Day 71 - Oct. 29

life guard tower 26 - Ocean Park, Santa Monica CA

trash collected for 20 minutes

estimated pounds of trash collected today - 2.4

estimated pounds of trash collected to date - 332.1
If you'll look closer, you'll see that the label says, "No Junk Promise."

Except now.......it is junk, or trash, or litter, or plastic, or a problem, or a bummer.

But speaking of food, just got an email from The Blue Ocean Institute founded by Dr. Carl Safina, who is a Marine Scientist and Ocean Conservationist on the east coast.

He does a lot of speaking and political lobbying to help save the Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna that is nearly extinct. He's also the author of some amazing books like, "Song for the Blue Ocean."

OK, anyway you can tell I like this guy.

Here's the new program:

Green Chefs, Blue Ocean (GCBO)is a joint project of Chefs Collaborativeand Blue Ocean Institute.

GCBO is the first comprehensive, interactive online sustainable seafood training program developed jointly by culinary professionals and marine conservationists.

www.oceanfriendlychefs.org

I may be dating myself, but who doesn't associate Reece's Pieces with E.T.!

This also brings to mind Halloween.

I don't know what to do this year about trick or treaters, and the treats.

Let me explain.

Candy wrappers are the third most common type of trash polluting the oceans.

This year we moved to a neighborhood that may be swelling with little tricksters tomorrow night, and while I could just not answer the doorbell, (seems like a poor option), I don't want to hand out small candy bars with all those wrappers!

So then what, apples? No, couldn't stand being the "healthy" treat lady, gross.

Suggestions?
This is a Willet (Willett?) bird. They remind me of a small Egret.

I talk about Surfrider a lot. And let me say it again, I am not a surfer, but I am a member because I love how they work towards protecting our beaches, and coastal waters with their various programs.

One I have been looking into recently is the Ocean Friendly Gardens program.

If you live in a coastal area, and have a yard or garden, there are certain plants to plant that:

- take less water.

- grab more soil, therefor protecting the ground from eroding away when it rains and making it into the ocean.

The soil contributes to what is called Urban Runoff. Los Angeles is 90% concrete and therefor 90% impermeable.

When it rains here, (as infrequent as that is), the water rushes to the ocean picking up everything along the way, that's Urban Runoff.

If you plant an Ocean Friendly Garden, you contribute a lot less to the problem. Less stuff heading for the ocean, less pollution, and all you have to do is get some plants that usually don't need more than a very small amount of water.

Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Garden's program has a whole lot of workshops for free coming up in the LA area. Why not go to one?
I love to see the Sea Gulls on the beach at sunset gather together on the sand and face west to watch the show.

They do this by the hundreds, like a herd of cows that naturally orient themselves north, these birds stand together looking at the sun until it drops below the horizon.

Not a bad way to end the day, and by doing this it makes me think that they know how lucky they are to be able to witness a Pacific Coast sunset on a daily basis.

There may be a more scientific, zoologic explanation....but I like to believe they gather together like this simply because they want to.