Our planet could be a lush planet…

Inside the Atlantic City Pier is a small, bright, cheerful store with an assortment of wonderful scents literally pouring out of their doors. If you happen to meander inside, you will find yourself surrounded by colorful bins of soaps and bath balls, small jars with a disturbing resemblance to ice cream tubs full of scrubs and baskets of other beauty products. You are inside Lush, a store full of fresh, hand made and eco-friendly cosmetics.

from www.lush.com

Lush prides itself on many eco-friendly practices, including using recycled paper and vegetable dyes for their packaging, if they use packaging at all. Many Lush beauty products are in tins or are “naked.” They don’t believe in animal testing, and they are all about living green and getting people to contribute to helping the planet in small ways, because together it will lead to big things.

In their About Lush section, they have tips for green living, and how to keep a green bathroom.

The staff in the Atlantic City Lush are knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. Any question you have, they can answer. The girl that waited on me also sent me away with free samples of soap, which I have to admit, I am now hooked on.

Sometimes it is hard to realize how many different ways you can be eco-friendly, you hear so many big ideas like buying solar panels for your home or buying electric or hybrid cars.  But there are also little ways you can help  like using eco-friendly cosmetics and soaps in your bathroom. It is like running a race, you can take small strides and still reach the finish line with everyone else!

by Jessica Westerland

And the results are….

The fall Clean Ocean Action beach sweep that took place on Poplar Ave in Wildwood Saturday, October 24 went wonderful! This fall’s turnout of local volunteers was even greater than in the spring. We had a large group of kids from a local high school, as well as kids from 2 other high schools.  There was a group of people from the Coast Guard base, and even families.

Together between 60 and 7o volunteers collected around 20 full bags of trash. This season the most frequent item found was again straws, with 326 collected total. Second on the list was 180 plastic bottles and 112 candy/food wrappers.

 There are 94 different items listed on the COA trash item score cards, and only 8 items weren’t found on the beach. That means 86 different types of trash were found, just in a 3 block stretch of beach in Wildwood.  If this information doesn’t help people realize just how dirty our beaches are, I don’t know what will!

Trash doesn’t just mar beautiful scenery,and endanger the feet of those walking around, it endangers the animals and the ecosystem. Cigarette butts and plastic peices can be consumed by turtles, birds, and other marine life and can kill them. Animals can be tangled in plastic ties and 6 pack holders. Everyone has their own motivation, and my motivation to clean the beach is to help the marine life that I share the island with.

Here is a slideshow of pictures, if you place your cursor over the picture it will bring up the caption. Enjoy!

Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps!

Yes, it is that time of year again!

Clean Ocean Action is running their beach clean-ups again, Saturday October 24 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Since the beach sweeps started in 1985 with just 75 people, it has now grown to over 70,000 volunteers that have collectively removed more than 3.5 million pieces of debris from New Jersey’s beaches and waterways. There are many different sites to choose from, ranging from Essex county down to Cape May County.

ATLANTIC COUNTY LOCATIONS             

• Atlantic City - Albany Ave at the Beach Patrol Station
• Brigantine – 17th St, South
• Longport - 35th Street
• Margate - Granville Ave
• Oceanville – Forsythe Wildlife Refuge, Visitors Center
• Ventnor - Newport Ave – Sponsored by Adventure Aquarium of Camden

 CAPE MAY COUNTY LOCATIONS  

• Avalon - 30th St.  
• Cape May - 2nd Ave Beach- Site Sponsored by Lower Cape May Regional Education Association 
• Del Haven – Sunray Beach at Eldredge Avenue
• North Wildwood - 15th Ave at Beach Patrol Building (Pending due to Beach Re-nourishment)
• Ocean City – 9th St Music Pier
• Sea Isle City – JFK Blvd ***October 17, 2009***
• Strathmere  - Webster Ave
• Stone Harbor – 95th St. PENDING!
• Wildwood - Poplar Ave.

