be old later

Surfrider Foundation, Vancouver BC

Surfrider Foundation is a global environmental non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network. They are a community of beach and ocean enthusiasts who share a common vision of healthy and accessible oceans and coastlines, for now and for generations to come.

We volunteered with Surfrider cleaning up Habitat Island in downtown Vancouver. We found everything from cigarette butts, to Starbucks cups, to hundreds of straws to sneakers. There was a big group of us who sifted through the beach boulders for over 2.5 hours. We placed all of our findings on a blue tarp and a few other volunteers counted the amounts of each object. Cigarette butts and straws were found to amount to the most. A lot of Starbucks and McDonald’s straws to be specific. Jordan and I actually signed up to help out with the Surfrider “Straws Suck” campaign of Vancouver. They are still getting situated but we do what we can to preach the anti-straw lifestyle. Straws just aren’t necessary and should be taken out of the system entirely. Straws are one of the most abundant pieces of trash found in landfills, on beaches, and in garbage cans in general. If establishments stopped giving out straws, or made the customer ask for a straw therefore limiting the amount given away per year, our oceans and the world in general would be a better place with one less piece of non disposable trash to worry about.

Get out and volunteer!