LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
More than 150 volunteers from around the base came together the morning of June 2 to help save the shoreline.
The volunteers assembled at Eagle Park to participate in the 19th Annual Clean the Bay Day, organized by the 1st Civil Engineer Squadron.
Volunteers picked up trash along Langley's shoreline, which was divided into four zones. Zones one and two previously covered the shoreline from Bayview Towers to the marina, but stopped short at Douglas Street this year due to construction. Zones three and four stretched from the LaSalle Gate all the way to the King Street Bridge.
According to H. Reed Jeavons, the 1st Civil Engineer Squadron natural resource planner and U.S. Air Force Chesapeake Bay program coordinator, volunteers collected 3 tons of trash from the shoreline during this year's event.
"That's 2,000 pounds more than last year's 2 tons -- a 33 percent increase," said Mr. Jeavons.
The litter consisted of more than paper or pop cans. A five-gallon bucket, a six-foot electrical pole and an unopened universal remote control were some of the unusual items found this year.
Unfortunately, several plastic bags, like the one that brought
Osprey 48 to her death, were also found along the shoreline. Osprey 48 was part of Langley's satellite tracking program and died recently when it became tangled in a plastic grocery bag.
"It's important to provide a better habitat for marine life and to protect the shore from contaminants, trash and debris," said Master Sgt. Freddy Nunez, seven-year Clean the Bay Day veteran, zone three captain for Clean the Bay Day and section leader for the 71st Aerospace Ground Equipment section.
If the fish ingest contaminants, the people will ingest contaminants, said Sergeant Nunez. Not only is the litter hazardous to animals and the shoreline, but debris like broken glass bottles pose a safety concern for people.
According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Web site, almost 6,000 volunteers removed more than 82 tons of litter and debris in an area that spanned 275 miles during the event. The total effort included clean up sites from Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed consists of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New York and Washington, D.C. The Hampton Roads area is located at the southern tip of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the last stop before the Atlantic Ocean. This means all of the pollution, debris and litter from all of the other areas in the watershed passes through the Hampton Roads area.
Hampton Roads is one of the most important ecological regions- yet one of the most threatened in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Web site. At one time, this area had some of the most thriving oyster grounds in the entire Chesapeake Bay. Now, the remaining natural oyster population barely sustains commercial fishery due to overfishing, disease and pollution.
To find out more ways to clean the bay throughout the year, visit
Hampton Roads on the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Web site.