Sueshore Stresses Out on the Beach!

[Miss Kitty]

Didn't think it was possible, but yesterday on our sunset romp, I started feeling my blood pressure rise. I spent as much time in bliss as I did removing trash from Molly's mouth. I had forgotten a trash bag this time, but stuffed our beach bag full of offensive items to throw away in the TWO large containers at the bottom of the WC boardwalk. The "free" towels given out here were all over the beach as well as a stack rivaling the height of a dune up by the chair/umbrella container. Just in case you thought "cash means class"...I am here to enlighten you. Deep breaths and a large trash bag will come with us next time.

 

[aquaticbiology]

on the show 'survivorman' - where this guy gets dropped into in an extremely remote location, such as antartica, the desert or last week's georgia swamp, where he must survive on what he finds there for 7 days - he made a comment like: no matter how remote the place the film crew chooses to put him, he can always find some trash left by people who had been there before him - this time it was a spring that he turned into a fish hook

people simply make trash, whether they simply drop it like a chimpanzee when something else grabs their attention or it is no longer useful to them, or they put it in the bin to go to the landfill - without people there would be no trash, but we wouldn't be here either

 

[Mermaid]

Sueshore, you are a good steward of the beaches! :clap_1:

 

[kathydwells]

Sorry you had to into a "bag lady" on your evening walk. It is upsetting that some people can be such slobs!!! I hope your walk this evening is better!!!!

 

[aquaticbiology]

turn the kids loose on it:

http://www.unesco.org/csi/pub/source/ero24.htm#APPENDIX II (about half way down the page)

excerpt:

Beach clean-up data card

Thank you for completing this data card. Answer the questions and return to your area coordinator or to the address at the bottom of this card. This information will be used in the Centre for Marine Conservation's National Marine Debris Data Base and Report to help develop solutions to stopping marine debris.



Name ____________________________ Affiliation _____________
Address ____________ Occupation _____ Phone ________
City _______________ State ___ Zip __ M __ F __ Age __
Today's date: Month __ Day __ Year __ Name of coordinator __________
Location of beach cleaned ______________ Nearest city _________________
How did you hear aout the cleanup? __________________________________

SAFETY TIPS

Do not go near any large drums.
Be careful with sharp objects.
Wear gloves.
Stay out of the dunes areas.
Watch out for snakes.
Don't lift anything too heavy.
WE WANT YOU TO BE SAFE



Number of people working on this data card _______
Estimated distance of beach cleaned _______
Number of bags filled _______

SOURCES OF DEBRIS.Please list all items with foreign labels (such as plastic bleach bottles from Mexico) or other markigs that indicate the items origin (such as cruise line names, military identification or debris and/or address of shipping/freighting or fishing companies, or oil/gas exploration activities)
SOURCE
ITEM FOUND

EXAMPLE ABC Shipping Company plastic strapping band





STRANDED AND/OR ENTANGLED ANIMALS (Please describe type of animal and type of entangling debris. Be as specific as you can)
____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
What was the most peculiar item you collected? ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Comments ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____
Thank you! PLEASE RETURN THIS CARD TO YOUR AREA COORDINATOR OR MAIL TO:
CENTRE for MARINE CONSERVATION
1725 DeSales Street, NW
Washing ton, DC 20036

A Membership Organization

Center for Marine
Conservation United States
Environmental
Protection Agency





ITEMS COLLECTED

You may find it helpful to work with a buddy as you clean the beach, one of you picking up trash and the other taking notes. An easy way to keep track of the items you find is by making tick marks. The box is for total items, see sample below.

