Hello everyone, it has been a long 6 months away from the keyboard. A lot has happened within that time, I am heading for Florida in May to permanently live there. I got a new job (well old, new job) and will have more time to focus on myself and this blog now that I'm out of the old job. I'm super excited for what this year is going to bring!
What you can expect from this blog within the next year...
Beach cleanup updates
Green living DIY
Their Story; will continue
Marine life facts
SeaWorld updates
I will also continue with recommendations on places to shop and people or businesses to support. I will be adding a segment monthly on the deaths of captive Orcas. This will be called "Lost Freedom" and I will be documenting whale deaths to show an impact on whales and their lives.
I am super excited to begin blogging again and seeing where my passion for the earth takes me and this blog next. Happy New Year everyone, here's to a GREEN new year!!
Hello everyone, to those who have been following my blog for the past year, I have had so much fun researching and writing about the things I'm passionate about. Right now I am focusing on my career and need the time to myself when I get it (which isn't often.) May-December is the busiest time for shoppers so I am going to be taking a hiatus until January 2018. I can't wait to be back with new and fresh ideas and continuing with my passion, but until then, farewell.
When I first started beach cleanups I walked onto the beach with no gloves and no trash bag and would pick up large items here and there. Since learning about plastic pollution and obvious sanitary issues I started getting serious about my clean up efforts and over time have found things that work better for me than others. If you're not sure how to start or what you may need, this list of essentials will easily help get you started on making a difference on your local beaches.
1. Gloves
You can use whatever gloves you have or prefer, I used to just buy a box of medical grade gloves BUT it is not very sustainable to use plastic when trying to rid plastic so I started to opt for fabric garden gloves. You can get cute ones or use ones you may already have laying around, it's really up to you. You also have different options as to what type of glove, again it doesn't matter that much as long as it's comfortable and lets your hands breathe but won't puncture easily. They're also fairly cheap so if you can't afford much there are tons of options under $10.
2. A bucket You can, of course, use any sort of trash bag or plastic bag you may have gotten at the grocery store but if you're looking for something more sustainable and easier to work with I recommend a bucket. Typically this works well especially if it is breezy. I've had so many times I was using a trash bag and it somehow opened on me and trash fell out or I put the bag down to do something and the wind took it. Another problem I always came across was the bag twisting around itself and not being able to open it easier and I spent more time fighting with the bag than picking up the trash. With a bucket, you just plop it in the area you are working and throw things in as you go, you have two hands to work with and it makes things flow much easier. Another suggestion is using a lid on your bucket so when it starts to become full, you aren't losing pieces of trash from the wind blowing them out. The best part is that though the bucket is typically plastic it is reusable and you can buy them in bulk if you are organizing a cleanup. You could also use those pop-up hampers, the only con to those is that they can fly away and they aren't as easy to cleanout.
3. First aid kit
You don't need to carry this one with you but I would recommend keeping one in your car or at your beach station if you've set up a towel with other things. You never know what could happen while cleaning up, anything from cuts and scratches to insect bites. You have tons of different options from basic kits to advanced if you're first aid certified the more pieces in a kit you buy, the better.
4. Reusable water bottle A must. It will be hot on the beach, especially in summer, you'll be doing a lot of walking and bending down and standing up. You will want the water. Some beaches have water fountains where you can refill your bottle as you go as well. I recommend stainless steel, you can use glass as well but when the bottle sweats the sand will stick to your glass a lot more than a steel one. 5. Scale This one is definitely optional. I prefer using a scale so at the end of the day I can weigh the amount of trash I have picked up and keep a log. A simple food/kitchen scale will work for this (obviously one that is designated for trash only.)
On February 9th, 2017, rescuers flocked to a New Zealand beach after hundreds of whales were found stranded. This mass stranding is thought to be the largest mass stranding in decades with 416 pilot whales beached. As the morning went on the DOC plead for locals to drop work and school to help the whales by bringing towels, buckets, and sheets to keep them cool and wet. High tide came at 10:30am and the remaining whales that were alive were relocated to their ocean home but early afternoon 90 of the whales ended up back on the shore.
It is very common for masses of whales to beach themselves as they are social beings and never leave their pods too far behind but most are now dead. New Zealand has had 3 mass strandings in its history. An astounding 1,866 have sadly died because of these mass strandings. NZ has one of the highest stranding totals in the world with around 300 whales and dolphins beaching themselves in a year, every year. There is no known cause as to why this issue is so overwhelming and prevalent in this area but it is thought to be most injured, sick or dying whales that end up on the beaches.
Ringing in the New Year with two blog posts, the first was a recap of 2016 and now we're moving on to 2017 personal goals to help protect and conserve our oceans. Before moving on to that, let us talk about the above painting. In July I went to a paint night ready to paint a lighthouse at sunset and came out of it with a breaching Orca and educational experience for everyone at the paint night. As we revealed our paintings at the end of the night everyone (including the instructor) was memorized by my Orca. It sparked conversations about Killer Whales, Free Willy, and Shamu. I used this opportunity to educate about captivity and the impacts it has on these beautiful creatures. I will never know what came out of my lecture but I do know it left a mark since I went back in September and the instructor remembered me as the "Orca girl." This is how I want to inspire and educate all throughout 2017. Now onto the goals!
1. Clean up at least 10 beaches.
- There is an app called "Clean Swell" that I use to help keep track of what I'm picking up. The app is free and available on iPhone and Android. This app was created by Ocean Conservancy and you can track what you've picked up, total distance cleaned, a record of your cleanup efforts and you can share your efforts with friends on social media. Find out more here.
2. Reduce the use of plastic by 30%
- I already have started to avoid plastic water bottles and have started getting my co-workers to at least recycle their plastic and cans. I want to take it a step further and;
Begin using reusable cups and bags instead of plastic one-use cups and plastic bags.
Stop using plastic straws in restaurants.
Start using a razor with replaceable blades instead of disposables
Start bringing a reusable container for leftovers at restaurants
Avoid frozen convenience food
Give up chewing gum
Start using bar soap instead of liquid hand soap
Find a plastic-free hairbrush
3.Adopt at least 3 marine animals.
- There are great websites like the WDC and WWF that provide ways to adopt animals. On WWF they donate 85% to conservation programs and the WDC donates proceeds to releasing captive Cetaceans and conserve ocean habitats.
4. Promote websites that help make a difference at least once a month.
- In 2016 I discovered two amazing websites that donate some of their proceeds to different causes. The first one is Devoted To The Ocean, they raise awareness about pollution and the growing effects it has on marine habitats. Devocean donates 20% of its net profits to the FAU Marine Research Lab at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. The second website is Beautiful Baleine, they raise awareness for captivity and commercial whaling. 10% of their net profits are directly donated to whales.org to fund efforts in research.
5. Sign and promote at least 6 petitions relating to marine life on Change.org
- Change.org is a platform for change, by taking action and signing petitions on their website you could help in success and victories of things you are passionate about. Last year I signed 4 petitions from pledging to re-use plastic, to Seaworld issues. This year I am aiming for 6 or more signed petitions, as well as promoting each petition on my social media.
