Anja Mondragon

David, our star islander, picking up more than his weight in trash

What an amazing day we had on Monday.  We spent a week worrying about the cleanup, concerned that no one would show.   However, when we arrived at the marine station in the morning, we were greeted by a group of very excited children ready to clean up the beaches and eat a hearty barbeque.  We had plastic bags and gloves ready for these bored but inspired kids and they helped us start the day with a bang.  While the children roamed every inch of the island, the adults mostly cleaned around their homes and hotels.  We found that the kids tired easily and needed plenty of break time but by the end of the day we had picked up about 30 garbage bags of trash, 4 bags of plastic bottles and around 10 crates of glass bottles.

Anna, Jenn, Margaret and I preparing the barbeque

The barbeque was a success as well; we had about 15 pounds of chicken and a few side dishes of pasta and coleslaw.  Even though it rained off and on throughout the afternoon everyone was in high spirits and went home tired but content.  Many people had been talking about the event and were pleased with the opportunity for people of different backgrounds to work together and make a difference on the island.

Yesterday morning we waved goodbye to our piles of trash and recyclables pleased at the newly clean beaches.