"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  —Margaret Mead

Earth Day and the Loreto Pride Campaign  were celebrated April 10 with a community cleanup of the Arroyo Candeleria.  An outpouring of community support and volunteers made the event not only a fabulous success, but an event worth remembering.  Generous sponsorship was provided by: the WATERKEEPER Alliance, Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto, Loretanos por un mar lleno de vida, and Eco-Alianza de Loreto. A.C.

This Earth Day in Loreto, something wondrous happened.  Over 200 school age youth arrived at the registration desk, ready to put their energies into their community.  They were not the creators or the garbage mess, nor did they necessarily live in close proximity, but arrived early, ready to put muscle and heart into protecting the waters that they love. 

As in years past, the arroyo had been used as a dumping ground for unimaginable waste.  During the dry winter season, the arroyo serves mostly as a road from Mex 1 into the beachfront community, but in the rainy season, it becomes a roaring torrent, pushing everything in its path into the Sea of Cortez.  To prevent unnecessary pollution of the water, removal of the accumulated refuse was needed.

Rubber gloves and contractors trash bags were disseminated at both registration, and along the cleanup route.  There was a water truck to make sure that everyone was hydrated, and multiple pickup trucks to cart the collected refuse to the dump – where is should have been deposited in the first place.

The local youth brought friends, cellphones, brothers, sisters, parents - and great attitudes.  I don’t think the arroyo has ever been cleaned as quickly as with this small energetic army! 

Waste management is an on-going concern for every community, not only pickup, but what to do with our collective garbage once it leaves our doorstep?  In Loreto there is an educational effort underway to deal with the disposal of waste.  Door to door trash pickup exists, but is not always as scheduled or utilized.

Some substances found in the arroyo are poisonous to cause serious or deadly harm to man.  Toxic waste included batteries, florescent tubing, motor oils, paint thinners, solvents, industrial cleaners, acids.  In the water system, these items wreak havoc with fish and marine mammals.

Some of the trash bagged by the committed volunteers: plastic bags, plastic cups, plastic eating utensils, plastic bottles, dirty diapers, tin cans, empty food containers, partially full food containers, cigarette boxes, broken and unbroken bottles, cardboard boxes, broken plastic cracks, broken trash cans, toilet paper, Kleenex, building materials, old bits of rubber piping, electrical wire, florescent light bulbs shattered into millions of pieces, old bricks, broken tiles, appliances and/or parts of appliances, foam cups, foam bits and pieces, school books, notebooks, papers, cigarette butts, plastic trays, broken furniture, and discarded clothing.

Over 30 filled trucks and trailers were filled and taken to the dump!

The entire cleanup took less than two hours – proof that a committed group of citizens can make a remarkable difference.  The arroyo was shimmering – a healthy looking desert landscape. Mesquite and paloverde shimmered in the mid-day sun. 

For a few minutes, the group sighed, smiled, and congratulated one another on the great accomplishment, and then set off to Rancho Jaral, where Eco-Alianza hosted a celebratory barbecue.  Hamburgers, hot dogs, beverages, and a wide assortment of salads and desserts were served to the hungry crew.  Tents had been set up on the beach to provide shelter for long tables and shares. 

Over lunch, the conversation ranged from the satisfaction of the cleanup to the need to find new educational tools to prevent dumping at all.  There is a continuing need to communicate the relationship between actions and the health of the seas.

Hats off to all community volunteers, including the Marine Park, ZOEFEMAT, Hugo Quintero, Tony and Linda Kinninger, Pam and Kent Williams, Mary and Nick Lampros, Catharine Cooper, the students and their participation in the EAL workshop under the direction of Edna Peralta, Program Administrator for Education and Outreach, Horacio Gabrera – Exectutive Director of Eco-Alianza, and Gaby Suarez – Program Director for the new Waste Management Program.