ODA was thrilled to be invited to be involved with Earth Resources Foundation’s “Human Broom” beach cleanup at Huntington Beach State Park on Dec. 11, 2004.  While ODA has been active talking with dive groups and environmental activists over the last year about our work, this was our first opportunity to talk directly to a large group of young adults and children - students from local schools participating in the cleanup.

After several weeks of very cold weather, the sun was finally shinning and everyone seemed to have a lot energy.  We showed up with our boat, the Garibaldi, in tow and talked with several enthusiastic high school students about ODA’s projects.  The students had just finished picking up about 50 trash bags of trash from the beach area where the Santa Ana river flows into the Pacific Ocean, but were eager to learn.  Several other speakers also gave presentations about different ways to help the environment.

The students asked many good questions and helped us cut up some abandoned lobster traps that Jim Lieber and I had brought along.  We had a fun time and got an invitation to give another presentation to a high school in Garden Grove.
 
I want to thank Stephanie Barger and Brianna Lewis of Earth Resource Foundation for inviting us to the Human Broom event, and for the outstanding effort they put in to get so many teenagers out to clean up the beach. 

The hope for the future lies with our children, and I feel more confident after this event that they will make the necessary sacrifices to help make this a better planet as they become adults and leaders.

For more information about Earth Resource Foundation, please visit their wonderful website: www.earthresource.org