PLEASE READ: Save our beaches!

The litter on the beach seems to grow with the numbers of people going to the beach. I walked along the beach from Grayton through Seaside a few times, recently, and have been a little more than pissed off with all of the cheap plastic crap left on the beach when no one was on the beach. Not only cheap plastic crap, but boogie boards, plastic bottles, rental unit towels, clothing, shovels, dumptrucks and many other toys, buckets, plastic parts off of cheap plastic crap, cigarette butts, food wrappers, etc. Surprisingly to me, Seaside was the worst. At WaterCooler, the beach looked like Eglin AFB pilots had dropped a bunch of small bombs on the beach. There were holes which were big enough to hind plenty of pirates' booty. I almost fell into one while looking at all of the other craters, trying to plan my path down the beach. Grayton, even with all of the cars, was a cleaner beach than Seaside. I really wanted a trailer to throw all of the crap into, to haul it off. There was way more than I could collect on my walks, and many of the cheap plastic crap toys were in good shape and could be used again, if they weren't washed out to sea or buried under sand. I can only do what I do, but I do ask everyone to be considerate of leaving your stuff and your kids stuff in our backyards (the beach and roadways). Don't just ask your kids if they have all their toys. Go physically check.

I really wanted a trailer to throw all of the crap into, to haul it off.

Geez Joe, was it so long ago that we would hardly fill up one of those plastic shopping bags with maybe a couple pieces of paper, a couple butts, a can, some fishing line and a broken pair of sunglasses---what a mess it's become!

I cringe at the thought of this summer's invasion of the beach nomads setting up, and leaving overnight, their rows of tents, umbrellas, and bazaars of beach junk and trash :roll:

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Geez Joe, was it so long ago that we would hardly fill up one of those plastic shopping bags with maybe a couple pieces of paper, a couple butts, a can, some fishing line and a broken pair of sunglasses---what a mess it's become!

I cringe at the thought of this summer's invasion of the beach nomads setting up, and leaving overnight, their rows of tents, umbrellas, and bazaars of beach junk and trash :roll:

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All of them complaining about the trash on the beach.

On the heels of the blue wayfinding sign debate, the recently published ?Leave No Trace? international program press release by the TDC, as well as the cover article in today?s Northwest Florida Daily News about a rare loggerhead turtle that washed ashore at Henderson Beach State Recreation Area which park officials speculate may have swallowed a plastic bag, I would like to bring to attention the sad conditions of our beach in Miramar Beach. Regardless of whether or not you consider Miramar Beach part of Walton County (or SoWal), it is one of the 14 beaches marketed by the Beaches of South Walton and - to many - a beautiful destination to live and/or vacation.

In a place that it celebrated around the world for its sugar-white beaches, it has become apparent that we are neglecting our most precious amenity that is of utmost importance to our local economy. As a resident of Miramar Beach for the past six years (and having lived along the Emerald Coast since 1984), I have sat back and watched with disgust every year as our beaches suffer from the ignorance and blatant disrespect of our visiting neighbors and/or careless locals. Aside from the obvious physical action of picking up the trash that has littered our beaches (which my husband and I have done on numerous occasions), I have come to realize that it is time to be ?proactive? and voice my concern on behalf of all the residents that are proud to call the Emerald Coast home.

Below is a list of some of the litter that I found on a recent walk along a ? mile stretch of beach in Miramar Beach:

Beer cans
Beer cartons
Cigarette buts
Bicycle seat
Abandoned girl?s bike
Beach towels
Potato chip bags
Bottled water bottles
Plastic cups
Glass liquor bottles
Plastic ware
Plastic bags
Suntan lotion bottles
Cigarette cartons
Plastic juice bottles
Granola bar wrappers
Clothing items
Shoes
Candy wrappers
Beach toys
Laundry baskets
Fast food containers
Ice cream cups
To go containers
Fireworks cartons
Toothbrushes
Paper flyers

I have not had a chance to venture out and survey other area beaches to compare but I would imagine these conditions are not isolated to Miramar Beach. If enough people rallied together, we could initiate a county wide campaign that would benefit all 14 beaches of South Walton. For those of you that remember the 70?s campaign, ?Give a hoot! Don?t pollute!?perhaps we could stand to benefit from such a campaign on a local, grassroots level. Through my travels to the mountains and coastal towns around our country, I have found that littering is widely considered the eighth deadly sin. Why can?t the same sense of pride that is found in these locales apply along the Emerald Coast?!?

I welcome your proactive comments, thoughts, and suggestions on how we can band together as a community to help make a difference and KEEP OUR BEACHES BEAUTIFUL so we don?t find ourselves in the same boat next year. Litter, litter and more litter...

Suggestions for discussion:

• ?Tasteful? signage with a strong, consistent message that promotes the importance of keeping our beaches beautiful.

• Installation of proper dune fencing to ensure guided beach access and the protection of our sensitive sea oats.

