Mystery Animal of the Day

With woeful heart, Mama gnome relates this Mystery Animal is endangered and according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this animal is "believed to have undergone a decline exceeding 50% over the past 30 years (approximately three generations)."

It is one of the smallest marine mammals and one of the cleverest as well for it is quite adept at using rocks to crack open its favorite meal, the sea urchin.

Unlike other marine mammals which have blubber for protection, this animal relies on its very dense fur for warmth and repelling water.

It is also undoubtedly one of the cutest animals Mama gnome had ever seen up close.

If you guessed sea otter as the Mystery Animal, Mama gnome gives you a big hug and invites you to join her in the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21, 2013.
 
 photo by : Mike Baird

An adult sea otter can grow up to 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 10 in) in length and weigh from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb).

Its fur is usually brown but can also range from yellowish brown to almost black.

The sea otter sheds its fur gradually all year allowing the animal to maintain its thick fur which is vital for survival in the cold ocean waters.

The sea otter has a thick, somewhat flat tail which helps propel it in the water.

The otter can swim up to 5.6 mph or 9 km per hour. When it swims underwater it keeps its body long and streamlined and while above water it usually floats on its back quite easily, thanks to the the trapped air in its thick fur, making it very buoyant.

Besides its power of buoyancy and cuteness, sea otters are vital for maintaining kelp forest ecosystems.

Without sea otters, sea urchins population will grow rampant and what is bad about this?

Sea urchins eat the root systems of kelp forests so if the otters are not there to keep them in check, sea urchins will thrive and eventually kill the kelp forests leading to urchin barrens.

Here is a video of sea otters working hard to save our kelp forests.

 

video by: BBC

Sea otters' population is decreasing. They are threatened by oil spills, predators, disease, and conflict with fisheries.

Mama gnome would like to float in the ocean, buoyed up by her gnomish folds, bang on a rock just for the heck of it, and say, please help our sea otters continue to thrive and live in our kelp forests.

Please help in your own human way every day and stay green.

(c) friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Mama gnome vs. Plastic Bag Monster 2011

The ancient clock chimed and Mama gnome sat bolt upright in bed.

Her pointy hat fell off and landed in a bucket on the floor.

Mama gnome reached down to pick up her hat ignoring the pains in her joints.

She solemnly placed her pointy hat on her bedhead hair and thought,

"There will be a time for aches and pains later. Today, something else will get its come uppance."

For that fateful morning was not any other ordinary morning.

It was the dawn of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster, Battle 2011!

Every year in the month of September, the gnome family participates in the momentous Coastal Cleanup Day.

Mama gnome has battled against her nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster for years. And this time Mama gnome's army included not only young gnomelets (Mama gnome's secret weapons), Daddy gnome .... but also Auntie gnome!!!

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

At the behest of Mama gnome, Auntie gnome finally came out of her own burrow and joined in the battle against Plastic Bag Monster.

Mama gnome was delighted to find there were a few other humans participating on that brisk September morning.

In less than two hours, the gnome family had picked up over 200 cigarette butts in less than a mile of beach sand.

Over two hundred cigarettes picked up in less than two hours. It is mind boggling.

According to Ocean Conservancy, cigarettes/cigarette filters was the number one trash item picked up in 25 years of Coastal Cleanup Day.

Almost 53 million cigarettes/cigarette filters were picked up in 25 years.

Can you imagine?

53 million cigarettes dropped in the very sand where humans, gnomes, human babies, children played and walked.

And this is not even counting the countless cigarettes that have been washed into oceans, ingested by marine animals and birds.

Look at this photograph and see how toxic cigarettes can be mistaken for food by marine animals and seabirds.

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Plastic minions (small pieces of plastic) are also killing the animals. See how plastic can look like dried up seaweed.

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

You can see the rest of the top ten items of trash picked up over 25 years of Ocean Conservancy's International Cleanup Day here.

Here are photos of some of the trash picked up by young gnomelets and the gnome family.











Mama gnome's spirit was lifted when she saw youngest gnomelet sitting and staring at the ocean.





Mama gnome will continue her fight against Plastic Bag Monster for the sake of young gnomelets and humans.

Please sit and stare at the ocean and imagine it free of plastic...and go green.

All photos copyright owned by Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

(c)Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Mama gnome's Date for Coastal Cleanup Day 2011

Mama gnome tucked in the stray and somewhat grayish looking hair under her pointy hat.

She pinched her cheeks to give them color and batted her eyelashes.

