Volunteering for the Earth Day Clean Up 2018

-

Paige at Buzzards Bay Recreation Area
Photo Credit: John Pribilla

On April 21, 2018, as part of my internship at the Cape Cod Canal with the US Army Corp. of Engineers, I had the opportunity to volunteer for their Earth Day celebration. This annual celebration was hosted by the US Army Corps of Engineers, organized by AmeriCorps Cape Cod, and was held at the Buzzards Bay Recreation Area. I assisted with the set-up for the event, and while I was working, I had the time to review a few of the organization’s earth-friendly themed displays. The one display that caught my attention the most was what happens to discarded litter over time. The poster demonstrated the length of time it took for various types of trash to decompose in the natural environment. I was surprised at how long it takes to break down common items to their base elements, such as monofilament line, Styrofoam cups, tin cans, six pack can holders, drinking straws, and plastic bags.

Marine Debris from the Cape Cod Canal Clean-up
Photo Credit: USACE

Every time I picked up monofilament line during my day at the clean-up, I thought of the line being tangled around a seabird. When I picked up a 6-pack plastic can holder, I envisioned it getting caught around marine life or seabirds possibly making them choke or causing immense pain. As I disposed of a plastic bag, I imagined a sea turtle mistaking it for a jellyfish and dying after eating it. When I picked up a crushed and broken lobster trap, I thought of the lobsters that were left to die in the discarded trap and the other animals that might have gotten trapped inside or crushed by the weight of the broken metal. As I picked up the tangled and broken lines and buoys, I imagined all the marine life that would have been entangled in the lines.  

Ghost Pot with Trapped Live Lobster
Photo Credit: USACE

The question is; what can we do to make a difference? There are a few things we can do to help right now. For starters, we can eliminate trash from the environment. This may seem impossible, but if everyone picks up at least one piece of trash every day, it will greatly impact what’s happening. By minimizing our plastic consumption, we can reduce the amount of contamination. Finally, we can reduce the amount of litter if we get rid of plastic altogether from our lives. With plastics gone from our world, there will be no need to worry about all the harm it can cause. Many places are switching to more environmentally friendly materials. Examples would be: grocery stores using paper bags instead of plastic, restaurants using cardboard boxes instead of plastic, and schools switching from plastic utensils to silverware. 
If we all do something to help, in time we will have a decrease in the use of plastics and the impact they have on the environment. If we continue to use more renewable and environmentally friendly products and materials, we will see an improvement in our future and our health for all creatures living on the Earth. I believe there is still hope for my generation to have a cleaner, healthier, and happier environment.


-  Paige
Paige Pribilla; Natural Resource Intern; Cape Cod Canal 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Electric Torpedo Ray of New England

-
Image
The Shocking Ray of New England Blog by  Coleman Earner - December 21, 2020 Dead Torpedo Ray in Brewster, MA Torpedo Rays are a genus of rays that are part of the Order  Torpediniformes (electric rays). In reference to local sightings, the most commonly seen torpedo ray in the Cape Cod region is the Atlantic Torpedo ( Torpedo nobiliana ). They are cartilaginous fish (most similar to the structure of sharks and skates) with a flat and rounded disc-like structure. As suggested by their order, torpedo rays are most commonly known for their ability to discharge electricity of up to 220 volts from both pectoral fins (pectoral fins are flat and expanded and fused to the head area) as a self defense mechanism or as a means of capturing prey. Their feeding strategy consists of burying themselves under the sand and waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander by.  Dead Torpedo Ray on a Cape Cod Beach. Torpedo Rays feed mainly on benthic/pelagic fish such as flounders, damselfish, and o...
Read more
-
Image
NECWA Shark Week In Review Written by Emily Gerrior Intern Sarah helping at the blockprinting table. On July 24, 2024 and July 26, 2024, NECWA hosted two events themed around Shark Week. The first was at the Middleborough Public Library and the second was at the Bridgewater Public Library. For both events, we set up stations where attendees could make their own authentic shark tooth necklaces and create colorful block prints of sharks and other marine wildlife.  Free educational material for all Along with our assortment of diamondback terrapin, horseshoe crabs, and ocean sunfish artifacts, we also had shark jaws and a real fossil megalodon tooth on display.  Marine wildlife artifacts on display As soon as we opened the doors to both events, attendees poured into the room! The megalodon tooth and the shark tooth necklace station proved to be extremely popular among younger attendees. We also received several questions about our other marine life artifacts, which we w...
Read more

Ice Cream Social for NECWA Interns and Volunteers

-
Image
INTERN AND VOLUNTEER ICE CREAM SOCIAL AND FUN DAY   Written by Emily Gerrior Last Sunday (July 14 th , 2024), interns and volunteers were treated to an ice cream social, courtesy of NECWA. This event took place on the lawn outside NECWA’s Marion Field office. This event marked my first time meeting many of the interns outside of our weekly ZOOM meetings. I was also pleased to see many of the interns I had already worked with during previous NECWA educational events.  There was plenty of ice cream of all flavors to go around, served with reusable bowls and spoons, as well as popsicles, a fruit salad, chips, and cool drinks. After days of sweltering heat, it was certainly nice to have a cold treat!  Additionally, there were games for us to play. Some attendees chose to play cards and Jenga, while others participated in lawn games such as cornhole. We also swapped stories about NECWA events and successes.  Throughout the social, we had surprise visits from several (ador...
Read more