Thursday, February 15, 2001

Beach cleanups not futile

I get tired of hearing the "made bed" theory on the futility of beach cleanups.
   Why pick up the trash? It'll just be filthy again tomorrow.
   Give me a break. We remove garbage from our beaches for the same reason we make our bed and shower each day. Call it pride in appearance, self-respect, or do it because of the way it makes you feel.
   The apathetic alternative is a downward spiral that ends in hopelessness and ecological collapse. Not to mention unusable beaches.
   I suggest we could do it out of respect for the environment and the beach, or for Billy Sandifer, Padre Island steward extraordinaire, founder of the annual Big Shell Beach Clean Up - and reluctant role model.
   Billy holds no illusions about the task at hand or the endless stream of industrial pollution that litters our beaches. And he's aware that those laws meant to punish violators are mostly futile at this point because they are not enforced.
   But until things change, he refuses to sit idly by.
  
   Lone soldier
   Imagine a weathered Vietnam vet wearing a shark-tooth necklace and an old safari hat, peering from the window of a rusty Suburban and squinting through the wind, sand and sun at his beloved island. Sort of like Native American actor, Iron Eyes Cody, in those Keep American Beautiful television ads from the early 1970s. Remember the tear in his eye. Be honest, the combination of pride, heartbreak and strength in Cody's face got to you.
   Add a little indignation and you've got Billy. And he's not playacting.
   Until this year, Billy hasn't relied on much in the way of organized assistance with his noble task. He's not comfortable asking for help and believes he could actually alienate potential volunteers with his gruff and sometimes unpolished delivery.
   Billy is so misunderstood.
   Despite this, over the years his effort to rid Big Shell Beach of trash has involved nearly 800 volunteers (many of them annual helpers), who have removed an estimated 139.5 tons of debris. Make no mistake; this is a tribute to Billy as much as it is love for the beach.
   The removal of this much junk is noticeable for months, according to frequent Big Shell anglers. Of course, part of the reason this is true is because the contrast to other filthy stretches of beach makes Big Shell stand out. I'll settle for relative clean.
  
   Boosting project help
   Maybe this could inspire the adoption of other remote sections of beach.
   Anyway, this year will be different. The local chapter of the Shore Fishing and Casting Club International has teamed up with Billy to garner donations and help promote the event, not to mention to boost the volunteer base. Eventually, club members hope to adopt the project outright.
   This group seems to be rooted in conservation, almost as much as it is steeped in surf fishing and long casting.
   I also applaud the newly formed Saltwater-fisheries Enhancement Association (SEA) for its support this year. But while money, public relations and equipment will go far, manpower and 4-wheel-drive transportation is the key to success.
   It's a half-day out of your life.
   See you there.