Before I tell you about our adventures on Rincon Bay for the 23rd annual Reef Care beach cleaning, save the Nov 4th date, because you cannot always expect the same two people to volunteer. It’s your turn next time.
And I can tell you ahead of time, take nice garden gloves and a sturdy plastic bucket with you, because struggling to keep a plastic bag in check on a windy beach is a challenge; better get a bucket to go from your own utility closet, then you can transfer your findings into a plastic bag.
I took the AHATA shopping bag along, and it worked well. My bag saved the November 4th date already, excited for the next opportunity to contribute.
Castro Peres reports 35 volunteer groups, a total of 600 volunteers, in 36 locations, picking up trash from the California Lighthouse to Seroe Colordo. Castro said lots of last minute surprise volunteers, showed up.
Our group was 70 people strong, thanks to the efforts of Carla Cavallaro from the Jolly Pirates, collaborating with Arikok Park rangers and ABC tours. We collected 320 bags of trash, and worked until we ran out of bags and steam.
Applause. There were NO single-use plastic bags to be found. But we did find dozens and dozens and dozens of plastic bottle caps, some plastic toys, a few syringes and lots of broken bits of plastic, a helmet, fishing line, rope, empty beauty product bottles. So many straws (I’m hoping they are outlawed here by 1/1/18) and too many tiny plastic cups all over – a mystery why. Lots and lots of plastic drink bottles and some clear plastic bags like those used for ice.
Obviously, on the wild side, this is not all our trash, it is washed in by the waves, but the world is drowning in plastic, and the beaches need held.
Three things:
Following an earlier beach cleaning, post Trinidad oil-spill, I suggested to AHATA and KIA to get some prisoners out there, the Tourism Product Enhancement Fund agreed to pay for it, and get a beach cleaning program together. Rocco Tjon said it was possible, we almost had a meeting, then he started his campaign, #8 on the MEP list, heading to parliament, and the meeting never materialized. Rocco, please put beach cleaning with KIA on your list of things to do, it’s a win/win for the environment and for the prisoners!
Divi resorts banned drinking straws a few months ago, and guests never protested nor complained. Alex Nieuwmeyer says it saved the environment 2.25 million straws a year. And that his beach raking machine worked hard to rid the sand of straws, which still pop up months into the ban. All hotels should follow that lead and outlaw straws by 1/1/18.
Why do the ABC jeeps have to ride so fast, please slow down and smell the roses! Thanks ABC for providing the rides from the red anchor to Rincon, and thanks for transporting the trash back to the Serlimar container. From now on easy does it, take time to look around, it’s nice to do when you are not hanging on to dear life, screaming.
Sponsored by ATA, and many others, including lunchboxes and tee shirts.
