By ODA Advisory Board Member Cheryl McCarthy
On Saturday, November 8th, over 20 Disney VoluntEARS (volunteers!) drove nearly an hour each to join Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA) in our first ever beach cleanup with the Disney organization.
This spirited team of volunteers ranged in age from their twenties to their sixties! They spent more than two hours making the oceans cleaner by enthusiastically removing debris from Orange County beaches and surrounding wetlands. With gloves on and bags in hand, they collected trash carelessly discarded by previous beach-goers, and various items that had washed in on the tides.
I enjoyed meeting them all, and it was great to hear them say how much fun this experience turned out to be-many also discussed how surprised they were by the amount of trash humans leave behind.
The group told me they would love to participate in beach cleanups with ODA multiple times a year, and they now have a better understanding of how debris can alter marine ecosystems and endanger sea life.
As a member of the ODA Advisory Board, it makes my heart glad to see more people become not just aware-but involved! Experiences like this, with these kinds of wonderful, caring people, definitely gives me more hope for our oceans.
ODA shares our deep THANKS and appreciation to everyone involved!
[Editors note: sorry for the delayed posting everyone! Our technical difficulties have been resolved! And big kudos and thanks to our dear friend Cheryl McCarthy for her cheerful service to the oceans!]Be sure to check out all the great pics from our fun and successful day caring for our precious sandy coastline!