and rejuvenated from our relationship. Another dependence that I plan on taking care of for years to come. 

Day 36 - July 12

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 3

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 205
One great thing about summer is taking advantage of being outside longer because there is more daylight to enjoy. This picture was taken at 7:00 p.m..
One unfortunate by-product of summer, this beach is filthy because of the increased numbers of visitors enjoying being outside.
After 8 and 1/2 minutes of collecting I took this picture to show you that I had nearly filled the bag. When I stopped after 20 minutes, I had filled two bags. 
I really like this picture. I can see the effect the beach has on people. They enjoy it, they roll around in the sand, stand amazed up to their ankles as they watch the incoming wave, touch the water, and in some small, but profound way find a chance to connect with themselves again.

Day 35 - July 9

Life Guard Station 26, Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 min.

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 4.4

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 202
The second picture of poo on my site. It is even high-lighted by the sun, and rests picturesquely on the wooden boardwalk amongst grains of sand. I love my dog and cat. We are thinking about adopting another dog. One thing that I do when I take Kona, (our dog), out for a walk is bring disposable poop bags to clean up after him when he goes to the bathroom. Why do dog owners go thru this trouble? For one thing, a sidewalk, or park lawn littered with dog s*&%t is gross, and unsightly. But did you know that dog and cat waste carry harmful bacteria and parasites that when left on the ground, can wash into drinking water, streams, lakes, and oceans? It is true, dog waste in not just a nuisance to step in, but could get you sick. This specimen was found on the boardwalk half way out to Life Guard Stand 26 on Ocean Park Beach. The dog and his owner were found at the end enjoying the sunset. I've forgotten, or run out of bags too on a walk. I'm not a saintly dog owner, but I am glad that today, I had one. Please click here to read in more detail an article sponsored by the University of Maine on pet waste and water contamination.
One of my least favorite things to see when I am out collecting trash on the beach is a seagull eating a piece of plastic. I often witness this, like I did today, only 10 - 50 feet away. My two options go thru my head when I see this. One, if I run toward the bird, it might drop the plastic bottle top so that I can pick it up, or two, I'll scare it away. Then it may consume the trash somewhere out of my sight where I am unable to stop it. Recently I watched a bird eat a cigarette lighter in front of me. There is a picture that comes to mind when I see this happen. It is of a decaying bird that died because it ingested too much plastic. I found this picture in my book on the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii. I've been searching the web to link the picture here. I haven't located it yet, but it is a striking image that sticks with you. Sometimes, as harsh as it, an image like that can be a powerful learning tool. I think about that image every time I see a seagull eat plastic on the beach. 
The plastic water bottle of the day. 
The beach was really dirty today. I found it depressing. Summer is here and people are enjoying the beaches, but the trash collection has gone up with the temperature. This project is harder to do than I thought it would be. Emotionally, I find it difficult to collect trash for 20 min. and not get to half of what I see on the ground between two Life Guard Stands. 

I like this picture though. The woman standing at the top of the ramp is a life guard, a person who has dedicated part of her life to saving people. I watched three of them the other day, go in after swimmers that were out too far. I'm always impressed by their skill. Thank you to all of them who take on this dangerous job. People care at many different levels. I need to remember that.

Day 34 - July 6

Life Guard Station 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 4.2

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 197.6

A Thomas the Train Band-aid. Let's pass right over how gross it is to find used band-aids on the beach, even ones with cute trains, and move on to a children's book that comes to mind. "All the Way to the Ocean" by the Save our Seas Foundation. It is printed with Soy Ink, and on recycled paper from the Living Tree Paper Company. On the last page of the book it lists the natural resources saved by printing with these two techniques. 

They also have a site just for kids. Save Our Seas For Kids. I read this book to some of my ceramics classes that I teach over the summer at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena CA. This book kicks off a project that gets kids to think about how they can use their creativity as an artist to help a cause they believe in. Clearly, the book I choose to read them illustrates mine. Artists transcend language, and often grab people's attention in an immediate and emotional way. You save what you love, and art can show you the love the artist has for its subject to you. Hopefully that feeling is contagious. 
Cigarettes Kill Fish According to a New Study 

"In fact, researchers would like to have the butts classified as hazardous waste."
The Blue Ocean Institute has a list of "What you can do" that included two things that caught my attention. (The Blue Ocean Institute is listed as a link on my blog.)

1. Read the labels on your pet's food.  Avoid buying pet food that contains fish meal.  According to a recent article in the New York Times, by Paul Greenberg, the pet food industry uses about 10 percent of the global supply of forage fish. The removal of wild forage fish threatens to starve whales, seals, and other predators.  Sardines, anchovies, mackerel and other pelagic forage fish should be used to feed humans.  Adding to the problem, fish meal is also fed to farm animals, the swine industry consumes 24 percent of fish meal and oil, and the poultry industry takes as much as 22 percent.  Therefore, even if you avoid pet foods that list fish meal as an ingredient, Fluffy may be indirectly enjoying a seafood meal. As Greenberg concludes, we need to insist that land-based animals stick to eating land-grown food.  To read the article, click here.  

2. This one seems so obvious, but is stated beautifully. Go on, try it!

Experience it.  This is the best way to gain the inspiration that will ultimately fuel your actions to help protect the oceans. Go on, slip into that watery realm—grab a mask and just float for awhile. Or, if swimming isn't your thing, take a boat ride on a small boat—the kind that when a wave comes you'll feel some spray. Or walk along the seashore, collect some shells, skip some rocks, watch the moon pull the tide.  We also recommend renting or buying the BBC's Blue Planet—an incredible look beneath the waves in those places most of us will never quite get to.  You can also check out Blue Ocean's photo gallery to see some spectacular images of this watery realm.  Get to know this largest living space on the planet. It is a world of inspiration, vitality, mystery, remarkable beauty, and untold promise.  Learn what is there and let yourself be inspired.