Dredging and Beneficial Use - Part 1: Manasquan Inlet

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Introduction

For over 30 years, Clean Ocean Action has worked to review, develop, and advocate for community driven dredged material management solutions. By viewing dredged material as a resource, and emphasizing community input and engagement, COA has reviewed and identified potential beneficial use options for dredged material placement in many different contexts and uses. Above all, throughout this process, COA has advocated for environmental protection, and community involvement and support as key tenets of our position. As we say here at Clean Ocean Action, “we know mud”.

In the last several years, we have been monitoring what many call a “dredge crisis” – thousands of cubic yards of dredge material are waiting to be dredged out of critical navigational channels, however, without proper planning and community engagement, and the use of innovative technologies, the disposal options for all of this dredged material is limited. Without a plan to deal with all of this dredged material, these projects are put on hold; in some cases, for decades.

Traditionally, Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs) were used as both temporary and final disposal locations for this material. CDFs are engineered structures designed to provide storage for the soupy mix of suspended solids that are dredged out of channels and pumped into them. These structures traditionally appear as the familiar hills and berms that you may see rising out of the wetlands in many locations. In general, these CDFs can fill up rather quickly, are expensive to continually maintain, and many of these CDFs have fallen into disrepair over the years, further limiting disposal options.

Today, there are many solutions for clean dredge material placement including beneficial use options such as using the sediment in construction fill or cover for landfills (for contaminated dredge material the options are rightfully more limited). However, for these uses, the soupy, watery dredged material must be “dewatered” so that it can be transportable and useful. Most dewatering methods involve the use of a CDF, the construction of temporary CDFs on land to dewater the material before trucking it off, or even the use of other technologies to dewater the material in short amounts of time and on increasingly smaller footprints.

Furthermore, there are methods that can beneficially use dredged material without dewatering. Methods have been continually perfected to perform habitat restoration projects through the creation of “living shorelines” and the “thin layer placement” of material on a drowning marsh, and for the right types of material, can be pumped onto bayside and ocean beaches to fortify erosion areas and safeguard communities from storms.

COA recently visited two separate locations where innovative dewatering and placement methods have resulted in projects that provide benefits to boaters on the water, communities on land, and beneficial material for a multitude of uses.

Manasquan Inlet – Channel Dredging, Beach Placement and Erosion Control

The Manasquan Inlet dredging project was permitted and put out to bid in the fall of 2015. The project permitted the dredging of the Lower Manasquan River Channel, Crabtown Creek Channel, Kings Bridge Channel, Wills Hole Thorofare, and Wills Hole West Channel. In total, over 100,000 cubic yards of material were permitted to be removed from these navigation channels.

In New Jersey, only material that is 75% sand or greater is allowed to be placed on beaches. The State however goes a step beyond this and only places material that is 90% or greater sand on bathing beaches (ie lifeguarded beaches), and 75% or greater sand material may be placed on non-bathing beaches (for example a bayside beach without a lifeguard). This is important for two reasons: 1) grain size directly relates to sand quality, which is an important consideration for those residents and visitors who come to the Jersey Shore to recreate on our world renowned sand beaches. 2) 90% sand or greater is given a “pass” from further chemical analysis because NJDEP have determined that once material reaches 90% sand in grain size, that material no longer is a risk for contamination. Therefore once this material is determined to be 90% or greater sand, no further chemical analysis is required. 

A sediment grain size analysis evaluating core samples taken at lengths along the channels was conducted by NJ Department of Transportation and reviewed by NJDEP and COA.

Roughly 57,000 cubic yards of sediment from the channels was found to be less than 90% sand - fine grained mud and silt. Gull Island is a CDF that sits smack in the middle of the river, and was designated and permitted as the receptacle for the majority of the fine grained material.

