DEJA's Adopt-A-Beach CleanUp - Saturday, September 19th

Quote from james78

We will be there if the weather isn't too bad.

Just a heads up.

At this point the long range forecast is looking crappy.

DNREC's rain date is the following weekend, so we will probably just follow their lead.

Weather's looking a little better for Saturday.

If you plan to attend, make sure you register. http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/…leanup/Pages/default.aspx

Location is Delaware Seashore North. I put "Delaware Jeep" in the alt. phone# field.

Looking better:

Bring your fishing gear.

Normally, after lunch we head back out and fish and hang out on the beach.

One other note.

The Delaware Triathlon will be Saturday also.

Past experience says there will be delays getting south on RT 1.

Should be a perfect day weather-wise.

Well, it was a great day to be out.

A little windy and traffic was a little rough mainly due to the triathlon running in Dewey.

They also had the ramps closed so we had to walk on.

There wasn't tons of trash this time, possibly because of recent storms and high surf; but we did collect a fair amount.

Thanks to those that came out.

L-R "James78", his wife and kids; "Bubbafied" and his wife; "Captain"; "Flutterby"; "Patti"; "MrJoop", Me; "Gap050" and his wife and kids.

"Surfrider" was behind the camera.

Quote from MiniTubbedNova

what time did yall get there, we unlocked the gate at about 1130. we had technical difficukties with that lock and keybox. but conquest was open and people were allowed to drive on the beach.

and who ever was down at fenwick, thanx for the shirt, i didnt get your name.

We got there at 9:00.

We thought about trying the northern ramp, but would have had to sit in traffic to get up there and then drive all the way to Dewey to u-turn if they weren't open.

They unlocked the gate as we were leaving.

News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Sept. 28, 2009 - Vol. 39, No. 386

For more information, contact Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup Coordinator, DNREC Public Affairs, at 302-739-9902, or Matt Likovich, Community & Communications Coordinator, Delmarva Power, 410-860-6203. Photos available.

Delaware Coastal Cleanup draws record 2,000 volunteers

This year’s Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 19 drew a record 2,000 volunteers, according to site captain’s reports. Volunteers from civic groups to businesses to families cleaned up 42 sites throughout Delaware from Wilmington to Fenwick Island.

“We have some of the most pristine beaches in the nation, and our record volunteer turnout in this year’s Coastal Cleanup demonstrates why,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “The number of youth groups and students who took part is especially encouraging, because we have a new generation learning hands-on about the importance of keeping trash out of our waterways and marshes and off our beaches.”

Volunteers included numerous Scout troops and 4-H Clubs, high school honor students, a squadron from Dover Air Force Base, employees from a shipping company and several other businesses, a University of Delaware alumni group, a garden club, the Delaware Surf Riders, a skim boarding team, church and school groups, and beach community members and visitors, as well as many families and individuals.

“We had beautiful, sunny fall weather, and hundreds of wonderful and enthusiastic volunteers came out to support this important effort. We’d like to thank each and every one of them for helping to make our waterways and beaches cleaner,” said Joanna Wilson, Delaware Coastal Cleanup coordinator.

Topping the list of interesting or unusual items this year are a mattress and box spring, two child seats, flip flops, boogie board, bike pedal, baseball glove, metal car ramp, a beached boat, a complete set of clothing and a bathing suit, commercial crab pot, a jar of cherry peppers, shopping cart, sawhorse, hockey stick, two grills (one gas and one charcoal), laundry basket, three dead trees with burlap-wrapped root balls, plastic toy hand grenade and a Coastal Cleanup data card blown by the breeze from the hands of one volunteer into the path of another.

The total amount of trash gathered by the volunteers is still being tallied and will be announced at a later date. However, one northern site has already posted impressive results. Fox Point State Park, located on the Delaware River near Wilmington, collected 1.17 tons of trash, including a truckload of recyclables and a dump truck full of scrap metal. Interesting finds at Fox Point included a weedwacker, a pile of magnetic tape, a hard hat, paint rollers, forceps, a plastic chair and an iron blast furnace.

Common items found statewide included food wrappers, a number of propane tanks and thousands of plastic beverage bottles and caps. Site captains at some sites reported that cigarette butts were not as plentiful as in the past, while others were still finding plenty, including Rehoboth Beach, where volunteers gathered more than 4,000.

The Delaware cleanup is just one part of the International Coastal Cleanup sponsored by The Ocean Conservancy, whose sponsorship includes supplying trash bags, data cards and pencils. It is also co-sponsored with Delmarva Power which provides collectable t-shirts for the participants and Playtex, which provides gloves. DNREC is responsible for organizing the event, recruiting volunteers, distributing supplies, ensuring trash removal and tabulating all the data collected.

The International Coastal Cleanup is the Ocean Conservancy’s flagship program dealing with marine debris and data collection. It is the oldest and largest one-day volunteer effort on behalf of the marine environment. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world help each year to rid the environment of marine debris and collect detailed information on the types and quantities of refuse.

The types and quantities of trash collected in the various locations are recorded on data cards and forwarded to the Center for Marine Conservation, which compiles the information for all of the cleanups held in the country and around the world. The information helps identify the source of the debris and focus efforts on eliminating or reducing it.

Delaware’s next Coastal Cleanup is set for Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register to ensure sites receive enough supplies and complementary International Coastal Cleanup t-shirts in appreciation of their effort. Interested volunteers can check out DNREC’s website at http://www.delaware.dnrec.gov next summer for registration information.

For more information on The Ocean Conservancy or the International Coastal Cleanup, visit the Conservancy’s website at http://www.oceanconservancy.org.