Pictures Provided By SWR Members Attending Event. Story By Kasey Toedtemeier (12 years old)
First of all, let me start by saying that our annual Beach Cleanup of 2007 that took place on April 28th was another great success. I and the rest of the SWR group would like to thank our sponsors for spending an amazing amount of time supporting us and helping us to make our cleanup go as well as it went. Our sponsors, which are displayed on the picture below, consist of many top notch ATV and other company businesses, including Mod Quad, Bay Area Yamaha, Red Bull, Les Schwab, and many more. In fact, we were very surprised to see that the US Army/Oregon National Guard had showed up with a bunch of T-shirts, water bottles, lanyards, and hats that we gave away to support the cause. Also we'd like to give a big "Thank You" to Douglas County Parks and Recreation for allowing us overnight camping and a chance to make this happen! Without them none of this would have ever been possible. So, like I'd said before, we'd like to thank you all very, very much.
Our group is made up of members from the Oregon and Washington area(s) and each year we plan an annual Beach Cleanup in Winchester Bay, Oregon on the Umpqua Dunes. Each year has proven to be a great success as we proudly promote a safe riding area, free of debris, open for our children and other riders.
Most of our group had arrive by Friday afternoon the night before the cleanup. For those who had arrived earlier, they helped with making signs, planning the booth setup, and getting things ready for the morning to come. This has been a great time to all involved as we strive for the cleanup day to go as smooth as possible.
Our booth was set up right next to the Half Moon Bay campground located in Winchester Bay. We had designed signs to put in front of the booth and for people to hold up, saying things like, "Come help clean the beach!" and "Beach Cleanup Today!" Someone had even put up a few saying how long it takes for common objects such as plastic bottles and glass to deteriorate into the ground. Speaking of which, did you know that while it takes only 2 to 10 days for a banana peel to biodegrade into the ground, it takes up to 800 years for a diaper? Here are some other facts about commonly used objects and the time of their degration, if you are interested:
Banana Peel: 2-10 days, Cotton Rags: 1-5 months, Paper: 2-5 months, Rope: 3-14 months, Orange Peels: 6 months, Wool Socks: 1-5 years, Cigarette Filters: 1-12 years, Styrofoam Cup: 1-100 years, Plastic Milk Cartons: 5 years, Plastic Bags: 10-20 years, Leather Shoes: 25-40 years, Nylon Fabric: 30-40 years, Plastic Six Pack Holder Rings: 450 years, and finally Diapers: 500-800 years.
