(Provided photo)
Members of the Barnegat Light Taxpayers Association were among the many volunteers who participated in the Community Cleanup Day held on Long Beach Island on Saturday, October 22nd. Ironically, taxpayers in the north end keep an eye out for trash on their daily walks, so they actually had to hunt hard to pick it up last weekend.
“It was a huge turnout. I was expecting maybe 10 to 20 people, but I think it was about 40,” said the Barnegat Light Taxpayers Association, which provided volunteers with plastic “grabbers” to use and hold. said Rich Brodman, chairman of
Mayor Kirk Larson participated, and everyone fanned out from the 29th Street lookout ramp over a two-block area that covered the town’s seafront, bayfront, and streets. Brodman surveyed the town beforehand and decided he could focus on the sidewalk that leads from the dumpster to the ocean beach.
In addition to Barnegut Lights, cleanup sites in areas covered by LBT10 volunteers converged at High Bar Harbor, Harvey Cedars, North Beach, Ship Bottom, Brant Beach, Holgate, and the Acme Market car park at Beach Haven Park included. was
Brantbeach Taxpayers Association Vice President Pete Potochney congratulated Russ and Ann Johnson for leading the BBTA cleanup effort on Monday. city.
Meanwhile, ALO was stationed outside Wally’s in Surf City as part of JCTA Cleanup and Clean Ocean Action’s 37th Annual Fall Beach Sweep. Twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, statewide volunteers “sweep up” beach debris and tally what they find.
(Provided photo)
ALO Executive Director Brittany McLaughlin explains: “They then take this data and produce an annual report documenting the type and amount of litter found on the beach.
“Volunteers aren’t just cleaning up trash, they’re documenting beach trash in community science campaigns,” she noted.
COA Advocacy Campaign Manager Kari Martin said: “Beach Sweeps is a legacy of action that benefits communities, wildlife, the economy and the environment when data is used to advocate for better policies and laws to reduce sources of pollution.”
COA South Jersey Program Coordinator Toni Groet said: All-important data will become a hub of evidence to help COA and partners reduce the source of marine litter, especially plastic.
“It’s great to see so many volunteers coming to the beach, especially after a storm like this. Keeping human trash and pollution out of our waterways is the only way to protect our marine life.” It may be a method, but seeing everyone come together for this cause is very important and very rewarding.”
(Photo by Maria Scandale)
“There were 97 volunteers at ALO’s Wally’s station alone, and a total of 257 participants across the island,” McLaughlin said. “Environmental clubs all the way from Rancocas Valley High School participated, as they had for many years. He said he definitely noticed a significant decrease.”
McLaughlin added, “This cleanup across LBI was a great opportunity to partner with the JCTA.”
During beach sweeps, volunteers are encouraged to keep an eye out for unusual finds in what the COA calls “a roster of idiots.” Items cataloged at Saturday’s beach sweep included Happy Meal toys, car mufflers, plastic vines, HDMI cables and rearview mirrors.
At Barnegat Light, on the other hand, one of the flip-flops was flotsam, and cans and bottles were the main debris. There were also cigarette butts, pieces of wood, two pallets (which the kids seem to use occasionally as firewood), Styrofoam, a packaged condom, a pair of shoes, and lots of small pieces of various trash. .
“There were so many people that we had to send others to some areas that were already divided into small groups. They chatted and got to know each other and had a really good time. ‘, said Brodman. “After that, almost everyone came back to his 29th Street, where they had a snack, and some stayed for another hour.
“I told them they could keep the grabber as a party favor,” joked Brodman. “They were a $3 investment each. I thought it would be a good idea if they would come back next year and keep them incentivized to do it.”
“We cherish our islands. We’ve lived here for generations. My husband grew up in Surf City,” said taxpayer Darlene Cavalier. “Being a good steward of the island is important for the environment and everything that depends on the island. .”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if passersby saw blue plastic grabbers snapping around town after Saturday.
“The town is clean because there are a lot of citizens who go to the beach and take their bags to pick up the trash,” Brodman commented. “It’s the same along the bay. A lot of people said, ‘I walk with my wife every morning and pick up trash.'”
Karen Enslen, who was in charge of the effort in her community of Higher Harbor, was thrilled that what the participants said turned out to be a great first island-wide cleanup. Thank you to all the taxpayers associations for coming together,” Enslen said.
— Maria Scandale and Juliet Casas Hoch
