Museum of Litter

FOUND: Lost Wedding Band

This wedding band was found at the beach in Lauderdale by the Sea, FL. The inscription reads ANDRES and is dated 09-21-07. We'd like to return this ring. If you know the owner please have them contact us at [email protected] Thank you.

Litter Donations -- Friday, May 29, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

The beach was mostly litter-free this morning -- probably because it's a weekday and it's been rainy, so the beach has been less crowded.  Walked the shoreline heading North from behind Windjammer,  under Commercial Pier and as far as High Noon. In about an hour, collected only about half a small bag's worth of litter. Find of the day ( from behind Aruba ) :  a wrapper from a glow in the dark condom. I already know the artwork I'll make with that ... to be announced!

Litter Donations -- Tuesday, May 26, 2009 - Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

 

Didn't have time to pick up litter this morning. Gary was on the beach talking to a tourist, an electrician from Connecticut, who said the amount of beach litter was "disgusting". This visitor had a plastic bag and was picking up our litter. Thanks for pitching in where you saw a need. He's thinking of moving here. Hope he does. Florida could use more residents like him! 

Litter Donations -- May 25, 2009 (Memorial Day) -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

 

Late start because of the on-going rain -- around 10am there was a sunny break and we headed out, starting at the Datura portal (behind Windjammer ) going north past Oriana, the Commercial Pier, Aruba and High Noon, stopping at Minto's, Villas by the Sea.

 

When I first entered the beach, a very sunburned tourist spotted an small sea creature on shore that could not get back out to the ocean.  It was moving slightly & looked like a slug. Her friend got a cup for the creature, filled it with sea water & it came to life all undulating and frilly, like a beautiful Alvin Ailey ballet. Click on the following blue sentence to see it in action:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqJohD-kM84  Her kids took it far out into the ocean so maybe it has a good chance of survival.

 

In two places I found fishing line tangled around plastic debris with seaweed and fish hooks. I would have liked to save the hooks for display in the Museum's hook line & sinker collection but it was so tangled I couldn't safely remove the litter. As it was, the hook pricked my plastic glove. I removed as much of the seaweed as I could safely and threw the rest away.

 

Collected one large (kitchen size) -- very heavy -- garbage bag worth of litter, just from the shoreline, in about an hour.

Litter Donations -- May 24, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea / Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

It was an overcast Sunday on a holiday weekend with hardly anyone on the beach when we set out Sunday around 1 pm. We collected litter along the shoreline from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Pier, south along Galt Ocean Mile and filled three full bags.  Photo shows first of three "publix" size bags collected.

 

One item of interest: a very large bone. It was about a foot long, flaring out at top and bottom where it would attach to a joint and was about an inch thick. Just left it where it was because it's organic, but I now wish I'd taken a picture.

Litter Donations: May 22, 2009 -- Lauderdale by the Sea, FL

From Datura Portal to Pier and back again collected one large kitchen bag and one grocery bag full:

40 WAYS TO BE PLASTIC FREE

 

If you saw the depressingly beautiful video Plastic Kills Sea Turtles

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67JRaWmdhls

 

you might be interested in inventive ways to reduce your plastic consumption. Check out:

 

http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/2007/10/list.html

PLASTIC KILLS SEA TURTLES

 

This hauntingly beautiful video about Sea Turtles is a great visual reminder of why it's so important to eliminate litter on the beach and in the ocean:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67JRaWmdhls

 

This is why the Museum of Litter picks up all the miniscule pieces of plastic at the ocean's edge. Sometimes people comment our beach is clean. Even on days it looks clean, you'd be amazed at the quantity of tiny pieces of plastic along the shore. We invite you to join us in eliminating litter. Even if you're traveling it's easy to carry a small plastic bag and collect debris. It's very pleasant and will make you feel good about helping the planet. 

 

Every litter bit hurts. Every little bit (picked up) helps. 

Plastic Litter Collected by the Museum of Litter

This is just a small portion of the plastic and other debris picked up, sanitized and sorted by the Museum of Litter.

This detritus is awaiting divine inspiration to become art. A lot of this is just miscellaneous broken pits of plastic but we also have "collections": plastic lighters, baby binkys, bottlecaps & straws.

Additional plastic not shown here is our toy collection,  a huge bin of plastic toys, buckets & shovels left at the beach, and the dive collection, flippers, masks and snorkels left behind.

Is a decapitated goat considered litter?

The remains of a goat and chicken was found on our local/family/tourist beach this week. Fortunately, I did not spot this, but was told about it.  A bag with a cloth sticking out of it appeared to be stained with fresh blood. If I'd seen it I probably would have investigated because I almost always wear gloves and am very curious about what people leave behind. Well, this would have certainly gotten my goat. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Was told this is fairly common this time of year ... we are in South Florida, after all.

I usually leave behind any organic matter (dead fish, orange peels) to decompose. What would I have done with a decapitated goat and headless chicken? I don't even want to think about it. Sure glad I didn't find them.