OCEAN COUNTY – Area beaches were set to be cleaned as part of the annual Beach Sweep but an April Fool’s Day prank by Mother Nature had them be washed instead.
Clean Ocean Action had scheduled sweeps throughout the area on April 1 but now they have been rescheduled for April 15. Information on them can be found at cleanoceanaction.org/beach-sweeps. Another is scheduled for October 21.
On the morning of April 1, volunteers arrived at Ortley Beach and started to set up for the day. They decided the mission would continue on, at least in Ortley Beach. They were joined by some dedicated volunteers who ignored the rain.
Their unofficial mascot, a pig named Hamlet, came with Beach Captain Crystal DeCaro and her dog Aurora. “Rain or shine we’re going to make it happen,” she said.
“Clean Ocean Action has a spring sweep and a fall one. It is always in April and always in October and they usually shoot for a Saturday. In the last 10 years we’ve had so many windy days and rain before and other things that might deter volunteers but we always have people come out,” DeCaro added.
Laurie and Keith Huryk of Toms River were there despite the rain. DeCaro said, “they are extreme supporters and they always come in and get a selfie with Hamlet. They come prepared with cleanup items and everything.”
“I started coming when I was on council,” former Councilwoman Laurie Huryk said. “I didn’t know it happened before that. We enjoy it so much. It has been six years now. You help clean up the beach and help the environment.”
She and her husband later found a pair of eyeglasses that were left behind near the dunes.
Hamlet didn’t mind the rain. “He is our unofficial mascot of Clean Ocean Action. He is six years old. He’s been coming since he was a baby. I’ve been doing it for 10 years. He has been a hit ever since so I felt I couldn’t help but bring him out. He’s my pet indoor pig and he loves the beach so that was also a motivation behind it because he pushes around the sand with his snout,” DeCaro said.
“I try to teach people to make sure you know what you leave behind and notice the trash. It isn’t only all about us it is also about the animals and our ecosystem,” she added.
Ortley Beach was just one of several sweep locations that were to be held that day. Other Beach Sweeps in Ocean County were to include Bay Head, Berkeley, Brick, Island Beach State Park, Lavallette, Long Beach Island, Mantoloking, Ocean Gate, Point Pleasant, Point Pleasant Beach, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Normandy Beach and Tuckerton.
Three volunteers at the Berkeley location – Dudley Park – stayed at the picnic tables to let people know it was cancelled. They still picked up a few things while they were there.
Clean Ocean Action started the Beach Sweeps in 1985. It is one of the longest running cleanups of its kind in the world. The program grew from 75 people at one site in 1985, to over 10,000 volunteers in 2018.
Volunteers gather as groups (community, school, business, and organization), families, or individuals and collect and record valuable data about debris, which is presented in annual reports.
“If you want to change the world, people power is the answer,” COA Executive Director Cindy Zipf said. “The Beach Sweeps is proof positive of that fact. We are grateful and inspired by the dedication and true-blue spirit of volunteers.”
Fish, whales, birds, and other animals often mistake litter for food. As a result, animals get entangled in or ingest items, such as plastic bags, cigarette filters, and fishing line, with deadly results. Cigarette filters are made of plastic fibers and trap carcinogenic chemicals that are introduced into animals’ bloodstreams.
Watershed Program Manager Alison Jones said, “last year, over 10,000 volunteers welcomed the opportunity to gather safely, get outside, and give back by participating in the Beach Sweeps. As always, their hard work and diligent data collection provided COA with interesting insights about litter at the Jersey Shore.”
