Last week, I was on my fall break and I want to a mostly private beach in Florida. Usually the beach is spotless, clear of trash. Sand, shells, rocks, driftwood -- that's about the extent of it. I know that's not the case with all beaches, as trash seems to accumulate lining the sand often. Well, this year the beach I went to surprised me. There were tons of trash, lining the sand, caught in seaweed scattered on the shore. I took a ten minute walk, probably only 300 yards down the beach and back, and picked up all of the trash you can see above. This included parts of plastic wrappers, ropes, balloons and string, cups, water bottles, water jugs, and much more.

Humans create trash. It's a fact. But it doesn't have to be left on the beach, or near the beach, or end up in a natural environment like the ocean. When I was on the beach last week, I observed the many species of birds there. Some dove in the water for fish, some ran along the sand pecking at crustaceans and invertebrates in the water, and others scavenged in the seaweed. The trash that is along the shore and in the water can be deadly to them. Imagine one going to eat some seaweed and getting the string of a balloon stuck in their stomach, or getting their feet tangled in some wire or rope that has been left. Plastic items with holes can become traps. And that's just the birds. There are turtles that nest on this beach, crabs in the sand, dolphins spottable in the distance, jellyfish, and a plethora of sea animals. Trash affects them all.

I know some people may say "Who cares?", but there is a balance in the ecosystem. Why leave trash? What's the point? It does no good. Here's what I found on my walk:

There are a few lessons from this.

First of all, we need to take care of our own trash. If your hands are full and you can't grab it all, make trips. Don't let your laziness cost the ecosystem. Just don't leave it there. Whether you're at a public or a private beach, anywhere, you can't expect others to pick it up for you before it harms nature.

Second, take five or ten minutes, and try to pick up some of the trash on the beach. Even if it's not yours. Some of the trash isn't just from beach-goers, but it can be from the wind carrying it to the ocean from somewhere nearby, or other places and the water carries it. So if there's trash, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is from beach-goers there. Imagine if everyone took a ten minute walk down the beach, and picked up the main pieces of trash that they see. Our beaches would be so much cleaner. If it's too dirty for you, bring some gloves and just pick up a bit! Even if you don't know what to do with it, you just pick it up, collect it, and find a garbage on your way out.

Third, let's increase our general awareness of trash and its effects on the environment. Sometimes I think that we only see nature for its beauty. We sit on the beach and pull out our technology and take pictures of how pretty the water is and how nice the weather is. When you do that, though, try to see the things that are affecting it: the bag of chips that blows away from you when it's empty, the water bottle washed up from the ocean, or the ropes or fishing line from fishers that got lost in the sand. We have to open our eyes to be able to see the little things we can do to help.

Looking to make a difference somewhere in life? The change begins with you noticing the trash, acting on what you observe, and pushing for change to continue through others. We all care about the Earth we live on, and though we may not feel picking up trash makes an immediate difference, the change begins with you. Start now!