 ESSEX COUNTY MEETING LOCATION 

• Glen Ridge/Montclair - Toney’s Brook at Woodland Ave near Pierson Place

MIDDLESEX COUNTY LOCATION

• South Amboy - Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, Meet at the Gazebo 

MONMOUTH COUNTY LOCATIONS   

• Aberdeen - Fisherman’s Parking Lot at Cliffwood Beach
• Asbury Park - Convention Hall at the Boardwalk
• Atlantic Highlands – Meet at East End of Boat Launch at Atlantic Highlands Marina - Site Sponsored by NuStar Energy
• Avon – Pavilion at Norwood & Ocean Aves
• Belmar - (2 Sites) 1. Belmar Fishing Club, First Ave; 2. 16th Avenue beach 
• Bradley Beach - Gazebo at 5th & Ocean Aves
• Brielle- Fisk Avenue and the Public Access Point at the Drawbridge
• Deal – Philips Ave beach
• Keansburg - Laurel & Beachway Aves
• Keyport -  New Location: Cedar Street
• Loch Arbour/Allenhurst - Euclid Ave
• Long Branch – Meet at Turning Point Cafe, Pier Village
• Manasquan - Main St beach
• Middletown Twp (4 sites) – 1. Leonardo Public Beach North; 2. Leonardo Public Beach South at Beach Ave; 3. Ideal Beach at Ocean Ave & Bayside Pkwy; 4. Bayshore Waterfront Park at Fishing Pier parking lot next to Seabrook/Wilson House
• Monmouth Beach -  CANCELED! Due to Construction
• Ocean Grove - Meet at Flagpole on the Beach
• Sandy Hook - Parking Lot E – Site Sponsored by Wakefern Food Corp. ShopRite, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Sea Bright (4 sites) - 1. Ferguson Beach, north of Rumson/Sea Bright Bridge; 2. Meet at Gaiter’s Restaurant Oceanside; 3. Meet at Riverside Cafe (Mirasol Restaurant); 4. Meet at Public Beach parking lot - Site Sponsored by Monmouth County Association of Realtors
• Sea Girt – Boardwalk at Beacon Blvd
• Spring Lake - South End Pavilion at Atlantic & Ocean Aves
• Union Beach - Florence Ave at Front St (by Statue)

OCEAN COUNTY LOCATIONS  

• Barnegat – Municipal Dock at end of East Bay Ave
• Bay Head – Central Market at Rt 35 & Mount St
• Beachwood - Public Beach, Compass Ave 
• Brick - Brick Beach III on Rt 35 North, next to Ocean Club and across from Bayside Park
• Lakewood - Lake Carasaljo, meet across from St. Mary’s Church on Rt 9
• Lavallette – Philadelphia Ave beach
• Mantoloking – Downer Ave beach
• Normandy Beach – Meet at Labrador Lounge at Peterson St & Rt 35 North
• Ocean Gate – Wildwood Ave Pier
• Ortley Beach - Third Ave beach
• Pt. Pleasant – Maxson Ave beach and River Ave beaches – Sponsored by Bank of America
• Pt. Pleasant Beach - (2 sites) 1. Jenkinson’s Aquarium on the Boardwalk - Site Hosted by Jenkinson’s Aquarium; 2. Maryland Ave.
• Seaside Heights (2 sites) - 1. Grant Avenue on the Boardwalk; 2. Bayside boat launch along Rt 35 South
• Seaside Park (4 sites) -  1. Stockton Ave on the boardwalk; 2. Second Avenue; 3. Midway Beach at 6th Lane; 4. Island Beach State Park – Bathing Pavilion #1

 

I am the Wildwood Beach Captain, on Poplar Ave. I and my crew will be there bright and early, getting some sun (hopefully) and helping out the enviroment.  Every time I am surfing and I watch gulls and sea birds swooping across the horizon, dolphins cutting in and out of waves, and fish and rays swimming under my board, I can’t help but feel protective towards the marine life that shares their habitat with me. I clean up the beaches to help keep these marine animals alive and healthy, as well as keeping my fond memories of the beach at sunset clear of unsightly trash. Who wants a photo of a gorgeous sunset with chip bags and empty bottles strewn around? No one! So make a difference, come out and help keep our beaches clean.

Green tips with a bite!

Idealbite.com is a bright, eye catching website that is devoted to giving its readers and followers small tips that can help their lives be more eco-friendly without stress.

If we all knew what we could do in the day to day to impact the planet and our communities in a positive way, we’d do it. But for most of us, there are not enough hours in the day as it is, never mind finding the time to learn which products are environmentally friendly and which aren’t, or what a label means when it says “organic,” “natural,” or “sustainable.” Ideal Bite is here to help, providing insight and inspiration, level-headed advice, and tried-and-true recommendations for people who aspire to align their everyday actions with their personal values.

