Christina Barbella poses with her first “beach tree” in Margate.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Like most teens, Christina Barbella of Ventnor, who will be a senior at Ocean City High School in September, likes to go to the beach with friends. She has already committed to playing softball at New York University, but before she leaves for the Big Apple next year, she wants to make an impact at home.
After visiting her uncle in a North Carolina resort town, Barbella discovered a simple but effective way to improve the marine environment and ensure residents and visitors can enjoy a clean beach.
“We all go for long walks on the beach and always bring trash bags to collect trash or cigarette butts,” she said after presenting her idea to the Ventnor City Board of Commissioners in January.
She noted that Sunset Beach, North Carolina had a simple but unique way to keep their beaches clean, using the power of beachgoers concerned about the environment. Shopping baskets were hung from posts at beach entrances and used by beach walkers to pick up trash.
She thought it was a great idea to replicate in the Downbeach area. After sharing her idea to replicate Sunset Beach’s successful program with Margate’s Clean Communities Coordinator Anthony Edge, the members of Margate’s Public Works Department manufactured and installed two kiosks on the beaches at Huntington and Washington avenues just in time for the busy 4th of July weekend.
The city is hoping that citizens and beachgoers will help pick up letter when they walk the beach early in the morning or in the evening hours.
According to Public Works Supervisor Frank Ricciotti, the city will “see how it goes” before installing the “beach trees” in other locations, he said.
Edge said the city posted instructions on a sign at the top of the post, which contains several green plastic baskets that beach walkers can use to collect trash they find on the beach. Beach walkers can help the environment by disposing the trash in their proper containers.
According to Pete Larkin of Sunset Vision in North Carolina, his small community is a lot like Downbeach towns, with a population of about 4,000 that swells to 17,000 in the summertime.
“Litter on the beach is a concern,” he said. “We asked that while walking, they grab a basket, pick up trash and butts, deposit it in the appropriate trash or recycling container, and return the basket when they are through.”
Larkin said the program has been a great success since it was instituted two years ago.
“It’s very popular,” he said. “People are so impressed with it that they send us money so we can do other projects.”
Ventnor City Public Works Supervisor Ed Stinson said Ventnor will be installing several kiosks as well. year.
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