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It's Soon Clean-Up Time On Oregon Coast

By Guy DiTorrice

Bob Straub State Park, Pacific City

(Oregon Coast) - Here on the coast we're heading into spring breaks and annual migrations of luggage-laden visitors heading west, while plump, full whales head north. Four-tire vehicles will move up and down the coast bearing humans hoping to catch a glimpse of our denizens of the deep. Large air-breathing machines will be paddling their way from the warmer waters of the Baja to their frolicking grounds off-shore here, or heading further up the coast and the treats of the chilly Aleutians.

It's all an amazing sight: Whales finding their way unassisted along a hemisphere-length trail of annual migrations, while many of us can't leave town without checking MapQuest for directions. Less amazing is the gas stations which manage to know exactly when we're doing our recreational driving, and making sure the price-per-gallon we pay heightens with our enthusiasm for travel.

SOLV volunteers scouring the beach

The ocean is a globe-covering blanket of bright green and dark blue water, currents moving and waves crashing in a never-ending journey. Very low maintenance. Even generates its own weather of rain-drenching clouds to make sure it never goes empty.

Large mountain ranges of layered sandstones and molten-formed basalt climb from bottomless depths to eagle-soaring heights, providing us rock-solid headlands and sandy beaches. In Oregon, we're blessed these sanctuaries are always open to us so that we may spend our time in them to forget the travails of work, to recreate with our families and to just plan relax.

The Pacific asks so little: A bit less mess. A bit more fish. A few less dumpsites. A bit more cleaning.

True, we're doing a much better job and a lot more people are doing it. I often see conscientious folks on their beach walks with a recycling bag in one hand, carefully placing debris in it with the other. There isn't a need to a major "call to arms." But I think all of us need to be reminded about how little it takes to keep ocean waters bright green and dark blue. And it's equally important to be reminded how easy it is to turn them dark brown and oily.

Look for cleaner beaches (Nehalem Bay State Park)

It's nice to see how many people who walk on the beach as a regular part of their week include a plastic bag in their pockets. It's amazing how many times the bag comes back to the parking lot or State Park ready to be tossed into available garbage cans filled with beverage containers, melted juice jugs and just plain trash.

Here's a quick reminder about that invaluable twice-annual tradition from SOLV - those folks who are always working to preserve this treasure we call Oregon - for another tidying up of our most favorite recreational grounds. The Great Oregon Beach Clean-Up, Spring Edition, is scheduled for Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. There's an info link on-line at www.solv.org/ (click the TO VOLUNTEER link) or call toll-free 1-800-333-SOLV.

SOLV will line you up with a convenient coastal check-in point. They'll supply bags and vinyl gloves. You bring a safety pick-up stick (or rake), good walking shoes, clothes worn in weather-protective layers and a smile on your face. It's a volunteer effort, supported by all sorts of folks who take a little time to pick up debris on the beach, tote it to an appropriate pick-up point, and help spruce up our beaches - and ocean - for all of us.

Neskowin

You're invited to come alone, bring a friend or make it a company- or family-affair. There's plenty of beach for everyone.

Whales and people are always migrating past, to and from the Oregon Coast. It takes a little extra effort to migrate out the stuff we leave behind in our travels.

Thanks for taking the time for grabbing the memorable shell, the twisted piece of driftwood, that whole sand dollar, your very first real agate and - most importantly - any thing you might have brought with you that doesn't add to the beauty of the beach.

Guy DiTorrice is the former head of the Oregon Coast Visitors Association and currently gives fossil tours of central coast beaches as “Fossil Guy.” He lives near and walks often on the beaches of Oregon's central Coast, and is proud to be among the ranks of beach walkers who pack bags in their pockets to facilitate the removal of beach trash.

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