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emagazine.com
It’s no surprise that 95% of the Worlds population lives within 100 miles of a stream or ocean. This isn’t hard to believe, all habitats depend on water one way or another, and humans are no exception. Have you ever noticed that most all the major cities have direct water access? And over time, people have abused their water needs, to the point that it is toxic to even touch the water. We are lucky that in the Northwest we are still able to go swimming at our local beaches and not be scared we might catch something. But who wants to go clam-digging in Birch Bay, and then go home and cook up your catch for dinner? That’s almost the same as asking; who wants two days of agonizing stomach pain accompanied with unmentionable suffering? If we aren’t able to eat the local wildlife, then neither can the predators that depend upon these natural resources to sustain life.
The beach plays an important role for many animals; fish spawn in the shallow waters, shellfish thrive on the nutrient rich sand, and the huge crops of kelp create an underwater forest. If we continue to dump our solid waste, storm water, and other junk into the streams and out into the bay, these fragile ecosystems will be history due to contamination, and before you know it the Bay we once loved will be off limits to all forms of life. You can’t deny it; we all recognize that faint smell of garbage that Birch Bay is already beginning to exude.
But don’t worry it isn’t too late! There are many small things that will create huge changes at our local beach. First, when you are at the beach, remember to bring a trash bag along with you for all the garbage you might create, but also for the trash that other people have left behind. If everyone picks up their share and then some, pretty soon that will compensate for all of the ignorant beach goers that have no respect, and there will be no trash at all! Always leave the beach cleaner then when you found it.
Another easy fix to improve our environment is to watch what you dump down drains and in ditches. Of course you don’t do this intentionally, but every time you either wash your car or spray your plants for bugs, harmful detergents and chemicals can infuse dangerous chemicals into storm drain water, which eventually ends up into our streams and bays. It doesn’t take much effort or hard work to keep our beaches garbage and pollution free, we all just need to be a little more self-aware.
