More CONGRATULATIONS in Order

[Octoloco]

We saw Laura J. on the news last night - apparently she's been removing car batteries from the waters in Puget Sound (I think 22 is the total?). We only caught the tail-end of the news item but what a nasty, tough, wonderful, green job she's doing. She certainly deserves a huge congratulations for this work as well as all the other things she does for the Puget Sound waters.

[defied]

Congrats, guys! Keep up the great work!

D

[mpenders]

Nice!

http://mynorthwest.com/11/647461/Seattl ... at-a-time#

[John Rawlings]

WOOT!!!!!

This is one heck of a meaningful project that is really making a difference!

- John

[spatman]

Laura, if you're reading this, I want a signed 8x10 of this glamor shot.

[ljjames]

Thanks all!! I has been a total team effort! There is absolutely no way i could have done any of it without the support of a large group of people. In reality its only a tiny tiny achievement in the bigger picture, and i'm a bit embarrassed by all the press. I just hope that we can use it for good and get more people involved both underwater and topside.

We have gotten most of the batteries out of cove 2 and a couple out of cove 3. We are on to the plastics. Everyone is welcome to come join the fun, bring your mesh bags and a sense of adventure, we tend to stir up massive amounts of silt pulling the big tarps. If you don't have a mesh bag i have some little ones I hand out on site for 'small stuff'. If you are not sure if you are ready for making a silt mess, you are also invited out to be buddies for the cleaning crew, and just hover above whomever is making the mess This is something ALL divers can do.



http://vimeo.com/37737450

There are some fantastic resources online to help you learn what is good for fish homes and what should go... Right now we are focusing on plastics and random things like sweatpants, t-shirts and other clothing items... If you want to learn a bit more, Project Aware has a really good self-study guide.

http://www.projectaware.org/resource/di ... tudy-guide

My larger 'dream' so to speak for Cove 2 is to get the plastics and such out via a consistent weekly efforts (and keep it clean) and then work with Marker Buoy and other dive clubs who want to be involved to do maintenance and such on the lines and habitats that are there. I think if we do a nice job showing the city that we are stewards of the divers park and not just 'users' it will make a case for getting some money to pay for things that are needed (new rope, etc.. Fritz has more knowledge in that area) We all use this park, in fact we dive the dickens out of it... Its time we take a bit of ownership - and not just the handful of individuals who have done so in the past, we need community ownership

For the folks who are worried that we are going to strip the cove barren, please do not fret, we are leaving things like bottles for gunnels and such. the tires are a consternation (I want them gone, as do the restoration ecology folks i've chatted with) but several people have voiced opposition. I guess for now a happy middle ground could be if folks will help bundle them up underwater and get them up off the substrate maybe we can make better habitat out of them. As it is, laying in the mud, they are doing nothing but leeching phthalates and other chemicals into the water and substrate surrounding them and not even providing a foothold for anemones and such. There is a massive bottle garden over by cove 3, and I kind of wonder if we could transport some of those bottles into a 'new' bottle garden area in the 40-50' range where there is nothing but underpants and old plastic... i imagine that could keep folks busy for quite some time...

The number one thing here is being safe, having fun, and giving back to the waterways that gives us all so much joy.

and yes spatty, if you come out and help, I'll autograph a picture for you

[spatman]

and yes spatty, if you come out and help, I'll autograph a picture for you

It's a deal, then. I won't be able to come up for a couple weeks, though. Do you publish a schedule somewhere?

[ljjames]

Our aim is every Sunday at around 1pm-ish, at cove 2. These are dives in addition to cleanup work, so you'll have photogs, video geeks, people practicing their back kick so they don't get enveloped in the silt cloud from "the cleaning", people using lift bags, people just practicing neutral buoyancy...

I don't want folks to completely burn out on the cleanup stuff in two weeks flat because that doesn't help the end goal

I want people to have a good time in addition to doing something good. I would say that this is very loosely organized. There is a core group of friends that have been meeting every sunday for over a year and a half now, but only this past few months has the cleaning kicked into action. If folks show up without a buddy, I'll either end up buddying with you (which means you get to be at the center of the silt storm) or someone else will.