• Plenty of conveniently-placed trash facilities to better enable the disposal of trash.

• Encouraging beach vendors and rental/condo facilities to participate by doing their part to keep the beaches clean.

• Stricter law enforcement on littering.

Bottom line: the beaches are sick and they need our help!

To see the evidence yourself, here is a link to view the photos from my recent trek along the beach in Miramar Beach. Please note these are all raw photos...none of the litter was touched or moved. None are duplicates. Warning! For those of you easily angered by litter bugs, some of you might find these images disturbing?

http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?UV=578885399951_59638231515&collid=83959131515.38903231515.1207800422835&page=1

awareness becomes knowledge...knowledge becomes action...to the board...

awareness becomes knowledge...knowledge becomes action...to the board...

very wise words hoppy.

thebeachvoice. we have many threads on SoWal.com dedicated to preserving our beautiful beach environment, with many good observations and ideas for making them cleaner and safer. your discussion thread is very thoughtful and timely! such discussion helps remind locals and visitors of how they can help spread awareness and take action. so, thanks!

BeachVoice! Thank you for your timely, but sad post. I am arriving soon and will once again be the trash patrol on the WC beaches...it is part of my duty. I will speak with the guys on the beach about trash and those damm holes and once again let the WC "bosses" hear about what I find. Your list, while not surprising, is disgusting. Thanks for caring.

Starting my 4th year as a full-timer in SoWal, I find it near-impossible that a turtle could succesfully nest. The hole-digging seems to grow every year. You'd think it would be relatively constant. But even without it, it's almost impossible to find a square inch of sand down here on the eastern half that isn't trampled with footprints, except maybe in the Deer Creek area.

Surprisingly to me, Seaside was the worst. At WaterCooler, the beach looked like Eglin AFB pilots had dropped a bunch of small bombs on the beach. There were holes which were big enough to hind plenty of pirates' booty. I almost fell into one while looking at all of the other craters, trying to plan my path down the beach.

My son was just reading over my shoulder and saw this and said it is horrible down there. He said that he and 3 friends (all in their teens and not small) were walking down the beach a few nights ago and that all 4 fell in to one at the SAME TIME, walking abreast of each other. He said they just got out of the hole and looked at each other with the WTF? bubbles above their heads. LOL he called it synchronized falling but said that it was crazy.

BeachVoice, as indicated above, sad but true. Some people are pigs, and apparently those pigs like to go to the beach. The bummer is that the trash is not limited to the beach. We wouldn't have 'adopt a highway' programs if it was. Some just feel that when they're done with whatever it is they're using, it's not their responsibility anymore. It's infuriating because if they were standing on the curb at their house and someone they some garbage out the window and it landed at their feet, you can be sure they'd be pissed. What they don't realize is that it's ALL their front yard. Litterbugs are a subhuman species and that's all there is to it Tourist or local, it doesn't matter. It sucks.

I recently heard that on the Isle of Palms, just north of Charleston, SC, the County has made it illegal to dig holes on the beach without filling them in. I would hate for that to happen here, especially when I look on the beach and see so many people digging holes and making sandcastles. It's not just kids, but daddies, mommas, grandparents, we are all doing it. I even like to dig holes and make sandcastles. However, I think some basic education needs to happen on some level, encouraging people to fill in their holes prior to leaving the beach. The South Walton TDC hints at filling in holes with their new push for "Leave No Trace" philosophy. It's a start. Let's please handle this situation of craters on the beach without creating another stupid law. If there is any one single thing that can be done to prevent the huge bunkers being dug, it would be to have the local retailers not sell the larger beach sand shovels which hit the market about three years ago. Let's get back to selling smaller shovels or just do away with any symbols which suggest digging. A kid can dig with a small bucket or their hands, if they really want to dig.

Thanks for the post. Miramar is part of SoWal, even though it may appear to be more like Destin.

A few thoughts:

The beaches of 30A are not nearly as crowded as Miramar & Destin but also suffer from litter. Thankfully, the most crowded spots at Rosemary, WaterColor, Seaside, Sandestin (not on 30A)clean their own beaches which keeps a lot of litter from blowing down the beach or into the water where it would be carried to other areas. Condo and homeowner association should also be proactive.

Don't underestimate the amount of stuff that is tossed or inadvertantly lost from boats. Especially harmful items that sea creatures like to eat or get tangled in - drink cans and bottles, fishing line, bags, and many other types of harmful plastic. I think the pros are careful though.

Spring Break brings a lot young people and many beach parties. The carefree weeks are going to make the problem seem much worse. Kids having fun are going to make a mess. Perhaps organized cleanups should happen between spring break and the summer season. And also during the season and after. The South Walton Community Council ( www.southwaltoncc.org ) is one organization which in the past has smartly held cleanups after the 4th of July and other holidays.