Example
egg cartons llll llll llll l TOTAL
16

cups llll llll llll llll ll TOTAL
22

PLASTIC

total
number
of items
total
number
of items

bags: fishing nets _______________

food bags/wrappers _______________
hard hats _______________

trash _______________
light sticks _______________

salt _______________
pieces _______________

other bags _______________
pipe thread protector _______________

bottles: rope _______________

beverage/soda _______________
sheeting:
bleach, cleaner _______________
longer than 2 feet _______________

milk, water gal. jugs _______________
2 feet or shorter _______________

oil, lube _______________
6 pack holders _______________

other bottles _______________
strapping bands _______________

beverage/soda _______________
straws _______________

buckets _______________
syringes _______________

caps, lids _______________
tampon applicators _______________

cigarette filters _______________
toys _______________

cups, utensils _______________
vegetable sacks _______________

diapers _______________
'write protector' rings _______________

fishing line _______________
other plastic (specify) _________
fishing lures, floats _______________
______________

STYROFOAM?
(or other plastic foam)

buoys _______________
packaging material _______________

cups _______________
pieces _______________

egg cartons _______________
plates _______________

fast food containers _______________
other Styrofoam? (specify) _____
meat trays _______________
_______________

GLASS

bottles/jars: flourescent light tubes _______________

beverage bottles _______________
light bulbs _______________

food jars _______________
pieces _______________

other bottles/jars _______________
other glass (specify) _______________

RUBBER

ballons _______________
tires _______________

condoms _______________
other rubber (specify) ___________
gloves _______________
_______________

METAL

bottle caps _______________
55 gallon drums:
cans: rusty _______________

aerosol _______________
new _______________

beverage _______________
pieces _______________

food _______________
pull tabs _______________

other _______________
wire _______________

crab/fish traps _______________
other metal (specify) _______________

PAPER

bags _______________
newspapers/magazines _______________

cardboard _______________
pieces _______________

cartons _______________
plates _______________

cups _______________
other paper (specify) _______________

WOOD
(leave driftwood on the beach)

crab/lobster traps _______________
pallets _______________

crates _______________
other wood (specify) _______________

lumber pieces _______________

CLOTH

clothing/pieces _______________


Remember to turn the card over and fill out your name and address and to record sources and entangled wildlife!


I would have to add - fireworks and firework pieces and just plain litterbug stuff (empty and half-full soda cans, cigarette butts, food wrappings)

 

[Miss Kitty]

Thanks AB....it's luckily not that bad. I do not believe this is trash FROM the Gulf....especially the straws, WC cups, broken goggles, banana peels that Molly found. I will return with a bigger bag and thank God for his creation.

Mermaid...you'd be out there with a bag and a fly swatter to beat sense into these beachtrashers!

 

[seagrovelover]

Sueshore...what a shame that your lovely evening had to be a trash run as well. Thanks to people like you the beach is much nicer today!!!!!!! we always end up throwing away other peoples trash on our vacation, but its all part of keeping the beaches so spectacular, some folks are just lazy!!!!!!!!! :roll:

 

[Rita]

Didn't think it was possible, but yesterday on our sunset romp, I started feeling my blood pressure rise. I spent as much time in bliss as I did removing trash from Molly's mouth. I had forgotten a trash bag this time, but stuffed our beach bag full of offensive items to throw away in the TWO large containers at the bottom of the WC boardwalk. The "free" towels given out here were all over the beach as well as a stack rivaling the height of a dune up by the chair/umbrella container. Just in case you thought "cash means class"...I am here to enlighten you. Deep breaths and a large trash bag will come with us next time.

Wow! And this isn't a busy season!

Maybe if people see you removing trash, they will think to help also. And maybe the offenders will take notice that some people do care and they will decide be more careful next time they're out. I hope the litterers are !

 

[Miss Kitty]

Wow! And this isn't a busy season!

Maybe if people see you removing trash, they will think to help also. And maybe the offenders will take notice that some people do care and they will decide be more careful next time they're out. I hope the litterers are !

I actually had an audience....five "adults" sitting in WC chairs they had removed from the container. If looks could kill there were five bodies crumpled on the chairs later after I left with the trash....that trash stayed behind.

I can't even imagine what summer was like...I am ready to take a little sueshore sensability to the honchos here. Those blue and white striped towels are ending up all over the place and I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! Thanks, I feel better and now I am off to scounge up some dinner w/ a half and half iced tea!

 

[Rita]

:clap_1: You go girl! You'll make a difference, even if it is slow to come and you only reach a few people. It helps.

I've picked up litter that people in front of me have thrown down, and caught up with them and told them "sorry, but I think you dropped something" and hand it back to them.