Instead of having just general tips, they have tips for all subjects: health, fashion, home, living, entertainment, mama bite, and other topics inside of those. You wake up and want to learn something about eco-friendly fashion? There is a section for that. Not only are the tips refreshing and relevant to everyday, they are accompanied by inspiring pictures and charming illustrations.

On a personal note, they also referenced The Cure and 2 of their songs cleverly in one green living tip about eco-therapy. Being an avid Cure fan, I appreciated the humor.

Speaking of personal, that is exactly how the website feels. Personal, close, like you are reading one of your friend’s blogs. Their About Me section includes information about the team, and a page that tells the story of how the website was born, and the differences their readers have made already.

At least 11,973 Biters kept their tires properly inflated, saving enough gasoline to drive a hybrid car around the entire Earth

At least 14,967 Biters bought a CD online, keeping 3,300 lbs of plastic and paper out of the production stream

Take some time to check out this website, I don’t think you will be disapointed! You can also sign up to have their tips sent to your email, that way if you don’t have time to browse everyday you can read a quick tip while checking your email. So let yourself be inspired! And get outside soon and have an adventure.

photo by Jessica Westerland

 

Do you ever ask yourself questions, and never find out the answers?

I usually don’t!

Recently I bought a new battery, and windshield wipers for my car, because the price estimate from the dealer was absolutely ridiculous. I decided shopping around and doing it myself, would be much cheaper. After purchasing the items, wrassling with wrenches and wrangling the wind shield wipers on, I realized something. I had no idea how one would go about recycling common car parts properly! Tons of people I know change their own oil, windshield wipers and batteries, and how you do properly recycle them?

Instead of just wondering about the answer, I did some research.

Batteries: Many dealers, auto part stores, and car shops will recycle the old batteries for you properly. In my case I found out that the auto shop I went to actually offers a 10 dollar rebate for bringing the battery back.

Antifreeze and used motor oil:  Collect in a container with a tight fitting lid, and then call your local municipal recycling office to ask about curbside collection or a municipal drop off location.

Check your local MUA website for other parts and how to recycle them, as well as hours and drop off locations if they don’t offer curbside pick-ups. The information I gathered was from Cape May County’s MUA website.

Avalon NJ is making green steps!

When people find out that I am into helping the environment, I constantly hear the same few comments in response. 1-Oh, you are a hippy huh? 2- You really think you can make a difference? 3- That’s cool…but one person can’t really make a big difference.

I am then forced to hop on my soapbox, and tell them through so many words or less, that one person does make a difference. Especially if that one person has friends! Avalon NJ, is an example of a group of people who together are going to make a difference.

The Cape May County Herald has the scoop on the Avalon Green Fair, planned for Oct 10 at Avalon’s Community Hall.

The Alternative Energy Resource Committee or “Green Team” is planning the first annual Avalon Green Fair, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce Seafood Festival, to kick off the borough’s initiative to capitalize on eco-friendly practices. 

All borough buildings, including the Public Safety Complex, Borough Hall, Senior Center, Community Hall and marina buildings, will be audited to record how much energy they use and where they could be more efficient.

An official inspection will take place and the audit will chart and record energy usage over the past two years of these public borough-owned buildings.

Conversions made to buildings to become more efficient, like replacing standard light bulbs with compact ones, earn points towards a 100-point requirement to be a certified municipality in the state program.

Officials said the borough could be reimbursed up to 100 percent of program costs. Homeowners will get a “soup to nuts review” of their property and $1,000 rebate if they volunteer to participate in the energy audit, said Collins.

The Green Fair will be full of people demonstrating and displaying different eco-friendly habits and products. It doesn’t matter if you don’t live in Avalon, you can be a part of the South Jersey shore’s step towards greener living.

Do you love the beach, the woods, the out-of-doors? Love the environment back, and help out.

 Photo by Jessica Westerland

Earth Day observations…

Happy Earth Day!

I noticed on the Slap website today, that they are promoting earth day and Element’s skatepark clean ups across the continent. Sure sure, maybe there isn’t one in South Jersey, but I can’t help but want to appreciate the people actually doing something for Earth Day today. They also had an interesting video posted on their site to convince people that they should reduce their plastic waste.

Today is Earth Day. Make a difference somehow, even if you are stuck at work today. Don’t litter, throw out that coffee cup that is resting on the ground one foot from the trash can. Do something, big or small for the earth today!

Lets hear it from you folks…

Help support what you love, come help the beaches!