When I go to the beach the first thing I do is clean a wide area around me, the last thing I do is check my area. When I'm walking I take a bag with me. It makes me feel good, not because it makes me feel proud but because I take pride in my beach, and just maybe someone who sees will someday copy. I know children see.

I don't want to get too deep into the problems of our society which are known to everyone reading this thread but will just mention a few hot words - arrogance, consumerism, apathy, rednecks, entitlement, disposable, spoiled, plastic, walmart, direspect, elitism . . .
Not to pick on rednecks but we do have a segment of visitors who litter everywhere they go. The kind who don't hesitate to throw stuff out of their car windows. One day a woman who I was speaking to on the beach who has lived here all her life threw a cigarette butt in the sand between us.

It's sad that the county has stopped installing sand fencing to help build dunes and protect some existing ones. Some private owners have continued the tradition but quite often just as dressing for seawalls.

Many thanks to the TDC which removes tons and tons of trash from the bay beaches all year long. I don't know how much more convenient you can get than trash bins at every walkover. The "Remove It Or Lose It" campaign is a good start. - The TDC hauls a lot of trash - SoWal Beaches Forum

The TDC currently cleans the beaches 365 days a year and services more than 470 trash receptacles daily. From October 2006 through September 2007, the beach crew filled 215,250 dumpsters equaling 645 tons of trash. The TDC also meticulously maintained more than 15 acres in public parks and nearly 60 beach and bay access on a weekly basis.

More reading - Crap on the beach - SoWal Beaches Forum

I must have scared my mother-in-law to death about beach litter. She brought her own garbage bags from Kentucky.

She's patrolling the area around Western Lake!

Here we go again
It really makes me angry to see the proliferation of cheap beach junk on the shelves and floorspace at the local stores as our visitors arrive. I guess at least a good 80% of it goes from shelf to beach to dump (dump is if we are lucky) in a week or two.

or leaving holes for others to break their necks, ankles, legs, etc. in. Yes, little swimming pools are lovely for toddlers but fill them in before leaving them unattended at any time. Build a new pool tomorrow. You may not be aware but your holes in the beach are hurting others, people and turtles included.

Note the cigarette butts! Yes, they are nasty litter too!

Welcome, TheBeachVoice. You are indeed a part of Walton County and our beautiful South Walton beaches. In fact, you are one of the older and more historical beach areas of Walton County and the Emerald Coast. Miramar Beach has never been a part of Destin. Walton County is nearly 90 years older than Okaloosa County. Thanks for caring. Maybe the TDC will make another TV commercial to go along with the flags and gently instruct about not digging holes and not leaving anything behind on the beach.

Maybe the TDC can add another color flag to the pole-black for bottomless pits

i was thinking a large vinyl sticker on the back of the beach information signs reading "fill your holes before you leave" would be a quick info source.

Where is that post that SmilinJoe had about No Butts on the Beach. We could have a no Butts or Holes sign.

My wife just told me about a run-in she had with a beach chair vendor - Chairs for You - who was rude and told her they were not going to remove their chairs from the beach overnite. I thought Walton county had a law requiring removal at least to the walk-over on private property. Were the vendors exempted from this?

You may call Walton County at 622-0000 and report items left on the beach overnight. Try to have specific location and item, time left, etc. This might assist in removal.

Where is that post that SmilinJoe had about No Butts on the Beach. We could have a no Butts or Holes sign.

You said butt...holes.....

I can't believe how people are so rude, careless, and disrespectful of nature, but I don't have a good solution for preventing it or changing their behavior. These disgusting slobs act the same when they're not on the beach as well, which is why picking trash out of my yard and street is a common chore during tourist season (especially w/ this week's slobs) and we have fires from cigarettes tossed out windows.

Given that they don't read the current (incredibly clear and obvious) signs, I don't think more signs is a solution, unless we are whacking them upside the head w/ them.

If we can effectively enforce fines, I'm all for it, but since we aren't fully enforcing the "no items on the beach overnight" it will be hard to catch people in the act of littering.

I recently heard that on the Isle of Palms, just north of Charleston, SC, the County has made it illegal to dig holes on the beach without filling them in. I would hate for that to happen here,

I disagree...I say bring it on! Let's make our area a place for people who respect the rules and our beaches and send the others packing.
Filling in holes and toting out one's beach gear and garbage is not too much to ask......especially for a beachtown that handcuffs and hauls off peaceful visitors who just happen to be sitting on dry sand in the "wrong" area.

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I must have scared my mother-in-law to death about beach litter. She brought her own garbage bags from Kentucky.

She's patrolling the area around Western Lake!

Good for her! Way to go, Mom! When she is done down there, send her up to BMB, we can always use the help. BTW, the TDC does a great job with the litter bags they have provided at the walkovers, both public and private. Once again, thanks, Mom.

Everyone can do their part. Make special trips to the beach once a week and get some sun while picking up garbage. Take pride in your hometown! We have to develop a culture of awareness. People will follow!