I decided to participate in the annual California Coastal Clean-Up Day to fulfill my reconnection with nature focus for September. My husband David joined me in this effort along with thousands of Californians who gathered together to show our love and appreciation for the blessing of nature. The volunteers involved in last week's event gathered more than a million pounds of trash from our wondrous coastline. Why would anyone want to liter such a magnificent natural resource as this?...
Our clean-up site was Schoolhouse Beach on the gorgeous Sonoma Coast, just minutes from Bodega Bay. It was most disappointing to see that such a large amount of garbage was collected mere feet from trash bins. Conversely, it was inspiring to see how many came out in a display of stewardship for Mother Nature. It was encouraging to see the number of children who participated. What a wonderful practice to pass on to the future caretakers of our little blue planet!
David took the plunge and stepped on the scale to determine the weight of the garbage we had collected. One of the few times in life when weight really counts. All in all, the two of us had gathered 10 lbs. of trash from our local shore, including a large amount of rusty nails. Please don't use pallets to start your fires!
Aside from the nails, a great deal of the trash we gathered was related to cigarette smoking. Kindly dispose of your smoking paraphernalia... no ifs, ands, or butts! As you can see from our list, people leave behind a lot of garbage. Let's not burden the environment with this legacy.
Liter affects the balance of our ecology and can prove harmful to both wildlife and visitors to our coastal shores. Do your part. Pay your respect by picking up after yourself. It would be a shame to lose the gift of this precious resource out of neglect.
After three hours of clean-up all the volunteers gathered at Bodega Dunes for a barbecue put on by Whole Foods.
I always love a good dog!
It was a special day that made me realize what a beautiful world we live in. There are a lot of people out there with compassion who want to give back and this renewed my hope. The truth was evident that if every one did their part, no matter how seemingly small, we could make a big difference. I was proud to be a part of this effort and have decided to participate every year in this event.
The ocean is my sacred space. It is my cathedral... my place to go and feel my connection to the limitless All. It centers me, grounds me, washes away my worries with its murmuring tides... giving me great peace and a sense of belonging. It made my heart full to physically demonstrate my reverence for my seaside sanctuary. The experience has inspired me to step up to the plate and be a true guardian for our coast. If others feel moved to do their part to care for the ocean, follow the link below and take the Coastal Stewardship Pledge. The change begins with us. It is in the giving that we receive.
Take the Coastal Stewardship Pledge:
