Sept. 28, 2008 – Coastweeks cleanup, spearheaded by Ocean Conservancy, continued this weekend with Tomas Lanner, of Salt Gallery Inc. art agency, organizing a history talk and cleanup at Salt River and Columbus Landing.
"We are leading by example to keep this island looking good," Lanner said. Lanner wants to encourage other small business owners to promote a change in the community's attitude towards trash.
Lanner dragged out of the bush a rusty old refrigerator during the morning and others in the group lugged out seven engine blocks, nine tires and 30 bags of trash.
More than 20 people cleaned up the area and then heard Bryan Updyke, pre-Columbian historian and Virgin Kayak owner, talk briefly about the history of the area.
Updyke began with the Taino Indians who canoed here from South America 3,000 years before Columbus. He talked about the demise of the Tainos by the unfriendly Carib Indians moving in and of Columbus not finding gold for Spain, therefore moving on.
Updyke pointed out a spot where a ceremonial ball court had once been. It is now covered with asphalt and in the center non- native coconut palms have been planted. There had been stone-walls around it with petroglyphs but they are in a museum in Denmark, said Updyke.
"We'll never get them back," Updyke said. "Museums don't like to part with their antiquities."
He took the group on a short hike to a hillside covered with non-native tan tan and Guinea grass that had once been a triangular earthen fort.
"It should be planted with papaya, calabash and royal palms," Updyke said.
He urged the listeners to lobby senators and the government to work on the preservation of Columbus Landing and Salt River.
Many officials including Delegate Donna Christiansen have emphasized that Columbus Landing is of major importance to take care of historically and for the community.
As the cleanup was finishing people from all different communities were arriving to enjoy a Sunday afternoon at the pristine, white sand beach.
The Central Church of the Nazarene was holding baptisms in the sea with more than 50 people watching from shore. A family of six staked out shade under sea grapes waiting for the rest of their clan to party. And members of the Salt Gallery group stuck around to let a few little ones play on the beach and swim in the aquamarine sea. There were older gentlemen also wading to take their daily sea bath.
"It is great to see people get involved who care about the community and the neighborhood," said volunteer Colette Haley. "It's great to be a part of it too."
The materials picked up were noted on data sheets. The data will be sent on to Ocean Conservancy. The information gathered during Coastweeks provides a picture of what debris lands on the territory's beaches and, in many cases, where it originates.
"Since people were responsible for the beach debris in the first place, it's up to them to remove it," said Marcia Taylor, coordinator of Coastweeks activities on St. Croix.
There are opportunities for teams to sign up for a cleanup, which goes through Oct. 11. To sign up or for more information about Coastweeks call Taylor at the V. I. Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS), St. Croix at 692-4046, Kristin Maize at 779-4940 on St. John or Lihla Noori at 693-1392 on St. Thomas.
Lanner's next focus on a cleanup is Butler Bay, where he has plans for a coral rejuvenation project with an underwater sculpture park.
VIMAS is partnering with the V.I. Waste Management Authority (WMA), which will help transport and dispose of the trash that is collected.
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