Caption: Gull Island CDF elevation map - a "bowl" for the fine grained dredge slurry (courtesy of Jersey Shore Drone)

However, approximately, 47,500 cubic yards of dredged material in specific locations of the Lower Manasquan Channel and Wills Hole Thorofare were found to contain 90% sand or greater, and  therefore suitable for placement on the beach between Manasquan Jetty and Brielle Road. This area of the beach was replenished by a larger federally overseen project in the past, however due to ocean currents and storms, is prone to erosion. Placing appropriate sand from the dredging project directly onto the beach helps to supplement and fortify the beach at this erosion prone area, and saves time, money and space for this dredging project, and future dredge and beach nourishment projects.

Caption: dredging Wills Hole Thoroughfare next to Gull Island CDF (photos courtesy of Jersey Shore Drone):

Sand that has been in the bays for several months, and even years, typically appear dark compared to sand that is found on the beach due to the presence of organic content from decaying vegetation and animals and the settling of these particles to the bay floor.  As this displaced sand dries and is exposed to sunlight and wave action, the dark organic material will weather and bleach out, and its color will change to resemble the color of sand that typically is found on New Jersey beaches.  This is similar to what we observe in typical beach replenishment projects in New Jersey: the sand that is pumped onto area beaches from the ocean and inlets is also dark when first placed on the beach, and then it lightens as it dries and is exposed to sunlight. The hydraulic dredging process may also pick up debris and trash that was buried in or sat on top of the sediment. 

Caption: 90% or greater sand with darker organic content that was pumped from Manasquan Channel and Wills Hole Thoroughfare directly onto the beach. Sunlight, rain, and wind action will eventually weather away  and wash out the darker organic matter leaving the lighter colored sand behind (photos courtesy of Jersey Shore Drone).

The site of a pipe on the beach releasing a dark colored slurry is an uncommon one for many people. However, when properly designed and vetted, these projects represent an innovative and beneficial use of material to protect properties and communities, save time and money, and perhaps contribute to less frequent large scale, federal beach nourishment projects that cost millions of dollars.

Caption: dredge slurry containing 90% or greater sand is pumped onto the Manasquan Beach, providing erosion control and protection from storms (photo courtesy Zach Lees):

It may not always be pretty -while there was some debris and trash picked up by the dredging process, the Borough of Manasquan worked in closely with NJDOT to utilize their beach rakes to remove this material, and with further coordination from the dredging contractor, ensured that larger items were captured prior to placement on the beach.



Caption: Borough of Manasquan raking the newly placed sand for any debris and shells that made it through the screens (photo courtesy Zach Lees).

Caption: Video taken by Jersey Shore Drones shows the Borough of Manasquan raking out any debris and spreading the newly placed sand out to weather out the darker organic material.

COA reviewed the permits and sediment analysis authorizing this project, and visited the beach placement site with NJ Department of Transportation (state agency in charge of state navigational channel dredging) and a representative from the Borough of Manasquan. The sediment analysis showed that each core sample was 90% or more sand, and that the dredged areas that were designated for beach placement were chosen with caution in mind, and a clear understanding of the value of New Jersey’s beautiful beaches. 

While the initial placement of this material may look a bit different than the surrounding sand, this is a temporary issue that will fade away with time, and this type of project is a model for the type of innovative beneficial use projects that can be designed to help move forward necessary navigational channel dredging, while also fortifying NJ’s beaches from storms and sea level rise.


NOTE: most all of the pictures we used of the Manasquan Channel dredging project, including the one below, are courtesy of Jersey Shore Drone, who has an incredible website that we highly recommend: http://www.jerseyshoredrone.com/2016/11/njdot-manasquan-river-dredging-11272016.html

Caption: a final shot by Jersey Shore Drone of the beach placement site. Note the "bump out" already provided by the project, in an area that was previously eroded.

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[1] Credit to Jersey Shore Drone, who has done some incredible work visualizing and documenting many of these locations on the Jersey Shore. http://www.jerseyshoredrone.com/2016/04/nj-dot-manasquan-river-dredging-project.html

Plastic Beads, Fragments, and Fibers! Oh My!

Clean Ocean Action’s Microplastic Research Project

Clean Ocean Action is hard at work investigating microplastics in beach sand and coastal waters! In the summer of 2014, Cassandra Ornell, Staff Scientist, and Catie Tobin, Marine Science Education Coordinator, teamed up with scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) along with students from the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST).

