Cortney Marquette and Wesley Crummett walked along the water Saturday at Outlook Beach with a neon orange bucket, their eyes scanning the sand and surf for trash.
At first glance, the small Hampton beach — located within Fort Monroe — doesn’t look dirty, but the two friends said it didn’t take long to spot single-use plastics and other odds-and-ends.
“There’s a straw, a receipt, some type of Styrofoam thing, a zip-lock bag, a 7-Eleven cup and a lot of cigarette butts,” said Marquette, as she ruffled around in the bucket. “I’m surprised we got this much so far.”
Crummett and Marquette were among roughly 3,600 registered volunteers helping with Clean the Bay Day, an annual statewide event organized by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Volunteers gathered along rivers, streams and beaches throughout the state to collect litter and other types of trash. Since its start in 1989, the foundation reports the event has removed about 7.18 million pounds of debris from more than 8,250 miles of shoreline.
“It’s just a day to physically connect and say we’re going to show a little bit of tender loving care for our waterways,” said Christy Everett, the foundation’s Hampton Roads director. “We just don’t always take the time to think about our waterways, but our waterways are so important to this region and economy.”
The Chesapeake Bay received a D-plus rating in the foundation’s State of the Bay report this year. The report measures the bay’s health by looking at pollution, habitats and fisheries. The low grade stems from ongoing problems with farm pollution and declining species, like the blue crab.
Everett said many residents may not even know what they do on land directly impacts the watershed.
“I don’t think most people realize that what happens at a McDonalds 10 miles away (from water) is going to end up in our waterways,” she said. “We need to understand that any litter that ends up on the ground, as it rains it’s going to be carried through a stormwater pipe and then into a local creek or stream.”
Plastic items and cigarette butts tend to be the most common debris, she said, but volunteers have found some unusual items — like a safe and firearms — over the years.
A preliminary statewide count on Saturday afternoon recorded 97,000 pounds of trash were collected at this year’s event. Some notable items: a carburetor, mini dirt bike, plastic hippopotamus and a ship’s bumper. A count for the volunteers at Fort Monroe was not available.
In addition to picking up trash and raising awareness, Everett said events like Clean the Bay are helpful because it shows how individuals can come together and make a meaningful difference for the environment.
“There are people all over Virginia today who are taking the time to show how much they care and appreciate our waterways,” she said. “It is really inspiring to see people give up their time on a Saturday morning and a beautiful summer day and spend time cleaning up and giving back.”
She added that a handful of legislators registered to participate at various sites throughout the state.
On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, shared a photo of herself collecting trash with a group in Virginia Beach.
“I joined (Chesapeake Bay Foundation) and a great group of volunteers in Virginia Beach to help clean up,” she wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone who volunteered for taking care of our environment!”
