Monday, June 8, 2020, was National World Ocean Day. Here is a little history lesson, the concept of World Ocean Day was proposed in 1992 from Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit. They wanted to bring awareness to the plastic that people casually release every day and end up swimming with the fishes, literally. We now celebrate World Ocean Day to help remind us to be mindful of our trash and take extra precautions to dispose of litter properly. The ocean has a significant role in our everyday life; some may say it’s the lungs of our planet. Beaches from coast to coast provide us with most of our oxygen.
Go outside and take a moment to experience being by the ocean and take in the beauty that it gives to our land, the sense of wealth. For many, the waterways have provided value to our lives over time with family memories that you will treasure forever.
Make a promise today that you will move forward, consciously protecting our oceans. Mrs. Avier Pyles, Keep Liberty Beautiful, Volunteer Coordinator, realizing the importance of our Oceans when she was just a young girl. She had always been fascinated with water and bath time adventures in the tub. At age 8, she took her very first beach trip. She was awestruck with just how sunny the sun was, how the gritty sand seemed to stick to her feet, and how the blue water seemed to go on forever.
The sand was hot and burned, but after a couple of steps, the hotness began to feel welcoming. Mrs.
Pyles was so excited to get to the water she dropped everything and continued straight for the ocean. Her parents were screaming her name, and she was sure a stern lecture was afoot.
Still, Mrs. Pyles just needed to see what it felt like to be in all of that water, so being in trouble later did not even matter. She remembers stopping and looking at the water going back and forth with the tide, she closed her eyes and went for it; she just jumped right into the water. She released a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.
She wiggled and squished her toes all around, but something didn’t feel right; actually, it was odd. She opened her eyes to find a plastic ring that belonged to a six-pack of beer wrapped around her small brown toe. She didn’t know much for an eight-year, but she knew that the plastic ring didn’t belong on the ground and certainly not with those
poor defenseless fishes. That was 22 years ago, and its incredible how life can bring full circle with your purpose.
Mrs. Pyles was young with no clue how to fix the issue, yet here she is sharing, and telling all of us, how we can help prevent litter from entering our waterways. If you are wondering how you can celebrate this holiday, Author Brian Hutchinson, Oceanic Society’s vice president of outreach, co-founder of the State of the World’s Sea Turtles Program, and program officer of the IUCNSSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group said it best. He wrote a recent article listing these five ideas to help show your appreciation on World’s Ocean Day: 1. Join a World Oceans Day Activity or Event: There are hundreds of events planned worldwide for World Oceans Day and after. These include talks, happy hours, film screenings, beach cleanups, and more. Find an event near you at //www.worldoceansday. org/events_list and get inspired by joining your fellow ocean lovers!
2. Skip the Seafood (and Meat): Give the ocean a break today by avoiding seafood.
While there are many well-managed and sustainable fisheries (that can actually support healthy oceans), there is no question that many fisheries are poorly managed and that humans put enormous pressure on marine ecosystems through resource extraction. According to the FAO, 89.5% of fish stocks worldwide are either fully fished (58.1%) or overfished (31.4%). Meat consumption is also considered a significant contributor to climate change, so try going vegetarian for the day. 3. Gather Friends and Watch an Ocean Film: Staying informed about ocean conservation issues and sharing knowledge with your friends and family is an integral part of becoming a better supporter of ocean conservation.
One easy way to learn and share information is by watching one of the many excellent documentaries that showcase ocean wildlife and conservation issues. These include Mission Blue, The Blue Planet, Sharkwater, The Cove, Disneynature: Oceans, A Plastic Ocean, and many more. 4. Avoid Single-Use Plastics: Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to ocean health worldwide.
There are many ways that you can help reduce ocean plastic pollution, but one of the easiest is to avoid single- use plastic. Help support cleaner oceans by avoiding single-use plastic items,
including disposable water bottles, straws, cups and lids, utensils, and bags.
5. Breathe Deep, Appreciate the Ocean: Take time today to appreciate your connection to the ocean and to consider the many benefits that a healthy ocean provides. One of our most profound links to the ocean is through the air we breathe—more than half of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere is produced by marine plants. So breathe deep, reflect on your connection to the ocean, and stay inspired to continue working for healthier oceans.
Keep Liberty Beautiful geared up in gloves, our custom made Keep Liberty Beautiful volunteer vest, a handy dandy mask, and visited every fishing dock in our county from Riceboro to Sunbury (Jones Creek Recreation Area, Riceboro Boat Ramp, Riceboro Pavilion, Half Moon Marina Area, and Sunbury Boat Ramp). We handed out litter prevention information, after the storm brochures, and how to be a good mate brochure to all the community members out enjoying the day. We even passed out biodegradable igloo coolers to all the fishermen on the docks.
We gave out these to ensure we were providing what people of Liberty County needed to keep our waterways clear of any Styrofoam. You’re probably wondering why we need to remove all Styrofoam by the water. I’m glad you asked, while yes, Styrofoam will break down into small particles over time; it’s still highly dangerous to sea creatures. Once Styrofoam breaks down, it leaks hazardous toxins into the water, harming many sea animals that ingest the foul chemical. But with special thanks to Golden Isles Keep Beautiful, we will not have that problem here in Liberty County.
To find out ways that you can help keep our waterways clean and free of litter, check out our website: www.keeplibertybeautiful. org. You can also contact us at Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.