Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup 2012 and other goings on

When more than a week passes with a post from me, you can trust that I am busy.  I'm going to post about our participation in last week's annual International Coastal Cleanup, but first I'd like to just bring you up to date on what's new... since you've asked.

Good Hope is still with us!  She is making slow progress, but it is still forward progress.  She has laid not quite 60 of her eggs so far.  She is still far from being out of the woods, but paraphrasing what Dr. Mader told me "Good Hope is reminding us what turtle time is, and how to be patient."  Basically he is saying that Good Hope is on her own schedule, slow, yes... but patience and optimism are key words with Good Hope.  You can continue to follow along with her updates at the Turtle Hospital website www.turtlehospital.org

We had a media shoot here this week.  It was a big one.  Many time the words "get the cat!" "can someone please remove the cat?!" "there's the cat.... move him!"  "CAT!" were uttered by the crew. Peri was of course wondering what the heck was going on in his airspace and he wouldn't let a moment go by without patrolling and/or approving the action.  I think it was amusing, I'm not sure what those who were here working thought of it all considering "time is money" is a photo shoot mantra.  No worries in Peri's world = no worries in my world.

We popped up to Cabana Breezes in Marathon tonight for a fundraiser to benefit Save a Turtle of the Florida Keys and the Marathon Wild Bird Center.  For your information, since the heavy seas and high winds of July blew through, we've had no turtle action on our beach at all.  Not one flipper has come ashore.  While Isaac was merely a tropical storm when darkening our beaches here, the storm caused great erosion on several beaches.  Although the beaches are still being patrolled, we are not expecting any more nesting.  Unless things change, this year will be the poorest year to my knowledge for nesting activity on our beach.  1 crawl and 1 nest. No hatches.  None.  We are very sad by this.  Although nesting numbers in the Keys appear to be down, I've heard that the numbers are very good on the mainland.  Also, we cannot become completely despondent, there IS still hope for a nest.  Never give up.

Last Saturday we participated in the annual Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup.  This was our 7th year participating.  Although we constantly do beach cleaning in various areas, the ICC event is important because the trash collected is counted, sorted and the data sent to the Ocean Conservancy for analysis and research.

We're far from perfect... we use plastic too.  There's pretty much no escaping it.  However, we reduce our use as much as possible.  And, we always always ALWAYS dispose of trash responsibly. We study the packaging before we buy it (can we recycle it? do we REALLY need that item?) We recycle.  We compost.  And, we reuse/re purpose objects.

Here's how things rolled, in photos:

Dug this out of the wrack with a pitchfork.  TV/VCR combo.
I do believe the lettering was in French.

Plastic, Plastic, Plastic!

Since I've got boots, I head out through the sea grass, over the flats, through the muck and mud...
some areas are very difficult to access.
But, I get it done.

WTF?

Lure w/monofilament attached.
Deadly to marine mammals and shore birds.

Balloons should be illegal. They do NOT biodegrade.
What goes up, must come down....
and be eaten by wildlife that die.

Another freakin' balloon.... same release, I'm sure.
Same color ribbon.

Never ending rope and line entangled around mangrove roots.
Me, boots and a knife and it's a done deal.... with some elbow grease.

More rope and line.
It never ends. 

Screw You Toby Keith.... and use a glass thank you very much!

The tide was up during our cleanup.
This is what parts of where we were looked like.

Plastic bags, sheeting, balloons, etc... it all ends up wrapped around mangroves,
in drains, in the ocean, inside an animals gut.
Do your part to reduce your plastic use,
and make sure you always dispose of what you do use responsibly!

It's a small world after all...

It's a small, small world.

1 minute on the lips, forever in the mangroves.

This was the largest item hauled in. I crawled across the flats to retrieve this...
not sure what it is; underneath it has a metal frame.
It was solid wood, and waterlogged. Weight: approx 50 lbs.
Trash 0 - Me 1

Here's some of the stuff stacked at the street waiting for collection.

This is what I love to see... NOT a red solo cup, thank you very much.
(Toby, pul-ease!!!! enough already!!! give it up!)

Oh  yes, the beautiful sea lavender on the dunes!

Monarch butterfly at work on the dune!

Beautiful black coral.  Hello Kevin, we miss you.

Some of the sea beans I found during the clean up, hooray!

I love these tube sponges!

Success!
NO TRASH!
Although there's been great erosion from Isaac at this beach site shown,
as well as thick sea grass waiting to be washed out with the tides... we've gotten all the trash!
All that remains are sponges, driftwood and other natural stuff.
What a beautiful sight!