Getting Started
Okay so last Saturday I dragged myself outta bed at 6am, which is crazy for a weekend honestly. Threw on my rattiest jeans and this faded band t-shirt – figured they wouldn’t mind dirt stains. Drove 40 minutes to this coastal cleanup spot near the harbor where the organizer dude with a clipboard handed me these giant trash grabbers and a burlap sack.
The Nitty-Gritty Work
First hour was brutal y’all. Found a sneaker filled with crabs – nasty surprise – then spent 20 minutes untangling fishing nets wrapped around a pier. My back was killing me until this retired lady named Helen showed me how to squat properly. Weirdly satisfying prying bottle caps from between rocks with that grabber tool though!
After lunch break (pro tip: always pack extra sandwiches!), our crew split into pairs. Got paired with Marcus, this high school kid who talked nonstop about marine biology. He actually taught me how to identify microplastics mixed in seaweed. We filled three whole sacks with:
- Cigarette butts (soooo many)
- Straws stuck in driftwood
- Broken beer bottles
- Random flip-flop
The Unexpected Perks
Honestly thought it’d feel like chores but nope. Around 3pm we spotted seals bobbing near the cleanup zone – whole group just stopped working to watch ’em. Marcus freaked out like it was Beyoncé swimming by. Later while hauling sacks to the dumpster, Helen started grumbling about her tomato plants and next thing you know five of us were trading gardening hacks and phone numbers for seed swaps.
Wrap-up Feels
Ended up sunburnt and reeking of seaweed, but man that post-cleanup pizza with the crew tasted legendary. Felt way better than scrolling TikTok all day. Might hit that riverbank restoration next weekend – Marcus texted the group chat they need help planting willows. Never thought I’d volunteer for manual labor AND make actual friends who name-drop obscure seaweed types.
