For the fifth year in a row the Melet family of Gate 6 ½ have hosted a volunteer bay cleanup day. But this year was a little different than previous outings.
Mom Nikki Melet reports about the efforts of her son and daughter, who organize the annual cleanup: “Oscar and Bea are true watermen, passionate about protecting the ocean and keeping our bay clean. Volunteers collected everything from plastic bottles and mini plastic bags to more unusual items like a teacup, dog toy, sander blocks, and even a rug. Garbage bags were handed out to local kayakers, helping make this a real community effort.”
Dad Stone Melet added that the family found far less bay trash this year than previously — a blessing he attributes to the removal of most anchor-outs from local waters. While cruising around in their Boston Whaler over the years, Stone and his family have observed anchor-outs discarding trash in the water.
In July, however, the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency (RBRA) reported there were only 12 vessels still anchored on Richardson Bay, down from over 200 during the pandemic.