Mama gnome would like to er...ask you...yes YOU...for a...date. Yes, a date!

She'd already picked out the place. She's already picked out the time. Yes!

A feisty old mother gnome knows her mind.

All you have to do is show up and BYOB.

No...no...no...not B of the alcoholic persuasion but B as in bucket.

Bring your own bucket because for this special date, you and Mama gnome will be picking up not seashells or driftwood but little minions of Mama gnome's nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster.

Please, do not leave the old mother gnome dateless on such a special day.

September 17, 2011 is the International Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year."

International Coastal Cleanup Day started 25 years ago.

A Marine Debris Report was just published studying 25 years of debris collected.

According to the report, the number one culprit collected in 25 years is smoking related debris with almost 53 million collected!

These include filters, cigarette tips and wrappers.

You are probably wondering why plastic is still Mama gnome's nemesis?

True there are tons of cigarettes on our beaches and oceans.

But the numbers are misleading because the report has divided plastic minions into different categories.

But if you total them all up,

Plastic Bag Monster still stands out with its total coming to over 96 million!

These include plastic bags, plastic caps, lids, six pack rings, food containers, cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, pulltabs, straws, stirrers!




video by: oceanconservancy

Please help stop Plastic Bag Monster from continuing to spawn.

Please be Mama gnome's date this Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Take a long walk on the beach with her, bring your own reusable gloves and buckets, and help clean up a patch of sandy beach, river, waterway, lake, pond, and even the sandy desert.

Please read up about this very romantic day which makes Mama gnome all hot and bothered at any of these sites:
Ocean Conservancy, Heal the Bay, lessismore.org, California Coastal Commission.

This is an international event and you can sign up anywhere in the world.

If there is no event conveniently close to you, you can start your own hot date with the bucket and register it online.

Please be Mama gnome's and the oceans' lifelong date. Make the commitment and go green.

(c) 2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Walk on the Beach with Mama Gnome

Mama gnome brushed her curly gray hair before donning her pointy hat.

She turned and twirled in her long brown tunic and checked her reflection in the mirror.

Mama gnome has a hot date.

Shhhhh....No, not with Daddy gnome.

Mama gnome has a date with the OCEAN.

This coming Saturday, September 25, 2010, will be the International Coastal Cleanup Day!


video from oceanconservancy

According to Ocean Conservancy's Report:

Of the 43 items tracked during the Cleanup, the top three items of trash found in 2008 were cigarette butts, plastic bags, and food wrappers/containers.

During the 2008 cleanup, volunteers collected 11,077 diapers in the Philippines, 19,504 fishing nets in the United Kingdom, and 1,362,741 cigarette butts in the US.

Here is a seaturtle trapped in an abandoned fishing net.


photo from:http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2429.htm

Please visit Ocean Conservancy and sign up wherever you are in the world and participate in International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 25, Saturday. And it doesn't have to be at the beach. You can help cleanup a park, a river, a waterway. Anywhere you can make a difference.

If there is no cleanup action close to you, you can start your own and register it with Ocean Conservancy through this site.

Mama gnome and the gnome family will be heading out to help clean up and take tally of how many of Plastic Bag Monster minions are lurking in the sand.

Please help defeat Plastic Bag Monster everyday, walk with Mama gnome...and go green.

(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama Gnome Takes on Plastic Bag Monster 2010

Mama gnome shook her head. Her pointy hat came loose, revealing her gray wiry hair.

The old gnome drew herself as tall as she could, all three feet and something inches of gnome stature.

She shouted, "No! No! No, Plastic Bag Monster! Away you vile beast!"

The putrefied, liquefied, partially melted, but never biodegraded unearthly creature approached Mama gnome.

Remnants of plastic cups, styrofoam takeaway containers, unrecognizable pieces of plastic were left in the beast's wake.

Mama gnome turned her face away in horror.

The monster reached over and gripped her arms with its filthy plastic ties and shook her.

"Mama gnome! Mama gnome!"

Huh? Mama gnome thought, Plastic Bag Monster's voice sounded a lot like Daddy gnome's voice.

"Mama gnome, wake up!"

Mama gnome opened her eyes and saw Daddy gnome's face. His eyes dark with worry.

"Daddy gnome! I was dreaming. I was dreaming of 'IT'."

Daddy gnome nodded. No other words needed to be said.

He knew IT could only mean one thing, the bane of Mama gnome's existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

It was almost one year ago, when Mama gnome fought against her nemesis in the epic battle of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster 2009.

