“This research can be used to connect people from across the world.”
That was one of the remarks Haley Dalian from the NOAA Marine Debris Program shared after helping a group of high schoolers survey and clear litter from a Lake Huron beach recently.
As the Great Lakes Regional Coordinator, she was excited to make a trip north and be able to see some young students in our Outside & Unplugged program helping with the surveying! Erin Jaszczak from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation was also able to take part in the day.
Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary received a grant through the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program to help remove and track marine debris in three places along the sanctuary coastline this summer.
Our education team has been working it into programming across Negwegon State Park, Besser Natural Area, and North Point Nature Preserve.
Some wonderful news to share is that very little marine debris has been found in these locations!
Of course we must remain proactive to maintain that and spread it to other shorelines in more populated places.
It is something each of us has the power to impact! Using a reusable water bottle and keeping all of your belongings and trash tightly packed away while at the beach is key.
Not only does it keep our natural resources beautiful, but it keeps our environment and wildlife thriving.
