We had a good turnout, yesterday, with one new volunteer and lots of loyal friends; welcome back Jody. I just went for a post-earthquake walk at dawn, today, to check on the status of the area.

The aggressive wasps were still buzzing around my head at dawn. There was almost no trash to be seen, except three spots where people dropped drinking containers.  We met a wily coyote in the park who was sensed by my dogs before I saw it.

Good news! Before we began, the trash level had sunk to an all-time “visual” low! Is it due to the installation of the beach clean up box or the cigarette receptacles? I don’t know. I received reports that more people are picking up trash on their daily walks! I counted at least 7 daily walkers doing this.

Anyhow, getting back to yesterday, we found some heavy items (nautical rope with 10 inch diameter, a tire, a plastic chair with rope) that made the total weight of trash higher: 214 pounds. Jeff found a plastic sandwich box bearing Korean writing had washed in at the Secret Waterfall. We are not sure if it was at sea long, but it did have the tiny organisms attached that were akin to those found on the yellow live bait trap with Japanese writing on it that washed ashore last year in the same location. We are not sure if this should be reported to disasterdebris@noaa.gov or not.

There were about the same amount of recyclables as usual: 19 pounds. I expected more than usual because the city cut back the high dead wild flower stalks, this week, revealing a lot of bottles and cans. I think some wise person is cashing in on these and removing them!! Hooray!

Cigarette butts including the contents of the 2 new receptacles totaled 517 pounds, which is actually half the number each of the PBC site captains collect at other spots in Pacifica, and half what we collected last month on our cleanup day! Thanks for collecting these separately, as I send them in a box to New Jersey for recycling into ash trays etc.

There were estimated to have been 10 straws and 21 bottle tops.

Keep your eyes open for tsunami debris! We expect more in the next few months.  The PBC has  applied for a $5000 2014-2015 Japanese Tsunami Marine Debris grant from NOAA. Thank goodness that we reported that Japanese skiff this month!!

Thanks everyone! Have a great month! Look forward to the next cleanup at Mussel Rock that is on International Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, 20 September, 2014, from 9am to 11am followed by celebratory no-host lunch at Surf Spot. This is the week prior to MR clean up on 9/27. I plan to clean up on both Saturdays.