Emerald Keepers of the Month

Jacob and Nich Alcock

Jacob and Nich Alcock

What began as a father-son boat ride and to get coffee and hot chocolate, turned into more than just another morning on the bay. Nick Alcock and his son, Jacob, were puttering by the golf course when 100 yards away they spotted a horrific mess on the beach along the Coronado Municipal Golf Course. Seeing the garbage piled on the beach, Nick’s first thought was a big event must have just taken place. 

Nick described his approach to the beach: “I felt like I was watching a video on YouTube describing some deserted South Pacific island covered with plastic. It blew my mind. I felt this incredible sense of disgust. I was just worried thinking if you can’t pick up garbage on one of the riches islands in the world, then it is just hopeless. Someone has to do something about this.” That’s when Nick and Jacob—the Coronado Beach Defenders as they call themselves—sprang into action. 

Nick and his family grew up in Cape Cod, picking up trash. He told a story of visiting Tern Island near Chatham that was covered in trash. He and his family spent the better part of two weeks picking up garbage. He said, “What we noticed after we picked up all the trash, was that the island largely remained clean after that. People who frequented the island stopped leaving their trash there. It demonstrated how the power of doing something like that can change behavior.”

Fast forward to last December. After seeing the piles of trash, Nick and Jacob removed about 1,000 pounds of trash from the Coronado Municipal Golf Course beach. After 10 days of cleaning the beach, Nick and Jacob loaded the trash on the dingy and took it to the municipal area where they could dispose of it. 

Jacob, a fourth grader, said, “Even though it was hard work and it was pretty stinky, I like to see the work that we did and how it affected the beach.”  

The Alcocks have a family home at the Shores and visit frequently from Sedona. Nick often takes Jacob and daughter, Abigail, for a ride in their dingy. One day following a rainstorm, there was a lot of marine debris. With small fishing nets in hand, they scooped trash from the water. “They received a lot of positive feedback from the people on shore,” Nick recalled. “My children felt like they were doing something that people thought was important.”

Congratulations, Nick and Jacob–Abigail too, for being Emerald Keepers of the Month for March when we discovered your work on our bays and beaches. Thank you for keeping Coronado clean. 

Environmental Stewardship Naval Base Coronado

Captain Timothy Slentz spoke at the Winn Room this past Tuesday. Thank you for being an Emerald Keeper!

Captain Timothy Slentz spoke at the Winn Room this past Tuesday. Thank you for being an Emerald Keeper!

Captain Slentz, Commanding Officer of Naval Base Coronado, spoke at the Coronado Public Library on behalf of Emerald Keepers last Tuesday.. The big take-away from Captain Timothy Slentz’s presentation include: 1) Naval Base Coronado addresses sustainability every day on all eight of its bases under its command – from Imperial Beach to San Clemente to the desert. 2) The Navy cares for indigenous species unique to their locations – many of which are endangered and works with archeologists when adding new construction to care for culturally sensitive sites. 3) The Navy continues to improve energy through installation of solar and elimination of the outdated old steam heating system and addition of electric and hybrid vehicles. The extent to which the Navy has made changes to cut emissions of fossil fuel and reduce their carbon footprint are to be commended. 

Naval Base Coronado partners with many Federal, state, local, and academic organizations to address environmental compliance, stewardship, and natural resources management in order to ensure continued access of its sea, air, and land spaces for training and mission accomplishment.  NBC’s natural resources management program was recognized as the best in the Navy by receiving the 2019 Secretary of the Navy Environmental Award.

For plastics, the base has taken steps to reduce our single use plastics, as well as investing in more environmentally friendly utensils at its food services sites.  NEX and Commissary fall under a national leadership program.  Captain Slentz said, “I was not able to ‘force’ change on them, but we have started the conversation!”

TUESDAY, 2/18 - Naval Base Coronado Environmental Stewardship

Naval Base Coronado (NBC) provides runways, piers, ranges, and facilities to support some of the most unique and valuable combat training in the world. Did you know NBC also has a robust environmental program staffed by engineers, wildlife biologist…

Naval Base Coronado (NBC) provides runways, piers, ranges, and facilities to support some of the most unique and valuable combat training in the world. Did you know NBC also has a robust environmental program staffed by engineers, wildlife biologists, plant biologists, and experts from a variety of other fields to ensure the Navy not only meets compliance requirements, but also maintains robust partnerships with State and Federal agencies to protect the environment while meeting the Navy mission? Captain Tim Slentz will discuss the programs and interesting facts that helped NBC earn the 2019 Secretary of the Navy Environmental Award for Natural Resources Conservation.

BLUEWATER GRILL Is the Newest Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Restaurant

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“The Bluewater Grill is such a nostalgic place and means so much to so many people. We have customers who have been coming to this building for 40 years. I am so happy the City decided to take care of this particular building and we are doing everything we can to take care of it. I am honestly humbled to care for this building. We have really tried to be more environmentally conscious. We don’t keep straws in the building. We just got paper bags and we don’t use Styrofoam for our to-go containers; they are recycled paper. If we have 20 people a night taking home to-go food and there is no plastic involved whatsoever, that is a win for us.” ~ Derik Morse, General Manager, Bluewater Grill

Feast & Fareway is Emerald Green, Ocean Blue!

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“Here at Feast and Fairway we like to be sustainable not only in our kitchen but also with all of our to-go ware and everything throughout our restaurants. From our cups being made of corn, to our paper straws, to our composting that we do in all of our kitchens not only here at Feast and Fairway but all the Rise and Shine Restaurants, we are proud to be sustainable. Situated on the Coronado Golf Course and seeing our lovely view reminds us how important keeping the environment clean is.” ~ Collin Ferreira, General Manager, Feast and Fairway

Emerald Keepers of the Month: Aimee Richards, Margo Rhodes, and Salley Perley

Congratulations to Aimee Richards, Margo Rhodes and Sally Perley for being Emerald Keepers of the Month.

Congratulations to Aimee Richards, Margo Rhodes and Sally Perley for being Emerald Keepers of the Month.

Some people just talk about problems, but Aimee Richards, Margo Rhodes and Sally Perley take action. The long-time friends from CHS class of ’84 recently returned to Coronado and have formed a club of sorts. They call themselves the P.U.’s which stands for Pick-Up Club.

 

Aimee Richards said, “We get together for coffee and select a different area each time to pick up trash. Today is our first time at The Landing. We are very disappointed in all the glass on the beach. 

 

“What is of most concern is the trash along the hightide line. This tells us the trash is either already in the water, which is what we are trying to avoid, or it is about to be in the water unless good people are out there getting it out of the tide line,” said Margo Rhodes. 

 

An ocean enthusiast and lover of marine life, Margo is concerned about the marine debris in the bay and ocean. “Obviously our marine mammal friends are of great priority for the Pick-Up Club. We are trying to keep the trash out of the bellies of our friends in the ocean.”

 

These friends are making a difference and having fun at the same time. They were all smiles and laughter as they chatted, picked up marine debris, and called out their finds. 

 

Sally Perley said, “People see us and appreciate what we are doing. Our hope is that maybe they will go out and do something similar.” 

 

Congratulations to Aimee Richards, Margo Rhodes and Sally Perley for being Emerald Keepers of the Month.  

SUPPORT EMERALD KEEPERS

Emerald Keepers is a 501(c)(3) corporation. All donations are tax deductible.

Support Emerald Keepers’ efforts for an Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Coronado.

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