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This Month’s Contents:
Blue Ocean
Society News |
"Poop Squad" Volunteers Needed!
Upcoming Events
| NH Coastal Program Funding Available|
Conservation Tip
Blue Ocean Society News
Happy
New Year! A warm welcome to the many new members that
joined during the holiday season.
As we
develop our outreach materials and programs, it’s always
crucial to evaluate them. I’d like to start by asking for
your feedback on our e-newsletter!
 We’ve
had the same e-news format for awhile now, and are trying to
determine if the content and length are right, or if we need
to make changes in 2008. Your responses are extremely
important in directing the future of this e-newsletter!
Please visit this link:
http://www.blueoceansociety.org/enewssurvey.htm to take
our short (5 minutes or less) survey and provide your
feedback. As incentive, respondents will be entered in
drawings for a free Blue Ocean Society t-shirt and
long-sleeve t-shirt! Even if you are a new subscriber, many
of the questions will pertain to you.
After
the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and two
successful open
houses here at our office, we’re welcoming the quiet that
January can bring. Although it’s traditionally a slower
month, it is also an exciting one in that we’re wrapping up
our data for the year and getting a first real look at the
results associated with our efforts.
One
bit of information that I can share already is that through
our Adopt-a-Beach program in NH and ME, volunteers conducted
at least 219 cleanups in 2007! That is 39 more cleanups
than last year, and really shows the interest in marine
conservation evident here in New Hampshire. It also shows
the need – unfortunately, it seems that at some beaches, we
could do a cleanup every day and still not get all the
marine debris. Hopefully as we continue doing cleanups and
using the data generated to develop outreach tools, the need
for cleanups will be less as time goes on.
If
you’d like to set up a cleanup for your group or be involved
in our Adopt-a-Beach program, please contact us. We hope
you have a happy, healthy New Year!
(And please don't forget to take the survey!)
 Thanks
to Leo Gagnon, Strategic Real Estate Advisor with
Keller
Williams Realty, for his generous support as our 2007 Annual
Sponsor!
Dog Waste Outreach: "Poop
Squad" Volunteers Wanted!
In the dead of winter, stroll upon many beaches and
you’re likely to see lot s
of dogs. In many towns in New Hampshire, dogs are only permitted on
the beach during the day after the end of the busy summer season.
Unfortunately, that also usually results in lots of dog waste on the
beach. During 2007, we documented dog waste present at 79 beach
cleanups, for a total of 425 “incidences” of dog waste! Not only
is it gross to step in dog poop, but dog waste can contain harmful
organisms responsible for polluting water supplies.
Are you upset about this problem, too? Help us
encourage responsible dog ownership by participating in our “poop
squad” (working title)! Starting in January, we’ll be handing out
dog bones (generously donated by
Barkin’ Biscuit),
biodegradable waste bags and pledge cards to dog owners on the beach
and we can use your help. We have 2,000 biscuits to hand out, so the
more help we have, the better, and hopefully our cleanup volunteers
will find less poop this winter!
Contact
Patty Adell at (603) 431-0260 for more information, and visit
our Dog Waste
Outreach Project page.
Upcoming Events
MLK Day Rally & Volunteer Fair:
Monday,
January 21. Rally starts at 11 AM, to be followed by a march for
justice in downtown Portsmouth, lunch, and a volunteer fair. Events
sponsored by City Year New Hampshire and the United Way. Visit us at
the volunteer fair and learn about our opportunities for the New
Year! City Year has many events going on this day around the
country, for more information, visit
http://www.cityyear.org/dynamic_ektid372.aspx.
MLK Day Beach Cleanup at Jenness Beach:
Monday, January 21 at 2:30 PM. Make this day a day of service by
joining us for our annual MLK Day beach cleanup.
Click here for more information and to sign up.
Volunteer Night:
We haven’t
scheduled our next one yet, but if you want to be on our list to be
informed of upcoming dates, e-mail
jen@blueoceansociety.org.
Don’t live
locally?
Maybe you have some expertise that would help us remotely, such as
by helping with writing projects, fundraising, or coordinating
cleanups in your area!
Coming soon:
details on Earth Day cleanups in April!!
NH Coastal Program
Funding Available
The New Hampshire Coastal Program, which has been
hugely supportive of
 our efforts, is currently accepting
applications for its 2008
grant round.
Through federal
funding, NHCP enables projects that address coastal resources, like
water quality protection, public access and education. Grants are
offered on a competitive basis to eligible applicants, and at least
a one to one match is required. For more information, visit
http://www.des.nh.gov/coastal/Grants/index.html.
Conservation Tip of the Month
Cigarette
butts were the number one item found at our beach cleanups this year
(over 80,000 collected!) and are a top item worldwide during the
International Coastal Cleanup each September.
Why do we
care? Did you know that a cigarette butt takes years to degrade?
(Reports vary from 1 year to over 20 years per butt!) Butts on the
ground can pose a hazard to wildlife that eat them. They contain
tar, nicotine and toxic gases that can harm our water, and can cause
fires.
If you’re a
smoker, set a positive example for your fellow smokers by disposing
of your butts properly. If you’re not a smoker, try to say something
when you see someone littering butts (“hey, you dropped something!”,
nicely said, might make them think twice about what they’re doing).
Let’s work together in making it not okay for butts to litter
the ground!
What do YOU
do if someone throws a cigarette butt on the ground? Send an
e-mail and let us know!
Thanks for your interest in marine conservation. If you wish
to support our work, please click here.
Have you become a member yet?
Click here
to buy merchandise such as Adopt-a-Marine Creature
packets, t-shirts and sweatshirts online!
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