Plog for the Sea: Part 1

First things first - what is plogging? Picking up litter while jogging! 

And why is it important? Because 80% of the garbage found in our ocean is land-based. Ouf! That's quite the statistic. 

But what's the happy news? Keep reading!

On October 1st, eleven ambassadors joined our Plog for the Sea challenge. Their mission was to plog for minimum 10 days for 10 minutes each time during the month of October. That's 100 minutes dedicated to helping keep the ocean trash-free. Each participant also committed to fundraising $200 for our Society.

Kick-off group plog along the Dartmouth waterfront near the Touch Tank Hut!

We were blown away by the dedication of all our ambassadors. Not only did most of them go well above 100 minutes of plogging, but our team fundraising goal of $2000 was smashed and over $3,600 was raised! 

We asked our ambassadors what surprised them the most of their experience and what advice they would give to anyone considering plogging. Read their responses for some guaranteed inspiration! 

Kaitlin plogging on Bluff Trail.

Kaitlin
The surprise - When starting off the plogging challenge I expected it to be rewarding, impactful, and easy to incorporate into my daily routine. What I did not expect was how much plogging brought people together. Whether I was walking with friends, reading kind messages, or being encouraged by the community it never felt as if I was plogging alone.
 
 
The advice - Many of us strive to make a positive impact in our community but all too often we are deterred by the “am I really making a difference” thought. With plogging, this thought never crosses your mind as you can physically see the difference your efforts make pre- and post-plog. This practice, although small, will ensure that you leave a positive impact everywhere you go.  

Magali, our ED, and a group of friends plogging on McNabs Island.

Alexandra

The surprise - How fast 10 minutes goes by when you're busy plogging!! I was shocked at how much garbage you can pick up in 10 minutes, since I don't often time myself. 

The advice - Plogging is better together! I had a lot of fun plogging with my friends, and we made it into a fun game of scavenger hunt (for who could find the biggest, weirdest, most unusual piece of trash) and before long, we had our bags full and big smiles on!

Ruby plogging in Vancouver. Yes! We had some participants on the West coast!

Ruby

I was surprised how much “garbage” I picked up was actually recyclable.

I was surprised how quickly the time would pass when I was in my groove plogging.

I was pleasantly surprised by how many people would smile and say thanks for cleaning up.

I was surprised how quickly litter would accumulate in just one day.        
 
The advice - Wear gloves! I found it faster and easier to separate recyclables from landfill items right away into separate bags instead of having to sort it after the fact. Use your plogging time as your cool down so you can still get in a good work out if you want to.

This is part 1 of a 3 part series. Stay tuned to find out more about the success of our challenge and to hear more anecdotes and advice!