Over the past few months, the team has been hard at work testing various methods that would provide the best data. After time spent with the different systems in the lab, the project has finally moved into the identification stage in which the team is viewing their samples under the microscope. As of last week, the first microbead was seen, confirming the hypothesis that microplastics are present in the New Jersey coastal area.

In the months ahead, the team will continue the identification phase with the hopes of releasing the data in tandem with the year of celebration for the 30^th Beach Sweep Anniversary.  Stay tuned for updates!

Read more about the study here. 

Turtle Treasures

Written by: Scott Thompson

Last week (week of July 14th) during a “liquid lunch” surf session in Sea Bright, I observed a mid - sized (12 to 14” shell size) sea turtle cruising within the lineup hopefully enjoying his or her “lunch “ as well. Needless to say I was thrilled with the visual and saw the turtle multiple times in the area during the hour or so in the water enjoying the water more than ever.

This is the first time in my 49 years of surfing that I have ever seen a turtle this close to the shore here in the Atlantic. Is it a good thing? I don’t know, maybe they should be further offshore, however I can indeed attest to the fact that it looked healthy and happy swimming vigorously in and around the breaking surf.

Will there be more? Let’s hope so. However, with all the pressure from outside interests to “explore” the oceans for “data” how can that disruption be positive for the turtles and their environment. Now more than ever we need the CLEAN OCEAN ZONE. Why? Be COZ ! The turtles and all marine life need us to advocate for them so the “data” gathers cannot drive them from their habitat for the good of a few pennies on someone’s spread sheet and account balance.

Call, email and connect with all your legislators and tell them the President and his Cabinet do NOT represent the people. They represent special interests that will sell out our natural ocean resources for a dollar. Is it really worth it in the end?

No Place for Liquefied Natural Gas Imports, or Port Ambrose, in New York's Energy Future

NYS 2014 Draft Energy Plan points to a diminishing need for LNG imports and ignores Port Ambrose altogether

On January 7, 2014, the New York State Energy Planning Board released its Draft 2014 New York State Energy Plan for public comment. The Draft Plan, which runs to over 600 pages, is a comprehensive assessment of every aspect of New York’s energy matrix, including supply, demand, and infrastructure needs for the next twenty years.  While the Plan suggests that natural gas will play an important role in the state’s energy future, it sees no role for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG); and although other infrastructure projects are considered in detail, it doesn’t even mention Port Ambrose, the proposed Deepwater Port that would be constructed off Long Island and import LNG into the metropolitan area.

In its few remarks on the subject, the Plan notes that the need for LNG imports has diminished and that they now (in 2012) account for “less than 1 percent of total U.S. natural gas.” The Plan goes on to warn that natural gas markets are shifting to exporting LNG – which could “cause price volatility in the future” and have a disruptive impact on New York energy costs.

So where does this leave Port Ambrose? “This is further evidence, if any were needed, that there isn’t any demonstrable need for LNG imports for Port Ambrose,” noted Sean Dixon, Coastal Policy Attorney with Clean Ocean Action; “in aiming for affordable energy, resiliency, and market-based solutions, LNG facilities are clearly inconsistent with NYS’s Energy Future.”

“New York State must reject the false promise of carbon based fuels as a bridge to a sustainable future and stand as a leader in creating a new energy economy based on renewable resources,” said Jeremy Samuelson, Executive Director of Concerned Citizens of Montauk. “Our energy future will reflect exactly what we incentivize.  Economic growth, environment protection and greater national security are the inevitable by-products an aggressive transition to renewable energy.”

“New York State’s Energy Plan offers further evidence that Port Ambrose is not viable as an LNG import facility,” said Bruce Ferguson of Catskill Citizens for Safe Energy.  “In all likelihood, if this project goes forward it will be used to export shale gas and that will inevitably lead to more fracking in the Northeast, and that’s something none of us want to see.”

