By Tristen Swist, Communications Intern
On this brisk September morning, an eager group waits in front of Save The Bay, awaiting further instruction. REI has woken up extra early this Friday morning to help in a cleanup at Fields Point. The group is given a rundown by the Beach Captain, Jason, on how to log the trash picked up in the “CleanSwell” app, the appropriate gear to use, and the impact of the trash on the Bay. After a group picture and buckets in hand, we break off into groups and start the cleanup.
Today, I have been tasked with photographing the cleanup, documenting their work, as well as any rare finds. The enthusiasm of the REI team made it easy to get some good shots, as well as capture the hard work they were doing. The team was eager to get their photo taken with their unique trash finds. The REI team asked questions that the Save The Bay team happily answered; explaining the importance of ground cover to help erosion on the coast line and how important picking up even the smallest pieces of litter is. Working with a team where conservation and environmental protection is so important to everyone involved was a great experience.
REI and Save the Bay have worked together since 2008. Here at the Save The Bay Providence Bay Center, REI funded the kayak ramp that can be found at the Public Pier. Connecting with other organizations that share the same mission of making the outdoors a space for all is a powerful tool that continues to do good for the community.
At Fields Point, there are many access points open to the public, including the Urban Coastal Greenway, the Public Pier, and multiple other smaller trails that bring you to the shores of the Providence River. While public access is very important to Save The Bay, it has opened the doors for a lot of litter to be left behind.
Nip bottles, plastic straws, cans, cigarette butts, fishing gear, and needles were just some of the trash that we saved from doing further damage to the Bay. Litter left around the Bay continues to do damage to the area, as trash gets swept away into storm drains and blows to other areas, continuing to pollute. Protecting the Bay starts with education and knowing how your actions impact the environment around you. Picking up after yourself and others is the first step to making sure the Bay can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.
After about two hours, our cleanup was a success. Trash is poured from our buckets into a large trash bag to be weighed for our grand total of trash picked up. We share stories, the crazy things we found and how much fun we had with this cleanup. While awaiting the final total of trash, there was some friendly banter about who picked up the most trash. The grand total for trash picked up was 40 pounds.
Spending a morning with people who were passionate and enthusiastic about the environment is one I will remember. After one more group photo, there was another successful Save The Bay cleanup in the books.