Angela, CUR - The Goldilocks of Trash Collection

My name is Angela Boney and as you can see from my original introductory post, I took the OCE1001 Lab during the fall 2013 semester. Throughout this semester I plan to read your posts and hope to provide some useful feedback. My individual research project pertained to plastic debris found on Florida's beaches - since then, the effects of trash (especially plastic) in bodies of water has become a small obsession.

After completing my AA at Daytona State College, I moved to Oregon this summer, and in and around hiking, gardening, and home renovations, I've been looking for the ideal long-term floating garbage research spot: one not too far away, safe to research on my own, and the right kind of trash.

Weeding in Oregon

I specifically mention "floating" because during a garbage collection event I participated in at Alton Baker Park (12 minutes from my house) we spent our time going through homeless people's dens along the Willamette River and were told to never collect along this route on our own. The only thing we found in the water was a bag - filled with beer bottles - tethered to a tree. So, based on my criteria, the site was close enough but not the type of trash I'm looking for and potentially dangerous on my own.

McKenzie River: 1st time I've had to wear a life vest while
collecting trash.

On another day, I participated in the McKenzie Watershed Council's annual river clean up. After driving 40 minutes I knew the site along the McKenzie River was too far gas budget wise, but due to strong currents and slippery rocks it also turned out to be too dangerous on my own, however it had the ideal type of trash: Styrofoam cups, plastic utensils, straws, broken pieces of plastic, fishing bobbers and tons of fishing line - all items that could wash down river and eventually into the ocean.

Beach in Florence, OR

As my list of imperfect river trash collection sites has been growing longer while I'm looking for the one that is just right, I did of course drive the hour and twenty minutes to the closest beach (which a true Oregonian calls a coast). Other than one lonely plastic food storage container rolling along with the wind, Florence's beach is rather a graveyard for washed ashore logs than a trash collection site.

In addition to finding the ideal research site, eventually gaining employment, and continuing home renovations, I'm also biding my time until I qualify for in-state tuition at University of Oregon. I'm debating between the Chemistry and the General Science program, the latter would allow me to take a myriad of courses in Biology, Chemistry, as well as ones pertaining to the Environment.