Three boats, many volunteers, and partnership – the recipe for a great day on the Trail. To support the important work MITA does, please visit mita.org/floattheirboats.
Big Baker is a large island in between the Deer Isle and Mount Desert regions. The location of the island results in a large amount of debris floating ashore, which requires maintenance to keep at bay.
There were reports of a lot of debris, as well as derelict traps. MITA regional stewardship manager Maria and a crew of volunteers gathered to tackle the job.
In planning for the event, Maria had chatted with staff from the Rozalia Project, which is a nonprofit dedicated to cleaning and protecting the ocean. One critical activity they contribute is data collection of cleanup efforts.
There was more debris than previously thought! Between debris and people, the crew made the decision to stage the traps for pick up for another run.
Both MITA and Rozalia had their Executive Directors out on the island – which was an exciting happenstance. They both enjoyed being out of the office for the day!
After the cleanup, Rozalia shared the data they collected on the Big Baker debris with MITA.
Rubber, glass, paper, and fabric were the own categories, but since they were such a small part of what was recovered that day, their slices were almost impossible to see! However, this chart makes it very clear that plastics were the most common type of debris found. The most common type of plastic found was drinking bottles! For more about the Rozalia Project, head over to their website by clicking here.
It was a great day all around – great people, great day, and great haul!
