Capturing the Spirit of Community: A Recap of Our Beach Clean-Up with Shared Photos
- Video credit to Merry Zhou
AquaMeridian US is thrilled to report the success of our first beach cleanup, which took place on April 23 as part of Earth Day weekend. We are incredibly grateful for the support and assistance from Liz Taylor of Deep Ocean Explore Store at DOER Marine and Sylvia Gibson, Mission Blue SF Hope Spot Champion, throughout the planning process.
The event drew a diverse group of around 50 attendees from various corporate companies and nine different schools across the Bay Area. The participating schools included Alameda High School, Decoto School of Independent Study, James Logan High, J.F. Kennedy High, Mission San Jose High, Quarry Lane High School, Robertson High School, Thomas Russell Middle School, Washington High School, and William Hopkins Junior High School. It was inspiring to see so many people come together for a shared cause.
The cleanup effort was a significant success, with over 300 pounds of trash from just three data groups collected on the beach and surrounding areas. We are still collecting data to get a more accurate picture of the total amount of trash collected. If you participated in the cleanup and have a screenshot of your data, please share it with us via email at **aquam.foundation@gmail.com**, and we will update our numbers accordingly. The debris covered a wide range of materials and objects, including a diver's fin wedged beneath rocks, a massive tire buried under a boulder, and multiple chunks of foam that may have been foam glass. The group also retrieved a vast tire roughly three to four feet wide, thanks to everyone's hard work and dedication.
We are grateful to everyone who participated and supported this effort, and we believe this is only the beginning of a more significant movement that will continue to make a positive impact on our environment over time.
“Thanks Felix, Sylvia Gibson and team, your efforts were especially important right now as the endangered least terns are back in the area. They, along with many other sea birds are at high risk from consuming plastics or becoming entangled in debris. Our Deep Ocean Explore Store at DOER Marine and Alameda CASA supported Felix’s efforts to organize this coastal clean up. Felix has a lollipop 🍭 fundraiser ongoing too. Come by the store and grab one while you can! The endangered least terns, resident oyster catchers and other seabirds are at special risk of entanglement or ingesting plastics so the timing of this clean up could not have been better! DOER interns like Felix truly are doers!” - Liz Taylor