But Plastic Bag Monster lived and survived because humans continue to use flimsy plastic bags, take out styrofoam containers, disposable plastic forks, spoons, cups. All minions and allies of Plastic Bag Monster.

Together they coalesce and hide out in their secret evil lair, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

On September 25, 2010 Mama gnome and the gnome family will battle against Plastic Bag Monster and his minions on the 25th International Coastal Cleanup Day.

According to Ocean Conservancy:

During the 2009 Cleanup, volunteers found 18,000 derelict fishing nets in the United Kingdom alone, and 70,000 plastic bottles in Nicaragua. In 2009, 60 percent of all debris items found on just one day were "disposable."

video from: oceanconservancy



video from: National Geographic


To find out how you can participate please visit Ocean Conservancy's site where you can look for locations all over the world participating in this cause.

If there isn't one close to you, you can sign up your own clean up cause and location for that day.

You can also visit Heal the Bay or California Coastal Commission.

Here's a chance to make a difference and help defeat Plastic Bag Monster and his minions.

Be heroic and fight Plastic Bag Monster and his minions everyday, not just once a year, and Go Green!

(c) 2010 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster

Mama gnome woke up with a start. Daddy gnome was leaning over her.

He said, "It's time, dear." He straightened up. Daddy gnome was in full battle armor.

Mama gnome sat bolt upright. She remembered in a few hours she will face the bane of her existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

With a heart that raced full gallop, she dressed in her own armor and stepped out into the hall.

Four good-sized reusable bags filled with provisions the night before, waited in the hallway.

The gnomelets were still asleep.

"Let them sleep, they'll need their strength," Mama gnome thought to herself.

She double-checked the list: hats, sunblock, gloves for gnomelets and parent gnomes, waiver forms, copy of Coastal Cleanup Day pass for car resting lot. Everything looked fine.

While Mama gnome drank her cup of morning elixir (so vital for existence) and munched on her slice of toast with peanut butter, she mentally prepared herself.

'Do not underestimate the creature. Do not pity Plastic Bag Monster. For it does not pity you.'

A tiny voice piped in behind her.

"Mama, are we going to the beach?" Baby gnomelet asked.

"Yes, baby. Let's get ready. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Strawberry cream cheese toast."


By the by, the gnome family piled into the gnome car and drove on.


photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

They also drove by this: an eyesore for Mama gnome: more hillsides and mountainsides being carved out for urban development.

photo by: jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Elder gnomelet saw this, a flock of birds resting on a water tank.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome checked their bearings on the map. Though Mama gnome is a computer savant, she is quite proficient in map reading and navigation.

Finally, the gnome family saw this:

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

They were minutes away.

Daddy gnome drove into the car resting lot and stopped at the other end, not in a resting space, but in the middle of the lane.

"Something's wrong. This can't be it. We're in the wrong place," Daddy gnome said.

"Why do you say that?" Mama gnome asked.

"There's no one here."

Mama gnome looked around. Indeed there were plenty of vacant spaces.

"But the meeting place is not here, it's over there, past the sand dune, past the humans playing volleyball," Mama gnome said. "Oh, look. There are two people picking up trash over there. Let's ask them where we sign up."

The gnome family got out of the car.

The gnomelets kept cheering, "Yehey! We're at the beach!"

Mama gnome called out to the humans, "Hello! Where do we sign up for Coastal Cleanup Day?"

The man and woman stopped and smiled back.

The human lady spoke first, "Over there." She pointed to the same spot Mama gnome told Daddy gnome.

"Oh good, we're not lost. Do you know how many people showed up already?" Mama gnome asked.

"About thirteen," said the woman.

"Really?" Mama gnome's heart sank. Has Plastic Bag Monster won already? How can only thirteen people be here?

"Well counting you that'll be fifteen. My goal is twenty."

"But how about my gnomelets? They're here to help too. I've filled out the waiver forms already and they've got their own gloves," Mama gnome said.

"Wow, really?" The woman smiled at the gnomelets.

"That's great." The man said.

Daddy gnome and gnomelets walked towards the beach while Mama gnome spoke with the humans about their battle strategy against Plastic Bag Monster.

It turns out the humans Mama gnome spotted were special humans.

They are Sarah Kern and Matt Stabile.



photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blogspot


Sarah Kern was the beach coordinator for that particular clean up site.

She is the Editorial Assistant for Self Enquiry Life Fellowship which is a Santa Barbara based non-profit group.

Mama gnome's heart swelled while she spoke with the kindly humans, clearly her strong allies against Plastic Bag Monster.

