ORCA is Keeping Our Beaches Clean

Volunteers cleanup trash along the beach. Photo courtesy of ORCA.

Sand squishes beneath my feet as I trudge along the beach, my eyes tracking the ground in search of trash. I see remnants of a boogie board laying partially covered with sand, its bits poking out to alert me of its existence. Taking the trash picker I was given earlier, I pick up the boogie board pieces and let them drop into my bucket. A triumphant feeling comes over me looking at the little hole in the sand where the boogie board lay resting moments before. The simplest good deed makes me feel satisfied with myself, knowing the beach is just a little cleaner thanks to my efforts.

I’m volunteering with ORCA (Ocean Recovery Community Alliance), a beach cleanup organization out of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Today we’re on the beaches of Misquamicut perusing the sand for forgotten items and improperly discarded trash. When I first walk up to the ORCA stand, I’m greeted by Manager Kevin Carmignani who became involved with the organization back in 2020. Through his upbeat attitude, Carmignani fills me in on what to expect during my volunteer shift. I’ve dressed for the weather and the task at hand, wearing warm clothing and a worn pair of shoes that I won’t mind getting dirty. ORCA supplies me with the rest of the tools I’ll need, like gloves, grabbers and a cleanup caddie.

“I always tell volunteers to enjoy their time while they are out there,” says Carmignani. “Spending time at the beach or by the water is always a blessing.”

I take his advice as I walk off on my cleanup mission, trying to absorb the stretch of beach in front of me. It’s a chillier day so there aren’t many beach goers. The few people I do see mostly are holding cleanup caddies, signaling they are also volunteering with ORCA.

To date, ORCA’s volunteers have removed just over 60,000 pounds of trash from beaches and coastal areas through more than 221 cleanups. While other beach cleanups also prioritize trash pickups, ORCA differs by hosting them year-round. The busiest time of year for the organization is actually in the winter, when tourism is low but washed-up pollution is still high. Rain or shine, warm or cold, ORCA doesn’t shy away from the elements.

A volunteer with their full cleanup caddie.

Carmignani organizes and executes the ORCA cleanups, needing only approval from the town where the cleanup location will be and the DEM. The quick approval time means that cleanups can occur quickly after Carmignani gets word of an area that needs a few extra hands.

During my trek on the beach, I pick up a plethora of items ranging from straws and fishing wire to bottle caps and broken sunglasses. An older gentleman approaches to ask if he can throw out his dead cigarette butt in my bucket.

“Seeing you all out here is making me want to make sure this doesn’t end up out there,” he says gesturing to the ocean.

I nod and let him drop the stubby remains into the bucket. It’s hard not to become inspired when seeing the community out and about, doing something solely because they care. ORCA’s mission, to preserve and protect coastlines while bringing community together, has been noticed by local businesses and organizations, leading to partnerships with Narragansett Brewery, Aunt Carrie’s, Matunuck Oyster Bar, and Misquamicut Beach Foundation, to just name a few. The organization partners and buys from sustainable company’s which helps spread their mission to a larger crowd.

“Seeing people around town wearing the ORCA merchandise or seeing an ORCA sticker on a car has been a huge highlight,” says Carmignani.

By the time I make my way back to the ORCA welcome stand it’s been over an hour, and my arms are sore from the weight of all the trash that’s in my bucket. I plop it unceremoniously on the table in front of Carmignani, who gives me a knowing grin before asking how it was.

“Surprisingly not exhausting,” I respond.

He laughs, takes the bucket and puts it behind the table with the others that will be taken to be properly disposed of. Despite the setting sun and whipping salty air, there are still volunteers out on the beach. Families, duos and solos, their eyes peeled in the near dark for items that don’t belong on our pristine beaches.

I look at my bucket behind the table and think of how hard it is to believe that it’s almost overflowing with trash despite me giving only an hour of my time to the cause. ‘What if I gave it another hour?’ I thought. The cleanup ends in less than thirty minutes, so I decide to let it be. My certainty that I’ll be back helps me say goodbye to Carmignani and be on my way.

My walk to the car is when I realize how hungry I am. As a Rhode Islander, I’m rarely in Misquamicut as it’s more than half an hour from me, so the idea of exploring provides much intrigue. I decide on a little restaurant on the beach that smells of fried seafood and stale beer – just what I need. There are other volunteers finding sustenance here too, each looking jolly and accomplished from their hard work.

I score a seat with a view of the water where I overlook the miles of beach I had trudged along earlier. I think back to what Carmignani said about being on the beach. It is a blessing, just not one that comes without hard work.

To learn more about ORCA or to volunteer for a cleanup, check out their website here.