A State Energy Plan is required under state law and is open for a 60-day public comment period.  As noted in the Board presentation and press release announcements on the readiness of the Draft Plan, there will also be six public hearings (in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island).

In June 2013, Liberty LNG’s proposed Port Ambrose LNG import facility application became active, triggering a year-long review process under the federal Deepwater Port Act.  Liberty LNG proposes building a port about 25 miles off of Jones Beach, NY, and a 20-mile pipeline which would connect with the existing offshore Williams-Transco pipeline just 2 miles off the coast of Atlantic Beach, NY.  Liberty LNG purports to be planning to use the facility strictly to import natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico and foreign nations.  Under federal law passed in December 2012, the license for this port could be amended to allow for natural gas exports.

The groups quoted above, along with an anti-Liberty LNG coalition of organizations from across the nation, continue to call on Governors Christie and Cuomo to exercise their statutory right to veto this proposal.  Such a veto, under the federal Deepwater Port Act, can be transmitted to the reviewing agencies (the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration), at any time.

Hoarder or just crafty? You decide.

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the sixth of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

By:  Diana Reinhardt Paradis, Manager of Development and External Affairs

This time of year, my thoughts turn to times past and cherished memories.  I tend to save many of the decorations, ribbon, and assorted odds and ends from gifts and packaging I receive.  But what to do with the decorations, pretty packaging, and all of those paper products?     

It’s easy to reuse your holiday cards or old wrapping paper as gift tags.  Simply cut your favorite images with pinking shears, trace a scalloped pattern or, if you have one, use a die-cutting machine.  Images of Frosty, Santa and other holiday favorites are perfect for these upcycled gift tags.  Make sure the special message sent to you in the card does not appear on the back of your tag!  To make the backing for your tag, use drinking glasses of various sizes as templates for round, even circles.  Pop a hole in the top with a punch and thread with a ribbon to finish your tag.  


Or, instead of giving away your favorite cards, turn them into treasured holiday ornaments.  By cutting a series of circles, folding and strategically gluing the corners together, you can create a fantastic ornament.  Every year when you decorate your home, it will remind you of the heartfelt messages received from family and friends.  


You can also repurpose the decorations from last year’s festivities to decorate your home now.  I have turned New Year’s Eve party decorations into tree ornaments, saved tiny Santas that arrived on a fruit basket for featured decorations used on the wreath on my front door, and a metal truck I received one year filled with candy now hauls a tiny tree that once decorated a different gift.  An entire winter scene can be created from repurposed objects.  

Wrapping It Up Eco-Style This Holiday Season

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the fifth of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

By: Catie Tobin, COA Ocean Advocacy and Education Fellow

It may seem difficult to keep up your holiday spirit up this season while staying environmentally cautious, especially while wrapping presents, shopping at malls, or sending out your holiday cards, but it’s a good thing that there are quick and easy ways to ‘go green’ this holiday season!

Sites, such as Eco Cycle, Pinterest, and Tree Hugger, give great suggestions on how ‘going green’ this holiday season is affordable, eco-friendly, and easy! The perfect way to start is wrapping  and packing eco-style. Wrapping paper adds a variety of colors to your holiday décor, but why use single-use wrapping paper?

Utilize comics, posters, old calendars (there are only a few more days left in 2013), maps, blueprints, fabrics, or cloth gift bags to wrap this year’s holiday gifts instead. This is a great opportunity to not only be eco-friendly, but to personalize the wrapped gifts for that particular person. You can even make a game out of it on Christmas morning: have your loved ones find their gifts based on which type of wrapping resembles them the most! For example, if you have a cousin who loves to travel, wrap all of their gifts in recycled maps, or an uncle who loves to go boating and fishing, wrap his gifts in recycled fishing nets or pages from a boating magazine. Be creative!

Another great way to be environmentally friendly this holiday season is to bring your own re-usable bags holiday shopping. Clean Ocean Action has a re-usable, recycled bag made from recycled plastic just for you! This is a simple and easy way to avoid using plastic shopping bags and help the environment! 

Choosing holiday cards which can easily be recycled is another useful tool that can help you ‘go green’ this holiday season. While sending e-cards is an environmental solution, they can get lost in people’s inbox and may not seem as personal. If you prefer to send out holiday cards via post office, choose cards without non-paper embellishments like foil or ribbon, and look for cards that contain post-consumer recycled content. Don’t worry, you can still send around a photo with your family rockin’ their holiday-best sweaters, but why not do it in an eco-friendly manner? Sites such as Greener Printer and the Gallery Collection will allow you to do just that. Now go and get the camera ready and say ‘eco-friendly’ as the light flashes!

There are so many ways in which you can be environmentally friendly without lessening your holiday cheer. Start a new tradition this year and watch as these ideas remain a holiday favorite for years to come. 

The Perfect Gift: A (re-)Useful One

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the fourth of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

By: Zach McCue, Citizen Action Coordinator

This holiday season when looking for gifts for friends and family, it can be tough to nail down that perfect sentimental gift.  Sometimes, a gift that is more useful will better suit your friend or loved one. 

As an environmental organization that works to prevent marine debris, Clean Ocean Action (COA) advocates for folks to cut down their use of plastic water bottles or Styrofoam.  Each summer, COA holds Corporate Beach Sweeps where companies from throughout the region come to Sandy Hook to spend a day of service cleaning the beach.  At the end of the program, COA provides lunch and a presentation on ocean protection, including a brief conversation about how everyday decisions may directly affect what is picked up off the beach. 

I often ask for folks to make the connection from their daily plastic water/soda bottles, plastic utensils and single-use packaging, to what was cleared from the beach.  I point out the dangers that single-use plastics pose to marine wildlife and ask them if they really need to get that “medium French Vanilla with cream and two sugars” in a Styrofoam cup.

Photo Credit: Google Images

It’s easy to advocate for environmental responsibility, but it’s a challenge for that message to translate into action.  For the coffee lovers in your life, consider giving them a reusable coffee mug for Christmas.  Using re-usable mugs reduces plastic, paper, and Styrofoam waste, but can also save you money! 

Every morning when your friend or loved one leaves the house with their coffee in hand, or heads to their local coffee shop to refill their cup, they will not only feel better about doing the right thing for the environment, but hopefully they will think of how you helped them understand that being green is easy and fun!

Coffee mugs aren’t the only reusable gifts you can give friends and family.  Reusable water bottles from your favorite sports team or organization, or re-usable bags from your favorite retailer are great ideas too!

Give an Ocean Experience This Holiday SEAson!

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the third of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

By: Mary-Beth Thompson, Clean Ocean Action Operations Director

As a family with three active sons, over the years we have spent much time together having fun in outdoor activities.  Now that the “boys” are adults themselves and our family has expanded to include wonderful wives and fiancées, my favorite thing to do, especially around the holidays, is spend time together. So, this Christmas we have decided to do just that – we all set aside a day and night to do something fun! I would tell you what we will be doing, but Scott and I are saving the surprise for our Christmas gift to the children!

If you are thinking of giving the gift of time with each other, consider giving a gift of an ocean experience! It can even be more meaningful if you offer to share the experience together, such as surfing, fishing, or yoga-on-the-beach lessons. Seasonal passes to a state or federal park are also a great gift, as well as charter boat fishing or eco-tour boat cruises, and SUP and kayak experiences. Many supporters of COA are in these fun businesses, including Aqua Trails in Cape May, Pride Fishing & Tackle Shop in Red Bank, Summa Love Surfing & Yogain Long Branch, and Hackensack Riverkeeper in Secaucus. Top the day off with a gift card to a great seafood restaurant or continue the giving by cooking your own gastronomical delight with fresh seafood purchased at LustyLobster in Highlands.

Whatever your interests are, experiences and spending time together can be the most valuable gift to give or receive! From our family to yours, we wish you Happy Holidays and all the best in 2014!

(Photos by Scott Thompson)

Give the Gift that Keeps on Giving!

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the second of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

By: Catie Tobin, COA Ocean Advocacy and Education Fellow

Tis the season for shopping lists, baking to-dos, and holiday decorating galore. With all of the time needed to complete those tasks, it’s hard to devote time to really thinking about personalized gifts for your family and friends, let alone environmentally-friendly gifts. It’s a good thing that there are websites out there that can help you do just that!

Holiday gifts do not necessarily have to be an article of clothing or an iTunes gift card. Why not give something more meaningful and that can help the environment? Become craftier, especially with your holiday décor, utilize Pinterest as a way to create long-lasting (and greener) decorations! Whether you want to transform your house into a Winter Wonderland or you want to create personalized gifts for your friends and family, then Pinterest is a great tool for all you Do It Yourself-ers. 

Websites, such as ReUseIt, are a great resource to use when holiday shopping. Whether it is a reusable eco hero cape for your environmental superhero or eco-finger paint for your artsy neighbor, gifts for all ages can be found on this environmentally friendly website. Other websites, such as The Daily Green, provide other great opportunities to find ideas for unique green holiday gifts.

Gifts do not necessarily have to be something that the recipient physically receives. Another great option to build a greener future with a greener gift is to donate to an environmental organization in said person’s name. For example, Clean Ocean Action provides great opportunities to give the gift that keeps on giving. A donation to Clean Ocean Action in someone’s name allows us to continue protecting our ocean and build a greener future. Our fellowship and internship programs are funded by donations from people like you. They also go to building our educational programs to help shape the next generation of marine scientists.

A donation to Clean Ocean Action can also give the gift of an ocean education. Make a donation to COA specifically for a Clean Ocean Action presentation for your child’s school or an organization you are a part of. Presentations are available for all age groups and topics include the Clean Ocean Zone, Pointless People Pollution, Liquefied Natural Gas, as well as a general Clean Ocean Action presentation. 

Going ‘green’ this holiday season does not need to be a difficult task. Whether it is decorating in a greener fashion or giving ‘greener’ gifts, there are numerous websites available to help you accomplish all of your environmentally-friendly goals. Start a new trend amongst family and friends by thinking outside the box this holiday SEAson and purchasing greener gifts that will be sure to spread cheer!

O Tannenbaum! Eco-friendly, chic decorations for the SEAson

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the first of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

O Tannenbaum!  Eco-friendly, chic decorations for the SEAson

By: Diana Reinhardt Paradis, Manager of Development and External Affairs

I love the scent of a real Christmas tree.  It makes a home feel ready for the holiday.  But what type of tree is the greenest option?   Should I purchase a natural tree or an artificial tree?  

This bulb tree might live
in your backyard for years.

When shopping for a Christmas tree, there are many factors to consider.  Natural Christmas trees are chopped down (often from Christmas tree farms) and usually shipped long distances, but forever artificial trees can contain plastic and chemicals and are often made overseas and then shipped long distances to your home. 

If you decide on a natural tree for your home, buy locally.  New Jersey is the Garden State!   There are wonderful Jersey-grown trees available.  When the holiday season is over, many towns will pick up your tree and turn it into mulch.  Trees are chipped, mixed with leaves, and recycled into rich compost for parks, institutions, and community gardens. Your tree will be part of the soil when flowers bloom this spring in your town.  Remember to remove all lights, tinsel, ornaments, the tree stand, and plastic from your tree before setting it out at the curb for collection. 

My little reindeer!

If you choose an artificial tree, make sure it becomes a family heirloom used for generations, instead of sending it to a landfill. These days, some artificial trees are sold with built-in LED lights – and LED lights save electricity.  Plus, you avoid the old, “one goes out, they all go out” light string trap!  Some of these newer trees even work by a remote control – no more stooping to ‘turn on the tree’. 

Another option is to purchase a living tree. Find a bulb tree (with the roots wrapped in burlap or other preserving fabric) at your local garden center and decorate it for the season, then plant it outdoors.  Mark a special milestone like a wedding, anniversary or the birth of a child or grandchild, or just start a new tradition.  The most successful way to bring a living tree indoors for the holiday is to keep the tree in a room that isn’t very warm (away from fireplaces and kitchens) and keep the tree well watered.  Bulb trees come in all sizes, and several smaller trees grouped together would make a stunning decoration. 

Modern décor more your style?  Use an unusual material to build your tree, like metal or cardboard.  You can also fit more ornaments on a metal tree than one with branches and can even be used for other events during the year, depending on the style. Cardboard trees can be very chic; check out sites like www.Pinterest.com to be inspired by amazingly creative designs made from recycled cardboard. 

If you want to get really creative, make a tree from up-cycled, weathered wood. It may not be traditional, but it can become your new eco-friendly tradition. Or you can use the trimmings for a special display.  Last year, my husband and I built a reindeer out of the leftover stumps and branches from our live tree – and the results were adorable!  Old buttons were used for the eyes and a washer my husband had laying around made a nose for Rudolph. 

Jack Johnson’s Christmas Tree

This year, I was inspired by an article I read in Coastal Living about musician Jack Johnson’s laid back style of decorating.  A COA supporter, Jack is an active surfer living in Hawaii.  After a storm, he took his family to the beach, and found some wood and debris.

"I think it was pieces of somebody's turquoise plywood deck that had been all beaten up and washed around, so it looked really neat—it was all weather worn, and it was Kim's (Jack’s wife) favorite color, so I turned it into a tree."  The tree is now decorated with other items found on the beach by the Johnson family, which they recycled into ornaments.  You can read more about the Johnson family holiday traditions at www.CoastalLiving.com. 

No matter what you choose for your home this year, you can make it greener with a little time and creativity.  

#GivingTuesday: Have You Seen the Giving Ocean?

Video produced by Grace Hanlon, then Executive Producer, Edvantage Media

The ocean gives so much to us – free of charge, but keeping it clean, healthy, and natural is a full time job that drives Clean Ocean Action. Wouldn’t you like to give back?

Tuesday, December 3 is this year’s national day of giving.  Reacting to the consumerism that is sometimes part of the holiday season, thousands of nonprofits, companies, and people like you have come together for the second annual #GivingTuesday to make a positive contribution to society – instead of simply shopping.  

Here are some new ways to give: Recall your days of fun at the beach this year and give to the ocean: 

Unleash Your Inner Good Guy: COA Featured in The Jersey Give Back Guide

COA is thrilled to be included in the inaugural edition of The Jersey Give Back Guide, an annual, seasonal project of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. A longtime supporter of Clean Ocean Action’s work, the Foundation believes everyone has the power to be a philanthropist in their own community.

The Dodge Foundation chose just fifteen organizations from the entire state that excel in collaboration, innovation, and community engagement.

Clean Ocean Action is honored to work with the Dodge Foundation on The Jersey Give Back Guide. Check out their Generosity Generator – which takes the guesswork out of donating to charity – at www.jerseygivebackguide.org.


Help COA Meet the Challenge
Each organization featured in The Jersey Give Back Guide is eligible for a $1,000 matching grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Help COA raise additional funds by being one of 50 supporters to give through the Guide by December 31st. Share with friends and family!

Amazon Smile

For your future holiday shopping, consider buying used books or vintage items on Amazon. When you shop using Amazon Smile, Amazon.com will make a donation to Clean Ocean Action.  Tell your friends how easy it was to shop and support the Shore on Facebook and Twitter - it even works with Amazon Prime!  Click here for more information.

Celebrate the Shore

In 2013, COA’s work focused on assisting the people, businesses, habitats, and waterways impacted by Superstorm Sandy through monthly clean-up days. Waves of Action ‘For The Shore’ program saw over 13,725 volunteers that participated in 281 projects in 70 different towns with over 120 organizations from across New York and New Jersey.  Learn more at www.ForTheShore.org.

Clean Ocean Action has been advocating for the ocean since 1984; nearly 30 years of hard work to keep the ocean wild and free of harmful industry. To learn more about COA’s ocean protection work or to make a contribution this #GivingTuesday over the phone, please call the office at (732) 872-0111.