by Keith T. Barber
Mike Giles knows dedication and commitment when he sees it. Last week, Giles, one of only three coastkeepers employed by the N.C. Coastal Federation, was contacted by John Royster and asked to participate in a beach cleanup effort on Saturday. Giles said he was not surprised by the large amount of marine debris that washed up on the spoil island just west of Masonboro Island, in addition to the usual garbage found each beach cleanup.
The debris appeared after a 64-foot, 9-inch Irwin yacht sank off the jetty adjacent to Masonboro Inlet on Sept. 3.
Staff photo by Allison Breiner
Genna Zimmer, from left, Andrew Shuett and Kevin Kelly carry a piece of sailboat wreckage to the N.C. Coastal Federation Coastkeeper’s boat on Saturday, Sept. 15, where Mary Brian Miller waits to help. |
What did surprise Giles, however, was the sheer enthusiasm with which his co-workers discharged their duties. A group of 15 Cape Fear Academy students agreed to volunteer their time and energy to remove the debris from the small island, and they appeared energized from the moment they landed.
“When you tell them, ‘Let’s go!’ they run,” Giles said. “I know they might have to do it, but I think they’re enjoying themselves, and, hopefully, they’re learning something about the environment while they’re doing it.”
All Cape Fear Academy students must log 72 hours of community service in order to graduate, but sophomore Mary Brian Miller said this effort came straight from the heart.
“I think people who live on the beach and spend a lot of time out here understand how bad it is,” Miller said of the debris. “I’m at Masonboro every weekend, and I knew about the wreck. People were like, ‘Why are we cleaning up the beach?’ I said, ‘It’s messy and we need to.’ It started with four people, but we ended up getting about 15 people out.”
Miller said she enjoys spending time in the outdoors and therefore understands just how precious our natural resources are.
“You know places that used to be good to fish, then they got all this (pollution) around them, and it’s just something you have to do,” Miller said. “It’s not going to get done unless you go out and help.”
Giles, whose area of responsibility stretches from the New Hanover Inlet to South Carolina, said most people don’t fully understand the environmental impact of boat wrecks, so Saturday’s cleanup was an eye-opening experience for the Cape Fear students.
“Back here in the marsh, we’re picking up all kinds of stuff. There’s oil, there’s grease, there’s all kinds of hazardous material with foam,” Giles said. “If it’s left there, it’s going to impact our wetlands, and our wetlands are already impacted too much, so whatever we can do to minimize that impact, we’re going to do it.”
Cape Fear junior Kevin Kelly said Saturday’s sweep made a strong impression.
“I don’t think people realize (the impact) because this is way more than I thought there would be. That’s a big boat,” he said.
Royster said pollution in the marsh