What i can likely guarantee, just so that folks are forewarned, this is not a 'team diving' only thing. It is absolutely positively non-denominational. If you are showing up thinking you won't see a split fin or snorkel, you will be sorely disappointed. You will see divers in trim, rocking their jet fins... You might see a CCR or two... You might even see picture perfect scooter divers with stage bottles doing deep battery surveys. But as has always been the case with dives I've been a part of, everyone is welcome and there is no us / them BS allowed.

(I do draw the line at solo diving though, you can do that on your own time, not mine)

[defied]

(I do draw the line at solo diving though, you can do that on your own time, not mine)

Well damn. I'm out. 0]

D

[ljjames]

If a solo diver picks up trash in Cove 2 will anyone hear him?

[defied]

If a solo diver picks up trash in Cove 2 will anyone hear him?

I hope not. I do my best work in the shadows.

D

[vs920]

Laura,

When do you plan on starting this clean-up?

[ljjames]

We've been at it since January

Sunday, 1pm-ish is our general meet time

[ArcticDiver]

Wow, what a great thing!

For anyone who is hesitant about joining the project; Don't Be. I was a bit shy of a similar one I stumbled into while visiting the Keys. After a time of recovering anchors, fishing gear, trash, parts, etc., all on my dive dime, I felt really good. Plus, it was great practice applying dive skills for something more useful than just doing more drills.

The downside is that I can't join in.

[defied]

Even though the general meet time is Sunday, keep in mind that it doesn't hurt anyone's feelings if we all continue to remove one piece of garbage every dive.

D

[ljjames]

EXACTLY!!!!! If we go out to pull that nasty-ass tarp, the underwear and chopped up boat fenders, and find them already gone, I will NOT be broken hearted in the slightest

If you do pull them, please consider logging them with either Project Aware or Marine Debris tracker...

http://www.projectaware.org/

http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/


Taking the time to log the debris we as diver/stewards remove from this area (and other sites) will theoretically help our cause with regards to getting City to toss in a few $$ towards maintenance of the divers parks.

[defied]

Leave my underwear alone. That's an entirely new, and awesome ecosystem being created. 0]

D

[yodelhawk]

Man that sounds like fun! Wish I was closer!

[defied]

Man that sounds like fun! Wish I was closer!

Ah, you need but only one excuse to join them on their mayhem. 0]

Or, do as I do, and just cleanup as you go. Like I said, one piece of crap a dive makes a difference.

D

[defied]

Oh, and great work on the Les Davis clean up on Saturday. Awesome work from everyone including Laura and her cohorts.

[ljjames]

Sunday, cove 2, continuing the effort...



http://vimeo.com/39181324

[BASSMAN]

I work week-ends, but great work Laura and nice picture too! Keep up the great work but stay away from Three Tree N., we like our junk yard there! Actually if I see any Batteries or Plastic tarps, I'll pull them out. but as of yet, I have not seen any there. Sitka, AK harbor, is a great place to find batteries and shopping carts + about a thousand other things.

[DiverChris]

Thanks for the inspiration Laura.

I had a few minutes at lunch the other day and decided to see what trash I could collect in the intertidal zone at Myrtle Edwards Park. In less than an hour I had collected a large garbage can (50gal) of plastic bottles, styrofoam, fabric, tarps, rope and other assorted debris.

-Chris

[ljjames]

That is BRILLIANT Chris!!!!! In turn you inspire others (and me to keep at it) Thank you so much!!!!!!

Thanks for the inspiration Laura.

I had a few minutes at lunch the other day and decided to see what trash I could collect in the intertidal zone at Myrtle Edwards Park. In less than an hour I had collected a large garbage can (50gal) of plastic bottles, styrofoam, fabric, tarps, rope and other assorted debris.

-Chris

[spudgunman]

haha that glamour shot is awesome, I will come out if I get an autographed copy of that!