Photo Credit: Richard Kirby, City of Myrtle Beach
In a single year, over 10 million surfers, tourists and Los Angeles residents walk along the 3.4 miles of shoreline on Huntington Beach in southern California, bringing along all the standard trip-to-the-beach necessities, such as drinks, sunscreen, towels, chairs, umbrellas, snacks, fast food and toys. Inevitably, some things are left behind.
But debris from humans isn’t uncommon. Down the coast, the city of San Diego manages 27 linear miles of beach, which entices over 20 million people per year to visit. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore receives over 2 million visitors per year, while more than 14 million visit South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach. No matter the location, the story is the same: people leave trash, and to protect Nature’s asset, both economically and environmentally, the beaches must be cleaned and maintained.
Know Thy Beach And Protect It
“You need to know and understand the dynamic of the beach and what Mother Nature is going to throw at you,” says Dennis Simmons, beach manager for the city of San Diego’s Park and Recreation Department. “You need to understand what is using the beaches--not just the people, but the birds, invertebrates and sea life.”