Friends of Ormond Beach

After pulling so much EPS out of the water this last year it was a little disappointing to see this food container floating by. The work is worth it and will continue. #baneps #ruddyducks #smowyegret #greatblueheron #piebilledgrebe #westerngrebe #ormondlagoon @surfridervc @venturaaudubonsociety @venturalandtrust @paddleoutplastic

Tomorrow and Monday will bring morning king tides. Will they cause Ormond Lagoon to breach? Looks like @surfridervc wrapped up the trash cleanup of the lagoon just in time! We’ll be out there tomorrow and Monday to get photos for the California Coastal Commission’s King Tide Project. Check out @surfridervc for more info about their involvement.

Hanging out at Ormond Lagoon is a great way to clear one’s head. The white Pelican and the Heron were hanging out at the same end of the water. Bonus picture: if you have difficulty telling a Western Snowy Plover from a Sanderling-the Plover is on the left. @venturaaudubonsociety #whitepelican #westernsnowyplover

Love Ormond wetlands? Frustrated at the tons of trash volunteers are pulling out of the area with what seems like little support from the city and the county? Want to learn more about the candidates running for office in districts than can effectuate change? Check out the candidate forums being held by the League of Women Voters: https://my.lwv.org/californ/ventura-county/candidate-forums. County Supervisor 5 has jurisdiction over watersheds that carry trash into the lagoon. The Mayoral race for Oxnard is critical, as is council district 6, for the future of Ormond. Register at lwvventuracounty.org @lwvofventura #lwvventuracounty #votelocal

One more post from yesterday’s #coastalcleanup at #ormondlagoonisland. Thanks again to @paddleoutplastic and Alex for hauling 300 pounds of trash from the lagoon in a morning! But there is so much more out there. Volunteers will get the job finished but we have to look to the County and City to prevent this from continuing to happen. @paddleoutplastic @surfridervc @vccoastcleanupday

Laura Oergel is so happy because this is the penultimate trash schlepping event for Ormond for the year. She has directed a stupid amount of trash to be gone from these valuable wetlands. It’s time to consider end of year tax-deductible donations, and since friends is NOT a non profit we’d suggest @surfridervc and @venturaaudubonsociety for Ormond beach focused non-profits to donate to. @venturalandtrust is another awesome county non-profit that we recommend. Can’t donate at this time? No worries! Once COVID is in the rear view mirror, the volunteer opportunities will be tremendous!

Ready to tackle the island lagoon trash! @surfridervc #coastalcleanupmonth

Remember the bags of trash from last week’s Ormond lagoon cleanup? Photos 4 on show the results of 7 people carrying them out over the sand dunes for 1/3 mile. Hard work is gratifying. Laura is relentless. Thanks to Alex, Devin, Chris, Doug, and Kat. @surfridervc @venturaaudubonsociety. #ormondlagoon #ormondbeachoxnard

Let’s do this!

Week 2 of cleanup at Ormond Lagoon. Another huge patch of styrofoam, plastic, and miscellaneous trash was found and taken out. Laura Oergel of Surfrider you will conquer this beast! Thanks to @surfridervc, all the volunteers (vibe was amazing and beyond words), PH councilman Gama, and did we mention the ridiculously amazeballs volunteers? More opportunities to make a difference in one of the few wetlands left on the west coast! Check out @surfridervc for details. Ormond needs you!

https://my.lwv.org/californ/ventura-county/candidate-forums The League of Women Voters has released their schedule for candidate forums (Zoom webinars). Register and submit a question at the above address. If this link doesn’t work search my.lwv.org and click in candidate forums. Important to Ormond is the Oxnard Mayoral race. Ormond is in supervisor district 3 which has been decided, but district 5 is adjacent.

VOLUNTEERS CRUSH IT! Ormond Lagoon Cleanup 9.12.2020 You filled 3 dumpsters! Ormond Lagoon is for the birds--not for trash! Thanks to everyone who participated!... A special shoutout to Surfrider VC, Port Hueneme Councilman Steven Gama, Paddle Out Plastic, and our guest journalists Jayrol San Jose and Ben Camacho (@jayroi and @bencamach0) who documented the efforts of our volunteers who picked through all the styrofoam, plastic, needles, shoes, clothes, and other non-compostable items. Let's stop trashing the wetlands! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42jjtZ7O0o0&feature=youtu.be

I can’t stress enough how critical volunteers are to non-profit organizations. Without them, Ormond beach, lagoon and the ocean would be a garbage pit. It’s especially gratifying that people are able and willing to get out and help during a pandemic. It’s a challenge to get enough people, in enough hours and days to make a dent in the thousands of pounds we need to pick up before the rains come. If you can help over the next several weeks check out @surfridervc for sign up info. And a million times over, thank you. #ormondlagoon #ormondlagoonisland #ormondbeachoxnard #coastalcleanupmonth2020 #volunteersrock #volunteersneeded

Couldn’t be done without amazing volunteers like Marcos and Isaiah. Some before and after pics. There is still plenty to do for the team tomorrow, but it always amazes how much a small group of passionate people can get done. Report is 80% was Expanded polystyrene (EPS or Styrofoam). So great to get that off the beach/out of the ocean. Thanks @surfridervc for making this happen! Looking for how you can help? Check out @vcsurfrider

Again, we are so stoked to have @paddleoutplastic help with today’s clean up!! Amazing job and love the barge. Last picture-unfortunately the couch got left behind. We’re gonna need a bigger boat! #ormondbeachoxnard #ormondlagoon next weekend we tackle #ormondlagoonisland @surfridervc rocks!

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) searching the wrack (seaweed and other ocean debris that washes up on the beach) on Ormond Beach for food. All that stinky seaweed on the beach bugging you? Just remember all those flies and hoppers living in the wrack are critical food sources for shorebirds. Unfortunately plastic and cigarette butts get tangled up in the wrack, so as you’re picking up trash don’t forget to look in he piles (pick up the trash but leave the wrack for the birds). @surfridervc @venturaaudubonsociety @paddleoutplastic #ruddyturnstone #ormondbeachoxnard

Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron on the bridge at Arnold road. #ormondbeachoxnard

Whether year-round, seasonal, or for a quick stopover during migration, over 200 bird species rely on the Ormond beach ecosystem. We are proud to partner with @venturaaudubonsociety @surfridervc @paddleoutplastic and many other businesses and individuals to protect this unique ecosystem. The September newsletter is coming soon and you won’t want to miss it! Sign up at [email protected] @ Ormond Beach