Summertime is officially underway and you’re likely looking forward to soaking up the sun on some beach days. By being a responsible beachgoer, you’re helping to keep your favorite stretch of shoreline in great shape for future visits and future generations.
We talked to the New England Aquarium about what you can do to protect our state beaches. They say you should be respectful of nature by keeping your distance from animals and marine life and staying out of shorebird nesting areas. Remember to leave things the way you found them and pick up your trash. One of the biggest contributors to beach litter is single-use plastic like plastic utensils and plastic bags.
“We know that plastics don't go away,” said Taylor Engelsman with the New England Aquarium. “They just break into smaller and smaller pieces. So, those bigger things can be problematic for entangling or getting caught in wildlife. But even the small pieces can be ingested. So, making sure that you're cleaning up after yourself. If you're on the beach and you see some trash, make sure that you pick it up -- take it with you when you go.”
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You may even want to bring a reusable bag with you when you walk the beach to pick up any trash that you see. Every piece of plastic you recover from our environment allows greater chances of survival for marine life and sea birds and no quantity or piece of plastic collected is too small.
Here’s another tip: you should get into the habit of cleaning your recreational gear at home after each beach trip—beach toys, footwear, and sport equipment like kayaks. That helps to prevent the spread of diseases and invasive species and makes a difference for our environment. Wash them off with soap and hot water so you have a clean start for your next trip to the beach.
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