November 17, 2015 by Rob Weltner
An old sea captain named Al Grover and his daughter Joanne, fresh out of college, wanted to improve the world. That grand vision became one of the largest volunteer organizations in the United States as the Grovers and a few other volunteers in an ole’ leaky Garvey began Operation SPLASH (Stop Pollution Litter and Save Harbors) in 1990.
A quarter-century later, SPLASH operates six clean up boats along the bays of Long Island’s south shore. Throughout the rich history of SPLASH and its many successes, there’s one common and special thread: the volunteers who make it all possible.
At a recent fundraising presentation, a potential sponsor asked how we raise money. We explained that we have a unique business plan: we charge people $20.00 a year so they can go out in the bays and pick up garbage. He reacted at first as if we were pulling his leg, but soon understood who volunteers with Operation SPLASH.
These volunteers are dedicated boat captains and crew members who willingly forgo several precious hours of leisure time one day a week to go out and do something positive. They come in all ages and job descriptions, including very dedicated high school and college students, entire families, and valuable retirees that want to give back and make our environment better for future generations. (Personally, I think many of us realize the mistakes we’ve made in the last several decades will take time to fix and the sooner we face up to the problems we’ve created, the better.)
They selflessly brave the elements and get dirty while removing all types of trash and debris from the waters and salt marshes. Cleanliness of the waters is itself rewarding, but our volunteers know that the rubbish they remove may save a life, too, as a dolphin, sea turtle, whale, or other creature might die after ingesting a plastic bag or balloon.
The stories and photos from the volunteer work boat captains and crews (we call them aqua-garboligists) are testament to the not-so-glamourous work they do saving entangled birds, scooping up trash, and even removing a cast iron kitchen sink from a salt marsh. They share the great personal satisfaction and pride of a “SPLASH experience” that comes after pulling up to a beach or salt marsh that’s loaded with trash and leaving it as beautiful as Mother Nature intended after a few hours of work.
Our work boat captains keep a log, recording what they pick up and bring back to the docks and dumpsters. Thus far over 25 years, Operation SPLASH volunteers have removed over two million pounds of trash from the South Shore Estuary Reserve! Can you imagine what our bays and oceans would look like with two million more pounds of garbage? It would be unsightly and unsafe for boating, and harmful to our fish, beautiful sea birds, and all the other marine creatures that call our bays and beaches home.
From March to September 2015, Operation SPLASH boats have made 382 trash trips into the bay and spent almost 5,000 hours of volunteer time cleaning up. This past season, we asked our gallant captains and crews to do more free work and make specific notes as to the type of trash they’re picking up. We requested that they keep track of certain types of plastic trash so we have an idea what we’re up against and where it’s coming from. Hang onto your hats — here’s what our SPLASH volunteers retrieved: 7,029 plastic bags, 16,366 plastic bottles, 5,907 glass bottles, and 839 balloons (with their anchor-snagging ribbons). The numbers will grow, sadly, as we’re still out collecting!
Want to join us and become an appreciated volunteer aqua-garboligist? Contact us via http://operationsplash.org/
Rob Weltner is the President of Operation SPLASH.
