Blog #4- Coastal Cleanup

1. Where are you with your action? (e.g. what involvement have you had so far? Describe with examples)

So far in my journey with coastal cleanup, I have done two more beach clean-ups and have had more focus on local areas.  I dedicated two days over the weekend, for a duration of one hour. The location I chose this time was White Pine beach. The difference this time is that I also had the chance to clean up the surrounding forest. While cleaning up the trails and beach this led me to a better understanding of our local environment as I actually came to a conclusion that there was less trash here comparing to English Bay. Of course, the population is lower but as a whole I felt that the park here in Port Moody was much better conserved and cleaned. As my job was a little less than last time since there was less trash, I also spent time clearing the trails from fallen debris because there was intense wind storms the day prior. This action allows the trails to be safer. Another example of my involvement came with recycling the debris that I could safely. This is an important part of my action because it ensures that I am having the effect on the environment that I intended. With all the steps I am taking with coastal cleanup, I have made the wildlife’s habitat much safer and created a clean environment that will positively affect the earth and marine life.

2.) What are some successes that you have had? Provide specific examples.

The success I’ve had this week is still sufficiently filling a bag of waste from White Pine Beach. I collected lots of food packaging and I find that a success because 90% of the debris I picked was recyclable. This is a great further environmentally effect. This means that less garbage ends up in the landfills as recycling conserves energy, reduces air and water pollution, reduces greenhouse gases, and conserves natural resources. Another environmental impact I see as a success towards my action is that I am doing my part in reducing CO2 emissions and decreasing pollutants in the atmosphere and improving air quality. I bussed to and from my cleanup location as it was much closer than going to English bay. Driving to a closer location shortens my commute and allows me to be able to take public transport with the effort to reduce my part in pollution.

3.) What are some challenges that you have faced? Have you been able to overcome them? If so, how? Provide specific examples. If not, can you problem-solve some ideas that might work for next time or if a similar situation arises? Again, provide specific examples.

The first challenge I faced this week is that again weather conditions made my work a little more difficult. This time the weather conditions had been quite poor the days prior and fallen branches as well as rain made the environment more difficult to clean. A way I overcame this was to instead incorporate the cleanup of the fallen debris in order to make the trails safer and pick-up garbage under fallen things. My next challenge came with my transportation. As I knew I wanted to bus in order to initiate more environmentally cautious approach. However, the challenge came when I had to leave my cleanup site with the bag of trash along with my cleanup supplies and get onto the bus. The way I problem-solved here was that instead of lugging the bag to my house and sorting it there, I walked to the nearest waste bins just outside the park where there was both a garbage can, paper recycling and returnable container bin. I used my gloves and disposed of each piece of waste in its proper bin. My last challenge is that I still have not received a reply from the park board about my inquiry in finding new methods of organized beach cleanup. I know this will help me with my action so my problem solving within the next week if I still have not received a response is to email two different park boards of New Westminster and Burnaby.

4.) What are you doing next and why?

Next, I plan on doing another beach cleanup however changing the location to Burnaby Mountain. As I know this isn’t a beach, I had huge success in cleaning up the trails around White Pine. So, I want to take cleaning initiative in Burnaby Mountain because it is a much bigger park and there will be more debris and action to be taken there. The trail is surrounded by creeks so as I am cleaning up it will still be on the same initiative; I first took regarding our coast and bodies of water. Next week I also plan on collecting all the recyclable items like cans and bottles that I have picked up and sorted at home and give these to the bottle drive in my neighborhood which goes towards my local kids’ soccer team. All these initiatives I plan to take next will drive me towards the positive change.