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Family cleans Tank Beach, Marine Beach
The “Landfill of Bottle Caps” and “Plastic Beach” were no match for one family who joined in the Marianas Visitors Authority’s Beautify My Marianas campaign on Jan. 10.
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- Family members young and old of Sarah Lynn Kapileo cleaned Tank Beach and Marine Beach in Saipan on Jan. 10, 2015, as part of the Marianas Visitors Authority’s Beautify My Marianas program. (Contributed Photo)
Twenty-one family members and friends picked up debris at Tank Beach and Marine Beach on Saipan, as reported by participant Sarah Lynn T. Kapileo in an after-action report.
“As we parked [at Tank Beach], there were trash scattered under the short coconut trees that lined the parking area…beer cans, bento boxes, cigarette butts, plastic bags, spoons and forks. After we picked up all the trash in the parking area, we walked down to the beach, where tons of trash was seen,” said Kapileo. “It was explained that most of the trash that lined up along the shore were washed up by the waves. Bottles of water, soda, detergent, oil and others filled up our bags. Bottle caps! There were tons of them…”
Following Tank Beach, the group proceeded to Marine Beach.
“It was an ugly site to see,” said Kapileo. “Under the pavilions, there were bottles and cans of beer and soda, Styrofoam plates, cups, spoons and forks. We walked down to the beach, and there we found baskets, more bottles and other plastic rubbish that washed up on the shore. My little cousins were now tired and just want to look at the many shells and hermit crabs that were running around the beach. It made me wonder how many other creatures lost their lives because of this rubbish.”
The team cleaned at Marine Beach for almost three hours.
“It was hard work, but hard work that paid off,” said Kapileo. “And our little cousins came to understand that it is not right, at all, to throw trash around.”
The “Beautify My Marianas” program offers $100 for each 1-mile cleanup in assigned areas. For more information or an application for “Beautify My Marianas” visit the MVA homepage at www.mymarianas.com. (MVA)
