By Karen Povey, WNPF Board of Directors
On an unseasonably warm and sunny morning last month, I gathered on the shore of Olympic National Park’s Ruby Beach along with a group of fellow board members, staff, and supporters of Washington’s National Park Fund. Our mission? Collect the ocean trash that had built up on the beach over the winter months.
Owing to Olympic National Park’s 73 miles of coastline, keeping beaches clean is a nearly impossible task for park staff to manage on their own. “We count on volunteer groups like yours to help us keep the park’s beaches clean and safe for visitors and wildlife. We really couldn’t do it without you,” Heather Stephens, the park’s volunteer coordinator, explained as our group assembled for an orientation.
With its towering cliffs topped by ancient hemlocks and long, lonely stretches of sand and surf, it’s easy to think of Ruby Beach as a pristine slice of Northwest wilderness. But as our team fanned out along the beach, we quickly discovered that even here, far from any urban center, human waste still accumulates.
We spent several hours scouring the high tide wrack line and peering between the giant tumbles of beach logs looking for trash to retrieve. We found items both strange and surprising (waterlogged shoes and shotgun shells), but mostly we found everyday plastics in every form imaginable: lots of rope, plastic bottles, lighters, Styrofoam chunks, buoys, and bottle caps – and lots of small plastic fragments poking out of the sand. The source of some of this trash is fishing, boating, and shipping activities, but nearly 80% of all ocean trash originates on land as it escapes recycling or waste handling (Our World in Data: Plastic Pollution).
Most of us know that plastic lasts a long time in the environment, and we’ve all seen images of wildlife entangled in trash or harmed by mistaking plastic for food. But plastic pollution poses the most pervasive threat as wind and wave action shreds it into microplastics – small pieces that disperse like smog throughout the water column. These plastics absorb toxins and are ingested by creatures up the food web, magnifying the toxic effects. These microplastics have been found in many commercially fished species, also potentially posing risks to human health through the consumption of seafood. There’s a lot to learn about marine plastic pollution; check out NOAA’s Marine Debris Program website for some great resources to become more informed.
How do we minimize ocean plastic pollution? The single best way is to minimize the use of plastics. Find alternatives to single-use plastics, especially drink bottles and food packaging, and encourage others to do the same. Feeling inspired to get your hands dirty and clean up the wild areas you love? Consider organizing or participating in a community cleanup.
On April 22, 2023. celebrate Earth Day and the start of National Park Week at Olympic National Park for a statewide coastal cleanup! Beach cleanups will be taking place along three areas of the park: Kalaloch, Mora, and Ozette. For registration details, visit this event page. After you clean up, spend some time in the park, for free, since all entrance fees are waived to kick off National Park Week!
Volunteers are an essential resource that national parks heavily rely on, which is why WNPF makes it a priority to support volunteer programs at Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Learn more about the different volunteer projects that we fund and show your support by making a donation that will have a positive impact on the parks.
Cover photo: WNPF staff, board, and donors volunteer to clean up Ruby Beach. Photo by WNPF Board Member, Karen Povey.