Out on the open ocean and into the local establishments

Plastic Ocean Project (POP) has been all over the place these last few weeks, but in a good way. Currently, POP's newly elected president, Lisa Rider, is sailing with eXXpedition  from across the mouth of the Amazon River from Brazil to Guyana. To learn more about Lisa read this article about her work and latest adventure. Just for a taste of the journey she is on, here is what Lisa had to say about getting to Brazil. 

Lisa Rider, front and center.

"I made it to Brazil about 30 hours after leaving NC and along the way I noticed several great recycling programs including twin bins and solar panels at the rest stop in NC off I40, recycle bins at RDU, EWR, SSA, and REC. United Airlines made an announcement on the flight about their recycling program, and when I got to Recife and ended up at a hotel (not my original destination) I found recycle bins in the room and I love that they use refillable shampoo dispensers! Way to go Best Western Recife!" Stay tuned to our blog to find out what she she finds in the open ocean.


As of this week, we have seven local establishments sign up for our Ocean Friendly Establishments initiative with Cape Fear Surfrider, UNCW POP, and Wrightsville Beach Keep it Clean.These establishments agree to only offer straws upon request thus reducing the production and disposal of single use plastics. Ginger Taylor came up with this idea several years ago and this year we hit the ground running. We now  have businesses asking us if they can be certified.

The way we can tell them thank you for stepping up to help is to patronize them. The list provides a spectrum of food from pizza to crepes to fish to Panamanian and everything in between. Check back for we have several more in the works!

Blockade Runner Beach Resort

275 Waynick Blvd,

Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

http://blockade-runner.com

This beautiful certificate is a Kim Beller design.

Ceviche's

7210 Wrightsville Ave

Wilmington, NC 28403

http://wbceviche.com

Catch

6623 Market St.

Wilmington, NC 28405

http://catchwilmington.com

Chop's Deli

7037 Wrightsville Ave

Wilmington, NC 28403

https://locu.com/places/chops-deli-wilmington-us/#menu

Blue Surf Cafe

250 Racine Dr

Wilmington, NC 28403

http://www.bluesurfcafe.com

Betsy's Crepes

127 N. Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401

http://www.betsyscrepes.com

Fat Tony's

131 N Front St.

Wilmington, NC 28401 
https://www.fatpub.com

There is much debate about how our time is swept away because so many of us are glued to Facebook. But there are times when it can be so uplifting with the reality this technology can unite us globally on the things that really matter - clean air, land, water and the preservation of species. We have people reach out to us from around the world sharing thoughts and concerns, and it raises the hope meter. Ulea Wesemeyer Elsenlandschaften from Hanburg Germany wrote "(POP) connects us right away, I enjoy this very much. I think these days we have to think more than ever different. Many people are afraid what will more and more happen, they feel it close to their life and loved ones. There is so much information out there, enough energy of mankind. How do we get the slow, heavy heads rolling. Its changing, many hearts are putting their energy and heart in social and environment issues and build up for the good." She concluded by saying, "We gotta reach the masses. If there is a will there is a way." 

UNCW students at our viewing of
Racing Extinction, Wilmington, NC

Ulea, one of the ways to reach the masses is through documentaries, like Racing Extinction, that bring home the urgency into our living rooms. We need more storytelling that shares the beauty in the world in places most of us will never witness and open our eyes to the underground world that is robbing it from us. So I encourage as many people to have the courage to see the unseen in this film. It is the only way we ALL can know what actions we, as individuals, need to take to stop the ecocide.

A huge shout out to UNCW POP for our fundraiser they ran Tuesday night. We had a large turnout of people who purchased and fill their lockets with plastics from the ocean. We call them Portholes to the Sea - a conversation plastic pollution piece and it represents ones solidarity in the prevention of plastic marine debris. If you would like one too, visit our Etsy page here. While we worked we listened to a presentation by Jenn Salter, NC Coastal Federation, who shared how we as a community can petition our local leaders to put into place a better Special Use Permit that adopts the framework for industries to comply with and/or pass before bringing environmentally Unfriendly industries to our community. It allows the community to be a part of these decisions that may impact the community for centuries both for better or worse.

Presenter Jennifer Salter from NC Coastal Federation
talks to group while making lockets

UNCW POP Board, THANK YOU