The other morning at the beach I was about to step out of my car barefoot when I looked down at the curbside to see about twenty of these small, cigarette but-sized glass vials littered around the curb. I fortunately stopped before putting my foot down in the glass in what could have a been yucky cut. Litter comes in all shapes and sizes but I was also wondering what they are. Please write if you know. Thank you!
Speaking of litter, that very same morning, while I was filming a group of crows pulling trash across the road and tearing up the MacDonald’s to-go boxes to get to the food remaining within, I looked up from the footbridge and saw a man in his car dumping a shopping bag full of food smack dab in the middle of Nautilus Road (the road that runs along Good Harbor). I stopped him and asked him why he did that. He shook his fist in my face and ironically, considering what I had just been filming, hollered that the crows and the gulls have to eat to.
So, to anyone who may be under the notion that crows and beach gulls do not get enough to eat of their own volition, I can assure you that they do, and that they are probably two of the best fed species on Planet Earth.
Keep Cape Ann Beautiful ~ Please Don’t Litter
Good Morning Gloucester 
By acclimating seagulls to eating that human food dumped kills more seagulls. Feeding them bread is killing them. Feeding them so they hook themselves more easily chasing treble hooks and snaring them in plastic because humans have food.
To people who try to feed them, your generosity is killing them.
Thanks Kim, repeat this message daily. It will eventually sink in.
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Thank you Paul for writing, really great input. I think bread is what killed the first Mrs. Swan too. She died from bone disease. And white bread is exactly what that elderly man was dumping in the middle of the road.
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They’re inserts for vape pens. At least one has “LOGIC” on the side: http://logicvapes.us/home
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Thank you for writing Ben and Anonymous. Sounds like a very fast and toxic way to take in nicotine
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Those are electronic cigarette vials. they hold the “juice” that contains nicotine that is vaporized by a heating element.
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We spend 2 weeks at Good Harbor every summer. Considering the number of people that use the beach, especially on a sunny weekend, the amount of trash left after the crowd has gone home is amazingly small. Most people care enough to take out what they bring in. Nevertheless, every early morning, going down to see the sunrise, I’d bring a trash bag and mostly fill it. Can’t bear to have that stuff either on the beach or taken out with the tide. Sorry, but I don’t know what your glass vials are.
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Thanks nmat41 for writing. I agree, most people very responsibly take away their trash. Thank you for your part in removing early morning garbage, so wonderful that you do that!!
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I’m glad you found out what the vials are (via Facebook). I know I was alarmed when I first saw the pictures. I was thinking the cigarette butts might have DNA and the cops could test them to see who the culprit is. I hate seeing all the litter. As they say, “The world is a trash can.” I’m glad not everybody thinks that way. Thanks for sharing, Kim.
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That would be a plan, DNA testing on vials, and cigarette butts! But honestly, isn’t it weird that someone thought it was okay to empty their ashtray right the curb!
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Morning, Kim. At first glance, the vials reminded me of free perfume samples that you get at the cosmetic counter, but that didn’t make sense given the location site and surrounding butts. I’ve never heard of vape pens or electronic cigarette vials. Charred lungs never appealed to me, so I’ve given cigarettes a wide berth in any form.
I pick up plastic rings, etc., when walking the beach, my first thought being to protect the wild life; sadly, many people don’t care, or don’t think. You can use a plastic bread wrapper as a tool, so that your hands don’t actually come in contact with said items. One never knows…
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I know what you mean Leslie, sometimes I don’t want to pick up certain things (like diapers). Thinking about putting some extra rubber gloves in my trunk. Thank you for all the picking up that you do. American use soooo much plastic and it is difficult to control its disposal fully.
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Public stonings to anyone who leaves there trash at the beach!
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🙂 🙂
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These vaping things are awful…just another thing about smokers who think it is okay to put out a cigarette butt anywhere, on the ground, in the sand, out a car window…anywhere. I was a facilitator of the Carry In Carry Out Program on our beaches. We put it forth those many years ago for the MAIN reason that after a year of monitoring and careful discussion we, (the then Clean City Commission of non paid volunteers) we told emphatically that the barrels on our beaches would and could only be emptied once in the early morning so in knowing that the barrels were usually full by noon, overflowing by afternoon and a mess at night, we went forth with the program. Back then people were coming into the parking lot at night and leaving small appliances, tv’s and more. The Clean City Commission was trying to get PEOPLE to be responsible..They took beach chairs and coolers, sandy towels and umbrellas home, they could bring home trash and recycles. There will always be people who abuse everywhere. When this began we (the commission) notified every B&B, hotel, motel, chamber of commerce within a 45 range of Gloucester about the Carry In Carry Out. We did visits to all our school systems to notify children and students what the change was. My husband designed and hand painted the logos on both beaches for gratis. Everything we did was out of pocket from the Commission with no city money. People are the problem and People are the solution
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THANK YOU DONNA for all this and all that you have done. I agree with you 1,000 percent! I don’t think it is the Mayor, or City Council, or policing problem, or anyone’s responsibility, but the citizens. I’ve been thinking a great deal about this and hope to go to the next Clean City Commission meeting. This is a winter project for me. Thank you for writing 🙂
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Thanks Kim this saddens me a great deal not PC Pisses me off! 😦 This is a world-wide issue some places more so than others…
Donna above vapor for sure throw around this way also. I can only speak to what I see this problem our way has grown three-fold since my first trip here in Dec 1978 to 1 July 80. I live next to a little Children’s park and it has a major trash disposal area on the outer street not more than 30 seconds from every part of the park. It’s trashed daily and cleaned daily by people who care like your cleaning crew that way.
The children throw because they emulate the adults who do this or they were never taught properly! The other part of the problem is someone in government (not control here) decided less trashcans mean less work (Not so) and contributes to the throwing of trash as not place to put it.
Speaking from my youth in Lanesville the whole community would get on you if they saw this and when down at the cove the lobsterman – fisherman and users of such would let you know also to pick it up. I think as young children we always loved picking up the coke bottles for the refunds at store the other items not so much but get a bag and do it also. If you every got a cut from broken glass on your foot or watched a gull, wildlife and good stewards of earth.
https://www.uwosh.edu/facstaff/barnhill/ES-243/pp%20outline%20Native%20American.pdf (I can attest to this from my personal experiences growing up with and living with Native Americans and there views).
Nature is something we live within and as a part of it
http://www.signupgenius.com/nonprofit/community-service-project-ideas.cfm
For children and schools
https://www.teachervision.com/environmental-education/teaching-methods/63270.html
http://footprintseducation.org/kidz-zone/how-can-i-help.php
Hope these links will also be helpful
Dave & Kim
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