We started our day just above Locust Beach. As gals
gathered, we played and chatted, then carried our buckets and garbage bags down to the shore. Once there, we shared a fun game of "Me, too!" to learn about our summers and some things we have in common. Then we reviewed our service ethic and discussed International Coastal
Cleanup Day. Rebecca described our magic cup and how we have a great opportunity to fill others' cups in our community because our own cups are overflowing. The girls discussed how good it feels to do service and what a
difference something like cleaning a beach makes for our entire
community and world. This outing is particularly special because we
really are making a BIG impact; we talked about how the trash we are picking
up comes from all over the world, and how this outing connects us with
the other 500,000 members of coastal communities globally, who also
participated in the International Coastal Cleanup.
After this, we talked about the process for picking up trash off the
beach. Surprisingly, there is a TON to think about. The girls helped
create a plan for how we would remove trash, sort the trash, and lug it
all back up to the cars at the end of the day.
To start our clean-up, we broke into groups that picked up recyclable items, garbage, and "micro trash."
During these few hours the girls worked hard, goofed around, and found
some crazy things...Ask your daughter about the headless otter or the giant "picture frame!"
While eating lunch, we laughed in Rebecca's pirate-rendition of a game known as "Energy Ball," then our EMA, Klara, helped the group review some key EC mottos: Be Prepared, Safety First, Walk Your Talk, Widen the Circle, and Build Bridges Not Walls.
After lunch we walked in the other direction on the beach. The girls picked up more trash, scrambled up a fun hillside, and found a hammock!
We did our Closing Circle on the beach, sharing our Attitude of
Gratitude and talking about ways we can make a difference for the beach
and ocean. The girls came up with impressive ideas to help their community and change the world for the better. Our Words of the Day were many, but included the phrase, "Picking up trash to help the world!"
After our Closing Circle, we hauled all the trash up the hill to meet parents. As always, thanks for sharing your daughters with us for a few hours. They are fantastic kids!
After our Closing Circle, we hauled all the trash up the hill to meet parents. As always, thanks for sharing your daughters with us for a few hours. They are fantastic kids!
To see the full photo album from our day, click here.
