Connecting to the Beaches We Love

By Stephanie Smith

The Lake Michigan shoreline is a boundary between worlds. It connects the terrestrial areas of dune, city, bluff, forest and beach to an aquatic realm that holds the secrets of fish and plankton. The beach shifts and changes, always in transition. Footprints blow away, shells wash up, and algae is wave-tossed into the beach. People build sand castles, lay on towels, walk in flip-flops and eat sandy lunches. We love beaches for their constant motion, as well as the calm moments they afford us.

Beaches are deeply rooted as personal places to which we feel a connection. I know how strong this connection is; in my job at the Lake Michigan Federation I talk to people about their beaches. During my first year organizing Coastal Cleanup, a one-day volunteer event during which people clean up garbage from beaches and record what they find, I made a discovery: people want to give back to their beaches. Each year, thousands of people around Lake Michigan appear for the cleanup on the third Saturday of every September (Saturday, September 18th, 2004), energetically pick up trash of all shapes and sizes, record data, and then ask for the next cleanup event. The next cleanup, I used to tell them, is next year.

After gauging the love people have for beaches, the Lake Michigan Federation began to ponder, plan, and have produced an Adopt-a-Beach program that celebrates the fondness held for our region’s beaches. It is a program that allows people to spend time near Lake Michigan and create positive at their beaches.

It’s fun. It’s easy. And here’s how it works: Adopters commit to 5 visits per year to a beach. During the visits adopters use the Lake Michigan Federation’s forms to collect data on 3 different aspects of their beach.

1. Give the beach a good look: During the first visit of each year, a Visual Assessment is made of the existing structures and amenities. It’s a good first step in getting to know an adopted beach.
   
   
2. Tidy up a bit: At each visit, litter is collected, recorded, and recycled, or disposed of properly. The information collected helps to pinpoint the source of the litter.
   
   
3. Check the water (with a little mad science!): Using a simple test kit, investigate bacteria levels in the water. This helps adopters gain a greater understanding of bacterial pollution. High bacteria levels can cause beach closings and swimming bans.

After a visit, the data collected is entered into the Federation’s online database. The database allows groups to compare their findings, search the database, and reflect on improvements for their own beach. This data is available to the general public as well as the Adopt-a-Beach participants.

All of this data is collected for a reason. After two visits, a group analyzes its data to create action projects that help create positive change at the beach. A project that makes a change for the better might include additional trash cans, recycling bins, or educational signage. The Federation can help guide the project, depending on the beach’s needs. Throughout the visits, the Federation helps adopters by providing support and structure through documentation, an online database, press release forms, and guidance. We also supply one water quality test per visit.

Who are all the adopters? Well, you would fit right in. Adopters include: students from elementary schools to colleges; large corporations and small independent businesses; community groups and neighborhood associations; families and individuals. Adopt-a-Beach really is for everyone.

When we first began talking to people about this program, I underestimated the feeling that people have for their beaches. Two groups expressed interest in the same beach and in trying to spread out our Adopt-a-Beach range. I encouraged one group to adopt a different beach. “No,” said the potential adopter. “You don’t understand; that’s MY beach.” Ah, that personal beach connection, rising like a wave. There is no such thing as too strong a connection to a natural place. Build a bond with the lake, with your beach. It’s the surest method we have for preserving these ecosystems for the generations to come.

Besides satisfying a personal connection to beaches, Adopt-a-Beach addresses some concrete issues. Already, the data is showing that a large percentage of the garbage found is food-related. Food waste can attract wildlife, the waste from which can lead to increased bacteria levels in nearshore areas. Elevated bacteria can lead to beach closings, swimming bans and can pose a risk to human health.

With each adopted beach, Lake Michigan gains supportive voices and hardworking hands. An active corps of volunteers is exactly what it takes to help restore the health of our dynamic ecosystem. The data that is collected will portray an image of the shoreline that we do not currently have. It will allow comparisons that can help to improve conditions and services at our beaches. Currently certain counties around Lake Michigan do not have regular programs that monitor the water quality for human swimming use. Although Adopt-a-Beach groups do not do this type of monitoring, they can advocate for municipal monitoring programs to be put in place. Beach adopters can be voices for change at the beach.

Who is taking care of your beach? If you feel the pull of the waves and love the feel of sand on your feet, then maybe it should be you. Adopt-a-Beach visits make a difference.

In addition to volunteer visits, Adopt-a-Beach program needs financial support. By participating as a sponsor, your organization or business is a strong supporter of a healthy lake Michigan and its surrounding shoreline. We offer various levels of sponsorship and participation to accommodate different needs. Sponsors can participate in beach visits, which offer excellent team-building opportunities. An organization may choose not to participate in beach visits, but to financially support the Adopt-a-Beach participation of a community group or school. Current sponsors include the Loutit Foundation, the NIB Foundation, Whole Foods, ITW Hi-Cone, Brunswick Public Foundation, West Marine, and US Cellular.

To learn more about Adopt-a-Beach go to: www.lakemichigan.org/adoptor
email: adoptabeach@lakemichigan.org, or call: 312-939-0838 x 5.

Stephanie Smith is the Lake Michigan Federation’s Education Coordinator. For more information contact: Lake Michigan Federation in Michigan toll-free at 1-866-850-0745 or jmorton@lakemichigan.org;Chicago, Illinois at 312-939-0838 or ssmith@lakemichigan.org; visit www.lakemichigan.org.