‘It’s like treasure hunting’
By Rachael Devaney Cape Cod Times
About 10 minutes after Susan Baur, 81, and Mary Grauerholz, 71, two members of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, disappeared into the depths of Deep Pond in Falmouth, the duo, clad in full-body wetsuits and scuba gear, broke the surface.
They carried handfuls of long forgotten fishing lures, golf balls and birthday balloons, all of which had settled on the bottom of the outer edges of the natural kettle hole pond.
“It’s like treasure hunting. Every single outing, we wonder what we will find, who will be with us, and what will we see,” Baur said. “It’s wonderful to set out and explore — except that the underwater litter hurts the plants and animals that are all part of this pond community.”
As Baur reached the shore, and fought her way out of her wetsuit, she explained that during the last four years group members traveled to Great Ponds – fresh bodies of water that are at least 10 acres – from Chatham to Falmouth. They clean up trash left behind by visitors and residents and debris that blows into the water from nearby homes and roadways.
What lies beneath
They find lawn ornaments, deflated footballs, lawn chairs, beer and soda cans, discarded ropes and boat rigs, garden gnomes, charcoal grills and more. While 75% of the trash is along the water’s edge, Baur said, the group often travels into the middle of ponds to pull out bigger and heavier objects like car tires.
If you liked this post you’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.
