I recently shared some beautiful images of Lake Ontario and some of its sandy beaches. I’m blessed to be able to walk and relax on them. I’ve visited this particular beach about a dozen times in the last two years. Every time I go, I hunt down trash and notice a handful of dead birds. On average, I collect the equivalent of one shopping bag full. I find all sorts of treasures: plastic water bottles, beer cans, plastic tampon applicators (ever heard of the Diva Cup or OB tampons?),…

I also find partially disintegrated balloons. At first, I thought they were plastic bags but the decorative ribbons give them away. On every trip, I collect at least 3 or 4 of these. On this last trip, however, I collected 8 within a distance of 100 meters. 8!

These balloons, brought to the beach, courtesy of helium gas, break down, release their gas, and gather on the ground.

“Helium is the only element on the planet that is a completely nonrenewable resource.”
Source: npr.org

I see a handful of dead birds on every trip. Within that same stretch of beach, I saw 4 dead birds and a number of bones: 2 seagulls, 1 bird of prey, and a cormorant. Natural causes of death could be at play here. I am not a biologist. However, guess what I saw in two of the bodies’ bellies? Ribbon! These shiny ribbons attract the birds who swallow them.

So I am asking you to ponder the choices we make when it comes to unnecessary purchases. There are alternatives. Collectively, we can do better.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

#whenyouknowbetter #eachactioncounts #freshwater #canada #greatlakes #pec #princeedwardcounty #iPhonephotography #abelle #nature #doyourpart