Sarah explained to Mama gnome the safety precautions and procedures for picking up trash or Plastic Bag Minions. She gave Mama gnome an orange bag for trash and a white bag for recyclables.

Mama gnome asked, "So plastic bags go into recyclables?"

Sarah said, "No."

Mama gnome shook her head, "No way."

"I'm sorry but no. Only water bottles, the thick plastic stuff, not the thin bags," explained Sarah.

It's true. According to Heal the Bay, "only 1% to 4% of plastic bags are recycled."

Mama gnome trudged towards the beach to search for her family.

Sad thoughts slowed down every step...Only thirteen people and four gnomes showed up...Can't recycle plastic bags...Only thirteen people and four gnomes showed up....Can't recycle plastic bags...We're doomed.

With the gnome family safely suited up with protective gloves, the battle began.

Guess who found and captured the first trash monster?

Older gnomelet.

It turns out older gnomelet's eyes were like hawk's eyes, quite adept at picking out unnatural things half-buried in the sand.

Baby gnomelet's eyes, on the other hand, were quite adept at finding drift wood, rocks and sea shells in the sand. For this Mama gnome was grateful.

After twenty minutes, the most abundant trash monster in the beach revealed itself...
Cigarette remains or as humans called them, cigarette butts.

In twenty minutes, the gnome family captured almost thirty cigarette butts.

In an hour and a half, they've captured almost one hundred and thirty cigarette monsters.

They were tricky. A lot of them hid in the sand. A lot of them had sloughed off their outer casings.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog
Cigarettes are not biodegradable. They have small plastic inserts that last forever or will over time become smaller and smaller plastic particles that become part of the ocean food web.

Besides the cigarette remains, the second most prolific trash monsters found were plastic bottle or soda cap monsters. Round plastic caps perfect for choking seabirds and other marine animals.

And guess who found the first recyclable material in the beach?

Yes, older gnomelet!

She unearthed a half-buried aluminum soda can. Mama gnome's so proud of her.

The time allotted for Coastal Cleanup Day was almost over. Yet Mama gnome had not even captured a single plastic bag. None. Plastic bags travel well because they are so light. They had now flown out into the oceans.

What Mama gnome found were countless small pieces, unrecognizable parts of something plastic.

At the end of almost three hours of battle, these are the trash monsters captured that morning.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog


I know. It looks like it's not much. But if you consider there are almost 800 pieces of cigarette monsters in there and countless small pieces of plastic monsters, they added up to quite a bit for a small group of humans and gnomes.

I tell you this, but Mama gnome's heart has been heavy for a few days now because she thought she would indeed battle with Plastic Bag Monster but he didn't even show up.

Instead he left in his wake, unrecognizable plastic monsters, styrofoam monsters, bottle cap monsters and cigarette monsters.

Mama gnome's heart grew heavier still at the thought of how small the group of people who showed up at that clean-up site.

But today, she read the report from the California Coastal Commission,
a preliminary press release for Coastal Cleanup Day 2009. Here's an excerpt:

With 65% of the cleanup sites reporting, the statewide count stands at 66,550 volunteers,
which should approach the event goal of 70,000 volunteers.

Those volunteers picked up 819,394 pounds of trash
and an additional 89,899 pounds of recyclable materials,
for a total of 909,294 pounds.

The Coastal Commission expects to exceed 1,000,000 pounds of trash when all the totals are in.

Over one million pounds of trash. Mama gnome's heart soared.

Mama gnome also found solace in Jane Goodall's words:

Jane Goodall said,

"It's easy to be apathetic and give up...We need people who can inspire us. One person can make a difference. The most important advice I can give you is to follow your dreams...Never give up. Remember each day differs. And here's advice my mother gave me, 'Your life matters and for each day, we can make the world a better place for all living things."

Mama gnome declares victory over Plastic Bag Monster on this momentous day, the battle of Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog


But the war is not over. Plastic Bag Monster swirls in the depths of oceans and rivers, lurking and waiting for Mama gnome.

And Mama gnome is no longer afraid. For she has found another secret weapon.

Something Plastic Bag Monster would never expect.

Plastic Bag Monster prepare for your greatest enemy....

Older Gnomelet.
photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog


Yes, you should be afraid you foul beast. For she has hawk like eyes, boundless energy and indomitable spirit.

She is Eco-warrior.

Please join Mama gnome, be an ally against Plastic Bag Monster.

Arm yourselves with reusable bags and go green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blogspot.