Scamper for Sea Science
Sadie’s face says it all — let’s keep our homes clean!
The Scamper for Sea Science Virtual 5K Clean Up officially closed last Monday. We were able to raise over $1500 for marine conservation scholarships - thank you to all who participated! This event was unique because it was dual purposed – to fundraise, while simultaneously cleaning up our neighborhoods!
Although our focus is primarily marine conversation, it is important to keep our homes free from trash, no matter where it is. Garbage and debris can impact our ecosystems no matter the location. We had Scamper for Sea Science registrations from all over the country - ranging from Connecticut to New Jersey to Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, California, Hawaii and even land-locked Colorado! Because, no matter where you are, unfortunately, there is always trash to be found. And, this trash always has the potential to harm our wildlife.
Based on an article from The Pew Charitable Trusts, the United Nations estimates that a minimum of 800 species globally are impacted by marine debris. And, annually, approximately 13 million metric tons of plastic ends up in our oceans! I am not one for sharing depressing photos so I will avoid that here, but something tells me most – if not all – reading this blog have seen some horrible image of a marine mammal or bird entangled in those plastic six-pack rings or have read an article about X pieces of trash being found within a sea turtle. It’s horrible and I think what really upsets me is that it is so preventable!
I love that so many organizations have taken it upon themselves to clean ups - it is a great way for all to get involved and contribute to the protection of our planet.
So, I really wanted to write this blog to briefly share some of the interesting data collected by our “Rockstars for the Ocean” during our Scamper for Sea Science. My favorite question on the data sheet (other than of course “number of cute puppies seen”) was “weirdest piece of trash.” Some unique answers I read were a can of refried beans, a baby toy, a multi-colored sippy cup (love the description there), and a rusty razor. Fortunately, the baby toy and sippy cup were from two different locations, so the same little kid didn’t lose both.
Some of the most frequently seen trash items that were picked up were food wrappers, cigarette butts, bottles/cans/lids, tiny trash (e.g., microplastics), bags, and fishing line (from those participants at the beach). But, the list was quite diverse and extensive. Our Rockstar Mary Anne even got so much trash that she actually had to have a fella drive it back to an actual dumpster/garbage can for her!
Garbage and debris come in all shapes and sizes – and it’s found throughout the country, no matter the place. But some good news -- recently there have been some really great initiatives to clean (and keep) our environment clean. So, we can’t get discouraged – we must stay optimistic and keep doing our part! So, thank you to all of you!
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering…answers for “number of cute puppies seen” ranged from about 0 to 3, with the exception of our friends Ariana and Matt who were able to see “a ton”. Very jealous for them getting to see all the pups!