Let me start by saying, I grew up on the coast myself and have always loved the sea and coastal waterways my whole life. It has been a very long time since I have been able to enjoy the ocean waves and the smell and sounds of the ocean. While we have been walking along the coastal shores I have been excited and yet discouraged. The state of Delaware is beautiful and clean and the ocean and waterways seem to have protections set up for them. We saw the highest Dune there and places set aside and blocked off for migratory birds to nest on the shores. This was very encouraging to me. The dunes were protected from human destruction but you could still enjoy their beauty. They had nature centers and conservation and education centers set up near the beach for you to learn more about the coastal waterways and what lives there on the land and in the water. I really loved that KatyDid could go to these centers to learn more about the ocean life and of the horse shoe crab and the birds and how they work together. We could walk on the beaches and find seashells and horse shoe crab sheds and much more. This was the pleasant side of things.
While we were in Maryland things have been different. We have seen Osprey and Eagles and more shore birds , which has been great but the waterways, have not been the best.
All along the coastal trails there has been trash and lots of it. ALL of the coastal waterways and trails and roads have been filthy. I have been surprised to say the least. The inlets and coast have been covered in plastic bottles, bags, glass bottles, tires and just trashy. The coastal birds and wildlife that lives in the waters here must have a hard life. We saw a Oil holding tank facility on the water , right on the main coastal way. Grounded Haug told me not to spew like the oil, when I saw it. I am not an activist or anything but it has been filthy.
A place with so many Bald Eagles and shore life and yet the water ways are contaminated. There has to be a way to report it or fix it. We did call on one river, it was full of dead deer people had thrown out and a horse as well. Just the plastic and glass bottles alone could be recycled and put that money into the clean up of the rivers and coastal ways.
I have taught KatyDid to cut the soda six pack rings so they do not kill an animal or birds. She has been doing this along our walks, as we find them. The plastic rings are terrible on marine life and shore birds. You would think in this day of GREEN.... it would not be this way. There has to be a solution. We have not finished Maryland yet and I am sure we will see a whole lot more trash in the rivers, streams, coastal marshes and bays to come but it has really saddened my heart to think of all of that in the waters. It is not healthy for the wildlife, marine life or the human lives to be drinking , swimming, fishing or much more in these waterways that we have seen thus far. I hope this will change in the near future. We will have to see and pray that it will.
I pray that this Spring and Summer you will stop and think before you throw a piece of trash, plastic , glass or anything else in the water you will be in enjoying. We are to be caretakers of this world we live in not destroyers. We need to try to be good stewards of what God has given us. I hope and pray this will make someone want to go out and clean up a waterway somewhere, where you live. There are a lot of good volunteer places to do something like this to give a little bit back. I pray you enjoy the water and all that it has to offer.
Thank you
Many Blessings,
Gentle Fir
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