Yep, it is that time again! Clean Ocean Action is having beach sweeps all up and down the New Jersey Coast! If you remember, last time Wildwood’s captain didn’t show up, and I apologized to everyone for not calling and confirming sites. This year I can tell you with certainty that Wildwood and the sites listed will have beach sweeps, because I am one of the captains!

I will be the beach sweep captain in Wildwood, on Poplar Ave. The beach sweep takes place Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Heres the deal: You come, bring a friend, and will be given a bag to collect trash. There is a bag for recyclables, and a bag for trash. One person collects, the other person records  what you guys are picking up on a data card.  THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Clean Ocean Action doesn’t just help keep the beaches clean, they get numbers and statistics that can be taken to the government to help the environment on a higher level, instead of just the personal. What sounds better? “Hey there is a bunch of trash on the beaches this year, you should fix that?” or “Hey. Over 302,000 pieces of trash were picked up this year. It has declined since last year, but still it is a terrible number. We need to fix this.”

I think you know which one has more authority to it. The one with the numbers! You can be part of discovering these numbers, and help keep the beaches clean that you know you will be visiting soon! The water and the weather is warming up, and soon everyone will be pulling out those flip flops and heading to the beaches!

You also are helping the marine life that shares these beaches with us.

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 mimic fish and have been found in the stomachs of birds and larger fish, blocking and affecting their digestion.  Also, the filters are made of plastic fibers and trap carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals that are introduced into animals’ bloodstreams. 

Here is the link to the slideshow I had made, helping to remind everyone of the wildlife we can help save. And don’t forget, plastics and other trash takes a long time to break down, so it is constantly threatening, and for years and years! Not to mention it can lodge in propellers and damage boats.

So come out to Wildwood or any other beach sweep site listed. Meet us people from Clean Ocean Action, have a chat, and help us keep the beach clean.

BEACH SWEEPS APRIL 25 2009 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

 

ATLANTIC COUNTY LOCATIONS             

• Atlantic City - Albany Ave at the Beach Patrol Station
• Brigantine – 17th St, South
• Corbin City - Main Street park
• Longport - PENDING!
• Margate - Granville Ave
• Oceanville – Forsythe Wildlife Refuge, Visitors Center
• Ventnor - Newport Ave – Sponsored by Adventure Aquarium of Camden

 CAPE MAY COUNTY LOCATIONS  

• Avalon - 30th St
• Cape May - 2nd St Beach – Site Sponsored by Lower Cape May Regional High School Environmental Club
• Del Haven – Sunray Beach at Eldredge Avenue
• Higbee’s Beach – New England Road 
• Ocean City – 9th St Music Pier
• Sea Isle City – JFK Blvd
• Strathmere  - Webster Ave
• Stone Harbor – 95th St
• Wildwood – Poplar Ave

 ESSEX COUNTY MEETING LOCATION 

• Glen Ridge/Montclair - Toney’s Brook at Woodland Ave near Pierson Place

MIDDLESEX COUNTY LOCATION

• South Amboy - Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, meet at the gazebo

MONMOUTH COUNTY LOCATIONS  

• Asbury Park - Convention Hall at the Boardwalk
• Atlantic Highlands – Meet at Harbor Parking Lot on First Ave.
• Avon – Pavilion at Norwood & Ocean Aves
• Belmar - (2 Sites) 1. Belmar Fishing Club, First & Ocean Aves; 2. 16th Avenue beach 
• Bradley Beach - Gazebo at 5th & Ocean Aves
• Deal – Philips Ave beach
• Keansburg - Laurel & Beachway Aves
• Keyport -  Cedar St Park - Sponsored by Keyport Business Alliance
• Loch Arbour/Allenhurst - Euclid Ave
• Long Branch – Meet at Turning Point Cafe, Pier Village
• Manasquan - Main St beach
• Middletown Twp (4 sites) – 1. Leonardo Public Beach North; 2. Leonardo Public Beach South at Beach Ave; 3. Ideal Beach at Ocean Ave & Bayside Pkwy; 4. Bayshore Waterfront Park at Fishing Pier parking lot next to Seabrook/Wilson House
• Monmouth Beach - Public access points at Cultural Center and Bathing Pavilion
• Ocean Grove - Meet at Flagpole on the Beach
• Sandy Hook - Parking Lot E – Sponsored by Panasonic EcoIdeas
• Sea Bright (4 sites) - 1. Meet at Gaiter’s Restaurant; 2. Meet at Riverside Cafe (Mirasol Restaurant); 3. Meet at Anchorage parking lot just north of Rumson/Sea Bright Bridge; 4. Meet at Public Beach parking lot - Sponsored by Monmouth County Association of Realtors and Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• Sea Girt – Boardwalk at Beacon Blvd
• Spring Lake - South End Pavilion at Atlantic & Ocean Aves
• Union Beach - Florence Ave at Front St (by Statue)

