Happy Birthday, Jacques Cousteau

The year was 2018. I was still cleaning out the townhouse after my mother passed away, readying it for sale. A challenge was proposed in a conservationist page that I followed: Do something in honor of the late Jacques Cousteau's 108th birthday.

(Technically, Jacques was born on June 11th, and my action took place in April.)

I had watched the Jacques Cousteau documentaries as a child in the 1970's. It is funny to see how the state-of-the-art photography of that period seemed so murky blue in comparison to the modern David Attenborough Blue Planet DVD's that my grown nephew Nicholas collects.

In grade school, I learned that Cousteau helped develop SCUBA gear, but, not until I began reading an exhaustive biography of my hero in swim fins, did I realize how much he had birthed underwater photography. My mind recalled images of his mostly male staff in red knit hats stirring soup on board the ship and drinking wine, and, like the satirical theme of "The Life Aquatic," I spent my teen years reading appeals from the Calypso society for donations to repair the research ship. Yet, my heart still leapt at the call to adventure whenever I heard John Denver sing about the legendary reconstructed WW2 vessel.

BUOYED BY WATER, HE CAN FLY IN ANY DIRECTION, DOWN, SIDEWAYS- BY MERELY FLIPPING HIS HAND. UNDER WATER, MAN BECOMES AN ARCHANGEL. ...Jacques Cousteau

I grew in New Jersey and spent the proverbial childhood summers "down the shore" as well as having immersed my pre-teen self in the cold Maine ocean and, later as an adult, visited Ocean City, Maryland, with my mother. Now I lived in landlocked Pennsylvania. Aware that the nearby Susquehanna River fed the Chesapeake Bay, I grabbed for the slogan "we all live downstream" and settled for a very attainable goal that day ...to remove trash at a creek access less than a mile from my home. The Conodoguinet Creek (Native American for "a long way with many bends") was all part of the Susquehanna watershed, and ultimately upstream from the Chesapeake Bay.

What do you give the late icon and pioneer of ocean conservation for his 108th birthday?? Nothing could be better than a pile of trash collected from the Conodoguinet Creek!

I must say that I am continually inspired by ordinary people who stubbornly take on a cause and keep with it despite obstacles. CNN hero Chad Pregracke could not convince the government to clean up the Mississippi River, so he began hauling garbage out of the water himself and later founded Living Lands and Waters which continually hosts volunteer groups for hands-on action. I also have a Facebook friend Douglas who singlehandedly "dug out Clam Pass" in an effort to preserve mangrove coastline in Florida before the government was willing to act.

I fear I do not have their moral stamina but I could donate one day to honor Mr. Cousteau.

That Sunday afternoon was humid even before the hot summer had arrived. I had worn old sneakers and clothes along with citronella wrist bands but began to wonder about the ticks. I did not actually go into the creek but tried to keep my balance walking along the uneven bank. Some kayakers were coming and going and must have thought me crazy as I repeatedly came out of the bushes wearing plastic gloves and carrying plastic bags of trash and recyclables. I was determined to recycle as much of the plastic, metal, and glass as I could. Thankfully, my small church had a dumpster for trash and a dumpster for recyclables. I found myself growling more and more. I could understand losing a flip flop while canoeing or having trash blow from your garbage can, but rusted cans of chemicals and Styrofoam cups of bait seemed less excusable.

Later, after my mother's townhouse was sold, I volunteered on a creek clean-up and some native tree plantings along the waterway with the Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association. Of course, having experienced company was very beneficial. My new companions offered me tick repellent, and I learned practical things like cheap $10 water shoes fill with stones and walking in even knee-deep water on the creek bed could threaten my poor balance.

Picking up dirty, old, half-filled Gatorade bottles along the banks of the creek was a far cry from watching the crew of the Calypso cavort with seals and penguins or angelic underwater flight, but I did get to see some egrets and herons feeding along the creek. Discussing pollutant levels from a nearby fossil fuel plant isn't exactly stimulating conversation either, but I don't want the wildlife exposed to it.

So, I would encourage us all to start with the unglamorous stuff at the local level to protect our waterways and eventually our oceans. Educate yourself about mitigating agricultural and urban run-off. Advocate for monitoring businesses with a track record of dumping dangerous chemicals into our rivers and hold them accountable to the public....not exactly fun and exciting topics but none-the-less important.

Then make wise decisions regarding your seafood choices. Avoid seafood that is harvested in an unsustainable manner. Many environmental groups publish recommendations regarding seafood choices. Leave some fish for the locals whose diets depend upon seafood and be aware how your lifestyle choices impact the health of the ocean. Maybe consider eating invasive species, like blue catfish from the Chesapeake Bay watershed or more exotic lionfish from the Atlantic Ocean.

Finally, there are numerous ways to lessen your carbon footprint and its negative impact on the world's oceans, increasing water temperatures and bleaching coral reefs. Go solar if you are able and support solar and wind power. (I am tired of hearing people object to "unsightly" solar panels and wind turbines. Oil spills and the long-term effects of global warming may be much uglier.) I think Jacques Cousteau was interested in developing ocean turbines. In any case, Pennsylvania's electric choice allows apartment dwellers like myself to access the benefits of solar and/or wind power.

Consider walking, bicycling, and public transportation to reduce your consumption of gasoline. Reconsider disposables. I use washable rags instead of paper towels and containers instead of plastic wrap whenever possible. I also love to buy tins at thrift stores for giving baked goods as gifts. My local organic farm share uses some plastic bags but not many, and the big bag is biodegradable. There is even a local dairy that still uses glass bottles with a deposit. Make more plant-based food choices.

Finally, buy second-hand clothing when you can and be careful with new purchases. Rivers in Indonesia are poisoned with dyes and chemicals from our fickle clothing fashions. Chose items that will last instead of items that will end up in landfills very quickly, increasing the need for production energy. Maybe your good friend can knit you a red cap like the crew of the Calypso wore ..if you don't find one at Goodwill.

Be faithful in the small things with an eye for the larger picture.

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY