Trashy Talking Turtlers: Week 10

Trashy Talking Turtlers

Week 10:  Aug. 2 - Aug. 8, 2010

Hello Trashy Talking Turtlers!
It has been a busy week, so I will get straight to the numbers.

Numbers for Week 10:
We picked up trash in 22 of the 42 zones (52%)
Zone 0 = 5.5 bags
Zone 1 = 7 bags
Zone 2 = 2.75 bags
Zone 3 = 7 bags
Zone 4 = 6.5 bags
Zone 5 = 5.5 bags
Total for Week 10 = 34.25 bags
Grand Total since June 1 = 384.25 –not including large items that do not fit into trash bags.

Trash vs. Treasure
Many of you reported observing a very high tide line this week and with that came lots and lots and lots of cigarette butts, bottle caps, and random little plastic pieces that the ocean spit onto our shore. Thank you for taking the time to retrieve as much of these items as you did.

Some of you continue to comment that the trash is better, but the holes are much worse. In fact, large holes were reported in every zone. On Wednesday morning—which is actually week 11—I found a hole that must have been a close cousin to the Grand Canyon .

Zone 0:
Vickie found a frisbee and Anne Marie found a handheld fishing net. Together, these items could provide for a day of endless fun!

Zone 1:
Dick and Linda found a full-sized gold shovel. I guess those full-sized shovels are more efficient than the small plastic shovels when you are digging to China.

Kim Meyer found denture adhesive, but no teeth attached. If you remember, Kim also found a dreadlock earlier this year with no man attached. Wonder if the denture adhesive would work on dreadlocks? Hmm…

Zone 4:
Melanie reports that Zone 4 continues to be littered with fireworks remnants in front of the Blockade Runner. Hopefully the people who are illegally setting off fireworks on the beach will begin to pick up the litter. At this point, there is no telling how many of those plastic shells have been buried beneath the sand.

Zone 5:
Chuck found a youth Schwinn bike helmet complete with fishing line attached. Not to worry, he will be donating this item to a very happy kid.

Page found a mess, and I do mean "a big mess", of fishing line tied to the post in the bird sanctuary of Zone 5. It was unbelievable and had to be cut free with a knife.

Also in Zone 5 were the chairs from the Oceanic scattered along the tide line. Joy even found one of these chairs all the way down at Access 39. To view a photo showing just how dangerous beach furniture can be to sea turtles, click on the following link:
http://research.myfwc.com/gallery/image_details.asp?id=10958
Please keep in mind that this is not the only incident of a turtle being entangled or caught in beach furniture. It’s sad, really.

The Indian Ocean
We know that there have been plastic garbage patches found floating in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but now there is evidence of a plastic patch in the Indian Ocean as well.

I strongly urge you to click on the link below to read more about this issue. You will find a picture of a child playing on a beach completely covered in trash. It is very difficult to clean plastic out of the ocean, as it breaks down into tiny pieces, never truly going away, only getting smaller and smaller so that marine life cannot help but ingest it. The only real solution, as pointed out in this article, is to clean trash from the beach as soon as possible and to reduce our consumption of plastic or REFUSE plastic altogether. http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/new-ocean-garbage-patch-discovered#

Also, share this information with your friends and family. The more people are educated, the better and sooner people will begin to change their consumer patterns. I cringe thinking that if humans continue on their current path, all the world's beaches could one day resemble the beach in this photo. It is too much for even one beach to be in this condition. It is too much for even one child to play on a beach that is littered with plastic and other debris.

A Blog You Will Want to Read
I was introduced to the following blog by a volunteer with Surfrider Foundation. The blog is posted by a local lady who has made it her mission to help get cigarettes banned on WB. She and her three children are collecting litter for 20 minutes, two days a week on WB. In just two days, or 40 minutes, they collected 543 cigarette butts. This lady is a new inspiration for me. To follow her blog, visit:
 http://itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com/
She also includes other valuable information about litter and environmental issues. You will want to view the video of the Albatross. I will warn you that the video is very disturbing and many of you have viewed similar videos before, but it is a true reminder of why it is so important for us to tirelessly advocate for a cleaner beach.
Events at WB
Beach Cleanup at Wrightsville Beach, Saturday, Aug. 14, at 4 p.m.
CFCC Green Building Club has adopted Beach Access 16 (Johnnie Mercer’s Pier) at Wrightsville Beach. Last month they collected 80 pounds of trash. Please join them at their next cleanup this weekend. They will be meeting in the shade at the entrance to the pier. Bags and gloves will be provided.
*If you decide to join this event, you may want to wear your WBSTP t-shirt.

Vito's and Trashy Talking Turtlers
Monday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Vito's Picnic area.
Vito's and John Marcucci will host a pizza party for the WBSTP. This will be a great time to bring any flip flops that you have not yet recycled. We will be collecting the flip flops to send to families in other countries who are unable to afford shoes.
*If you plan to attend this event, please contact Ginger Taylor by Friday.