Beach TLC stations are being provided to help people easily take part in cleaning their local beaches.
On one of my most recent trips to California, I visited the Muir Beach near San Francisco and the Muir Woods National Monument. The beach was beautiful, and although it was too cold to swim, it was very pleasant to walk on the sand. The beach is a fairly popular location and allows pet owners to bring their dogs, but one thing I did notice was how clean it was.
Upon leaving the beach, I noticed something interesting (and a possible answer to how the beach was kept so clean). A box called “Beach TLC Station” was by the beach’s entrance. Inside the box were reusable bags designed to clean up garbage. The instructions of the beach TLC were simple: you would take a repurposed bag from the box, pick up trash on and around the beach, report on what you picked up (more on that in a bit), empty out the contents into the nearest garbage can, and place the bag back in the bin for someone else to use. The last step was to celebrate for doing an important job.
The All One Ocean organization makes the Beach TLC Stations possible. Their mission is to educate communities about garbage’s impact on our oceans and waterways and provide simple and sustainable ways to reduce our impact on the ocean environment. All One Ocean has Beach TLC Stations in three states: California, Hawaii, and Iowa, and they are always looking for new locations to implement these stations. All One Ocean will set up all the boxes and the necessary signage but rely on volunteers within those communities to ensure the boxes are equipped with bags.
The Beach TLC Stations are a practical way to ensure that cleanup is happening daily on the beaches. What’s great about these stations is that they are not just for beaches. Communities can also request installing them in watersheds, lakeshores, schools, and trails. All to keep our local environments clean. All One Ocean encourages users to take pictures of what they collect and post them on their website or social media accounts. Sharing these photos is important to show and share what kind of garbage is being found on the beach and create a connection between everyone contributing to this program.
All One Ocean has other programs dedicated to keeping the oceans and water clean. They organize beach cleanups with companies, families, and schools. What makes their beach cleanups unique is that they focus on education and outreach. A beach cleanup with All One Ocean includes lessons on local ecosystems, habitats, and environments and can include engagement activities for schools and student groups.
Another program they offer is Ocean Warriors, where they teach the youth about the environment, pollution, and water contamination and help them build the necessary skills to become environmental advocates. They also empower schools and youth groups to reduce waste in their communities and help them work towards creating a cleaner world.
All One Ocean’s efforts to clean up our oceans and waterways are impressive and admirable. And they make cleaning up easy, fun and rewarding. Providing beach visitors with the tools to do their part and clean up the beach actually makes people want to do their part. And it really makes you feel like you are part of a community making a change. I actually wish Muir Beach hadn’t been so clean the day I visited because I would have loved to contribute to this program. It’s little efforts like this that will help to keep our earth clean for generations to come.
