Beach Clean Up Trash, Treasures, And Tacos

The last Tuesday beach clean up was this morning at Keybox beach to Faithful Steward crossing into coin beach. We stopped short for the heavy equipment working on the northside beach. We will resume this Sunday and start weekend clean ups. We like to do the weekends in the off season, it is easier for many to participate. Next weekend will be Beach Plum Island State Park, so we don’t disturb the surf fishing tournament.

Today was beautiful, nice breeze, big waves, and lots of treasures. I found some nice sea glass in the ruts of many vehicles on the upper beach. You don’t just find sea glass along the beach near the water. Some of the best stuff gets pushed up farther by storm surge waves and uncovered over time by wind.

Ten volunteers managed to collect a full fifty gallon garbage full of trash. This actually shocked a few people that the beach needed cleaning after the Coastal Clean up two weeks ago. You can find trash on the beach after every tide cycle. Like the treasures, trash will be uncovered by wind or wash up from the ocean. Two days after the Coastal Clean Up, last Tuesday, we pulled thirty gallons of trash off Herring Point Beach to Gordons Pond.

“I haven’t seen a lot of cigarette butts today” .. said Barb. The reason for that is there are less people using the roads, beaches, and waterways. We see less cigarette butts in the off seasons and winter clean ups. People aren’t using the area for an ashtray. Well, except the guy in the black jeep the other day, that flicked his lit cigarette into the tress at Cape Henlopen State Park immediately upon passing the gate booth. I may or may not have your picture for a later article … why I hate people who litter. Yes, we stopped and picked up your still it cigarette butt, so it didn’t set the forest on fire.

Today a few new folks joined us, they were surprised how much the beaches needed cleaning two weeks after the annual Coastal Clean Up. We explained where the trash comes from and why they are finding so much. Explaining the tampon applicators and used condom was fun. Welcome to the clean up crew ladies. By the way never open a bottle of liquid, it isn’t water, it may have been at one point.

Afterwards we ran down to 3Rs to pick up a huge snag these guys found over the weekend. This net looking jumble of all kinds of junk washed up while these guys were surf fishing. They messaged the DSF pages asking how to contact DNREC to remove the object. They don’t do that, just leave it there we will pick it up Tuesday.
While that was happening a late arrival cleaned the beach from keybox to Tower beach and back. She collected a twenty gallon bag full of trash. It was a productive day picking up trash on the Delaware State Park beaches.

Everyone met at Iron Hill Brewery on route 1 for lunch. The restaurant feeds the beach clean up crew every week. “We just want to help out the community as much as we can and love what you all are doing … Chris Berghaus, Sr. General manager.
Kudos to them for feeding the crew, these volunteers do this to give back to the beaches they use and love. Something everyone should do not only groups, but individuals as well. Being a steward to your environment doesn’t take much effort and it starts at home.

Fish On!
Rich King