Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Splash Bash was a Smash, Launching 40 Years!

On Saturday, February 24, COA hosted the “Splash Bash” to celebrate 40 years of ocean advocacy! Over 100 people gathered in Sea Bright, the town where COA started, for a pre-Splash breakfast at Tommy’s Tavern + Tap, and then at the beach to splash, dip, dive, or plunge for ocean protection! Along with cake and cupcakes to celebrate COA’s birthday, participants received COA branded socks to recognize their continued efforts to “sock” it to ocean pollution! 

Splash Bash participants make a splash for COA!
Photo by Current Media Company
Waves of thanks to the amazing Splash Bash participants including 
COA volunteers, local business owners and friends from our 40 years! Special thanks to Tommy’s Tavern + Tap of Sea Bright for the beautiful event space and delicious breakfast! 

It was a brisk day, yet many brave souls entered the 42-degree freezing water to the tune of “Wipe Out” by the Surfaris to commemorate their COA support! Charlie Rooney, whose father was Sea Bright Mayor when COA was founded, gathered locals and plunged for the cause! Dan Jacobson, the only guest that was at our launch event in 1984, joined the celebration at breakfast. New supporters gathered from CrossFit Shrewsbury to join the mighty COA-lition, and dedicated ocean-lover “Polar Barry” from Coffee Surf Co. made his daily “plunge” in support of a clean, healthy ocean. Special thanks to: the Borough of Sea Bright and Chief Friedman for making the event possible; Sea Bright Public Works for making sure the beach was stunningly clean; and Sea Bright Police Dept., Fire Dept. and EMS for ensuring everyone’s safety! Thank you to Lucky Dog Surf for the continued support and offering a 30% discount storewide to all Splash Bash registrants during the weekend of the event. 

There was an ocean of emotion in the salty air as the community and dedication from those new to COA and those long sustained, was enough to warm the hearts of all! Thank you, fabulous true-blue friends and family! We are proud to continue making waves of change with you.


COA's Cindy Zipf welcomes Splash Bash attendees at
Tommy's Tavern + Tap
Photo by Current Media Company


Cindy makes a splash to celebrate COA's
40 year legacy
Photo by Current Media Company


Friends from the surfing community celebrate
at COA's Splash Bash









Birthday cupcakes for all
Photo by Current Media Company




Connect with COA on the NJ Southern Coast

South Jersey—join COA for information sessions near you and learn how you can get involved to help defend the ocean! Executive Director, Cindy Zipf, will be speaking at COA’s offshore wind information 
session in Cape May Court House area in April, stay tuned. Our next COA Volunteer Meet and Greet is Tuesday, March 26, at the Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen's Museum in the Hunting Shanty building from 6pm - 7pm. At this meeting, locals will have a chance to learn more about the history of Clean Ocean Action, our education and volunteer programs, current citizen action campaigns, and ways they can make a difference in their communities. For anyone looking to help protect the ocean, there are opportunities with COA! 

Interested in having a COA Meet and Greet or focused information session in your town? Or looking to get involved in ocean advocacy in Southern New Jersey? 

Email South Jersey Coordinator, Toni Groet at Outreach@CleanOceanAction.org.

Spring Beach Sweeps: Registration is OPEN!

Beach Sweeps volunteer fills out data card
to track litter collected
Grab your buckets and gloves—it's time to spring into action to fight plastic pollution with Beach Sweeps! Head over to CleanOceanAction.org and register today! We have over 80 sites to choose from statewide—a record number since clean ups started in 1985! This includes several new locations to the Beach Sweeps family this upcoming year:

Gloucester County
• West Deptford – Rivergate Boat Ramp
• West Deptford – Riverwinds Restaurant/Kayak Launch

Middlesex County
• Perth Amboy – Sadowski Parkway Waterfront Park 

Ocean County
• Long Beach Island – Brant Beach

Visit our website for a map of participating sites to select your favorite one or to find a site near you. What are you waiting for? Come join the beachy-clean fun at Beach Sweeps and let’s make a difference, together. SEA you there!

Register here today: https://cleanoceanaction.org/beach-sweeps/sites-and-registration

Seeing is Believing! SEAL Students See the Real Deal at Bayshore Recycling!

SEAL students and COA staff with Bayshore Recycling's
VP of Operations, Gary (center left), and Operations
Manager, Michael (center right)
Do you know the meaning of the three arrows in the recycling symbol? Gary Sondermeyer, Vice President of Operations at Bayshore Recycling Center, has the answer. This month, Gary spoke with the Student Environmental Advocates & Leaders (SEAL) program students to teach them the history and current status of recycling in New Jersey. This informational and insightful presentation was followed by a tour of the recycling facility a few weeks later, giving the students an exciting opportunity to put what they learned into perspective! 

From standing next to massive bundles of recycled material to watching advanced machinery separate specific materials, the students learned firsthand what happens to recyclables from the time they are used to the time they are sold for their next life cycle. 

This educational field trip reinforces and enhances the students’ knowledge of the importance of practicing proper recycling habits and lessening our consumption of single use materials. Education on this topic is central to many of the SEALs environmental advocacy projects and critical for keeping our oceans clean and marine life healthy. 

Thank you to Gary Sondermeyer, Michael Oppelt and the whole Bayshore Recycling team for educating the SEAL students for the third consecutive year—it remains a true program highlight. This support of COA’s educational programs allows us all to continue this ripple effect of sharing knowledge and diving into proper recycling and disposal practices in our own communities!