International Coastal Cleanup Update

Saturday’s Wisconsin Beach Sweep was a huge success!

On the north end of Bradford Beach alone, 68 pounds of debris were collected, bagged and weighed, and then disposed of. It’s the first step in ensuring our parks and beaches remain clean year-round.

Saturday wasn’t just a day to cleanup the Milwaukee lakefront, but a day of concentrated effort along beaches all over the world – nearly 300,000 volunteers in over 90 countries participated in The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.

Here in Milwaukee, I woke up early to prepare for the day – I had to get Eric out of bed, gulp a couple ounces of coffee, watch the ICC’s training video, and pickup two dozen bagels. Eric and I finally trekked onto Bradford Beach around 10 a.m. and met up with nearly 20 volunteers ready to comb the north end of the beach.

The volunteers included people from Visit Milwaukee, Nathan Hale High School’s Key Club, UWM’s Biology Club, and a few good Samaritans who stumbled upon us and decided to help out – everyone was thrilled to be part of the cleanup. Plus, the day couldn’t have been better! 55 degrees and the sun was shining and the breeze was light and the sight of two dozen sailboats lining Lake Michigan, well, it was one of those days when you remember, oh yeah, Lake Michigan is actually a really awesome place to go.

John Ricci, a Visit Milwaukee volunteer, offered to lead the team. His enthusiasm helped keep us trudging along all morning, especially those brave volunteers who came at 8 a.m.

There was a lot of ground to cover, so we quickly donned gloves, grabbed garbage bags, divided into groups of two or three, and then scattered across the sandy terrain to gather trash.

Teams were necessary in order to gather statistics that categorized the type of trash that washed-up onto the beach – one person would catalog the litter while the other would put it into a garbage bag.

“It’s important not just to collect the trash, but really analyze it too so they [The Ocean Conservancy] can find solutions to the problems,” explained Al Montgomery, director of Milwaukee’s cleanup, the Wisconsin Beach Sweep.

According to The Ocean Conservancy, by gathering data on what garbage gets washed ashore they will be able to identify the activities and general sources causing the debris not just in Milwaukee, but all over the world! After collecting the data, an annual report is created and distributed to educate the public, industry, and government officials about marine litter issues.

The type of waste we found was pretty surprising. Not only did we find a ton of cigarette butts, but hundreds of tiny, sharp pieces of glass that came from Milwaukee suburbs. (I'll think twice about going barefoot when I play volleyball on Bradford Beach next time)

Besides glass, we found a fair amount of shot gun shells. That was a little unnerving – who brings a shotgun to a beach party? It was later explained to us that the shells actually come from clay pigeon shooting done on the beaches along Lake Michigan.

But I think the most disgusting thing that we found had to have been soiled diapers. Yes, diapers. One of the brave volunteers hoisted the soggy mess from the beach and tossed it into the garbage bag while whispering a silent thank you to the inventor of latex gloves.

“The beaches are horrendous,” said Allen Daily. Liz and Allen Daily used to live near Bradford Beach but recently moved to the suburbs. Despite living in Wauwatosa, they still make day trips to Milwaukee’s lakefront to enjoy the beaches and parks. This was the couple’s first organized cleanup, although they frequently come to the beaches to pickup trash left behind or washed ashore. It's great to see Milwaukeeans so dedicated to keeping the city beautiful.

Towards the end of the cleanup, Fox 6 news reporter Tami Hughes stopped by to talk to several of us and to give a quick report on the cleanup. I hope this story demonstrates the need for more people to act like the Dailys by not only participating in organized cleanups, but by picking up garbage accumulating in our parks, beaches and waterways each day.

(If you are interested and careful not to blink, you can spot Eric and I in the Fox 6 report walking away from the camera. We've got a good 14.5 seconds of fame left and will have to think carefully about how to spend it.)

Our great lake really is a beautiful place to be and it’s really fantastic to know that there are so many people out there who value and take pleasure in it.

Thanks Milwaukee and keep it up!

Comments

[Scott]

I am glad to hear the event went well. And also thank you for the time spent and effort involved!

[suzieq]

Media coverage. Wow, good for you!

[Eric]

You didn't talk about the pumpking cream-cheese...mmm...pumpkin pie bagels...yummy

[Karen]

Yes, you're right. The bagels went over very well.

[Farrah]

I participated in a highway clean-up this past spring and it was just sick how much trash two other girls and I picked up. I think we filled 6 large garbage bags doing a one-mile stretch of Highway 100 (only one side of the street!) The weirdest thing I found was a spoon (a real, stainless steel spoon).

I always learned to 'give a hoot, don't pollute.' I feel bad when a small piece of paper or napkin gets away from me on a windy day. I never litter, and I really don't understand the mentality of people who do.

[Karen]

See Farrah, we desperately need more people like you around here!! I’m totally a tree hugger, so I appreciate anyone who cares about keeping the Earth clean – especially people like you who are actively trying.