OCEAN COUNTY LOCATIONS  

• Barnegat – Municipal Dock at end of East Bay Ave
• Bay Head – Meet at Central Market at Rt 35 & Mount St
• Beachwood - Public Beach, Compass Ave 
• Brick - Brick Beach III on Rt 35 North, next to Ocean Club and across from Bayside Park
• Harvey Cedars – Hudson Avenue (not at Maris Stella as incorrectly reported in local newspapers)
• Lakewood - Lake Carasaljo, meet across from St. Mary’s Church on Rt 9
• Lavallette – Philadelphia Ave beach
• Mantoloking – Downer Ave beach
• Normandy Beach – Meet at Labrador Lounge at Peterson St & Rt 35 North
• Ocean Gate – Wildwood Ave Pier
• Ortley Beach - Third Ave beach
• Pt. Pleasant – Maxson Ave beach and River Ave beaches – Sponsored by Claremont Care Center 
• Pt. Pleasant Beach - (2 sites) 1. Jenkinson’s Aquarium on the Boardwalk - Site Hosted by Jenkinson’s Aquarium and Sponsored by Surfrider Foundation, Jersey Shore Chapter in memory of Daniel Clune; 2. Maryland Ave.
• Seaside Heights (2 sites) – 1. Grant Avenue on the Boardwalk; 2. Bayside boat launch along Rt 35 South Sponsored by J. Knipper and Co.
• Seaside Park (5 sites) -  1. Stockton Ave on the boardwalk; 2. Second Avenue; 3. Bayside at 13th Ave. boat launch; 4. Midway Beach at 6th Lane; 5. Island Beach State Park – Ocean Bathing Pavilion #1

Paul Watson from Sea Shepherd!

Hey all,

photo by Jessica Westerland J.West

I don’t know if you remember me mentioning before how I was reading a book about Paul Watson and his valiant efforts to help the environment and marine life by saving whales and seals.
 

both whale photos by Jessica Westerland J. West

If you do, awesome, if you don’t I am about to enlighten you.

Paul Watson is a co-founder of Green Peace, and has dedicated his whole life to helping save whales, seals and other marine life. He founded Sea Shepherd, a group that protects these animals. He has rammed poaching ships, and sprayed colored dye on seals so their pelts will be useless and poachers won’t be interested.

Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd have inspired many people, including Dave Rastovich an Australian Surfer and whale activist, who then founded Surfers For Cetaceans. You may have seen footage of his protest in Japan against dolphin slaughtering. Hayden Panttiere of the NBC show Heroes was there, along with many other surfers.

If you love the beach and the ocean, surely it’s creatures have touched your life in someway. I can recall with perfect clarity the joy of being 2 feet from a dolphin, perched on my surfboard out in the ocean. I looked into it’s big brown eyes, and fell in love. Sometimes I paddle out farther then neccessary just in hopes of seeing these beautiful creatures. Most people get jumpy when they are surfing and see a fin, but a dolphin’s swim is so distinct and instantly recognizable that you are instantly filled with the peace and joy of seeing them so close. Dolphins love to play in the ocean just like us surfers do.

If you want to hear more about Paul Watson in person, he is going to be coming to Rowan University Thursday, April 23 at 4:00 p.m. in the Ballroom upstairs in the Student Center.

Sponsored by the Office of the President, the Thomas N. Bantivoglio Honors Concentration and the Environmental Studies Major, among others, the lecture by Captain Watson will address his 40 years of active engagement in the environmental movement.  Co-founder of Greenpeace and founder of the Sea Shepard Society, Captain Watson and the Sea Shepard Society can be seen in the sensational Animal Planet series “Whale Wars.”

A stunning and spine tingling series, “Whale Wars” chronicles the efforts of Captain Watson and his dedicated band of volunteers to stop commercial whaling in the seas that surround the Antarctic.  

From areas of international law to environmental ethics, from citizen activism to managing the volunteer organization’s message for optimal public relations impact, the work of Captain Paul Watson will engage you as tales of the confrontational–but non-violent–approach to defending the environment are recounted in what promises to be an inspirational presentation.

After reading his book, trust me, this should be a great presentation!