The problem with plastic is that we produce, use and discard far more than we can manage. Much plastic waste is mismanaged. Worldwide, 8 million metric tons of plastic finds its way into the oceans every year. That’s a garbage truck every minute. By 2050, there will be as much plastic in the oceans (by weight) as fish. A million sea birds and 100,000 sea mammals and turtles are killed by plastic trash in the ocean every year. Microplastics (bits of plastic less than 5mm) have been found in bottled drinking water, shellfish, finned fish, sea salt, even in the air in the Pyrenees mountains, 100 miles from the nearest town. And, yes, it is found in human poop. We eat, drink, and inhale plastic every day. It is believed to be toxic. 

In 2018, China stopped accepting plastic waste from other countries. That was a game-changer. Much of the plastic we dutifully deposited in our blue bins was baled up and sent to China. They don’t want our trash anymore. So, recyclers like Waste Management are scrambling to find other markets for plastic (somewhere else to send it). Much is sent to developing countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and India where 80% of plastic is mismanaged – incinerated, land-filled, or illegally dumped. Recyclers in the U.S. are forced to landfill or incinerate plastic they can’t find a market for. Six times as much plastic is incinerated in the United States as is recycled! 

My interest in plastic pollution was triggered on a trip to the gorgeous islands of Raja Ampat in West Papua, Indonesia in 2016. Before that, I didn’t think much about my own plastic consumption. I used whatever I wanted, figuring it was okay as long as I tossed my plastic into the recycling bin when I was done with it. In Sorong, a city of 100,000, I saw plastic containers all over the streets and canals so choked with plastic garbage it was hard to see any water. There were discarded plastic water cups and bottles everywhere. There are no blue bins there, no big trucks to collect the waste and take it away. On the beautiful island where we stayed, home to some of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world, resort staff cleaned the beach of plastic debris early each morning before guests arose to see it. I kayaked to the other side of the island only to find a beautiful beach covered with plastic trash. It was a shocker!

I’ve started to look for ways in which I can do my small bit to deal with plastic pollution. I’ve educated myself by reading articles online and visiting websites. I discovered a non-profit called Ocean Legacy, based near Vancouver, B.C., that collects marine debris from remote beaches and recycles as much of it as possible. My wife Deb and I visited the Ocean Legacy warehouse last November and spent a day sorting tons of plastic trash – everything from rope, floats and other fishing gear, drink bottles, plastic barrels, disposable lighters, straws, tires – you name it. I kept in touch with the organization and in June I joined them on a beach cleaning expedition near Bamfield, B.C. on the west coast of Vancouver Island. For 6 days, I boulder-hopped and crawled under salal at the high-tide line to recover plastic trash that had washed ashore. We filled at least thirty 2-yard “super sacks” with junk. The days were long and exhausting. But it was also quite inspiring to hang out with a dozen fearless millennials who love the ocean and hate to see it trashed.

 

 

Of course, plastic is not just a problem in far-away places. I've picked up plenty of plastic bags, water bottles, and miscellaneous plastic waste from Guemes Island beaches. So, in my small way, here are a few things I'm doing to reduce plastic waste in my little corner of the world:

• Working with others to help ban lightweight plastic shopping bags in Anacortes and at the state level.
• I feed wild birds. I’ve accumulated a pile of colorful woven polypropylene bags that once contained sunflower seeds. Friends give me chicken feed and other bags.  They aren’t recyclable.  So, I repurpose them.  I watched YouTube videos, learned how to operate a sewing machine and have made at least 50 reusable, strong, washable grocery totes.  You may see islanders carrying them on the ferry or around town.
• Deb and I try to avoid single-use plastic packaging whenever possible. Of course, we bring reusable bags to market, refusing wasteful, needless single-use plastic bags.  We try to buy stuff packed in glass bottles or jars or in steel cans (big sigh… unfortunately, cans are usually coated with plastic on the inside!) or wrapped in paper.  I was buying food for our little dog, which came in small polypropylene containers.  I switched to dog food that comes in steel cans. I found ketchup in glass bottles (remember those?) at Smart Food Service Warehouse Store (formerly Cash and Carry). I buy olive oil in gallon steel cans to avoid plastic jugs. We take reusable, washable small bags to the supermarket to put produce in, or don’t bag produce at all.
• If I see a product that is packaged in plastic, I sometimes write the producer and ask them to consider ditching the plastic. I won't buy until they do!
• We take a stainless steel container with us to restaurants and fill it with leftovers instead of taking a polystyrene carry-out container provided by the restaurant.
• I take a reusable cup to Starbucks for coffee. They give me a $.10 discount.  To-go coffee cups are plastic-lined paper and not recyclable around here.  The disposable lids are polypropylene plastic, also not recyclable.
• I don’t buy bottled water or soda. At best, those bottles are “down-cycled” to make carpeting or fleece, but ultimately are destined for the landfill.  I use a refillable water bottle.  Lots of places will allow you to refill it for free (Starbucks is one). Plastic drink bottles are a top item found on beach cleanups.
• We don’t use single-use plastic drinking straws.
• Deb makes re-usable beeswax wraps which we use instead of plastic film for food storage.
• We used to buy ice cream in plastic tubs. A friend gave us an ice cream maker so now we enjoy ice cream without the plastic waste - and we don't have to worry about it melting in the ferry line!

 

I’m old enough to remember when plastic wasn’t nearly so pervasive. Pop bottles were heavy glass, returnable, and as kids we collected them and returned them to the store for money. Milk came in a paper carton without a stupid plastic spout on the side. Meat was wrapped in butcher paper, not sitting on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic film. We had drinking fountains and steel canteens, not plastic water bottles. I dunno, maybe we were dehydrated all the time? 

That’s my plastic story. What’s yours?There's so much we can all do to help reduce plastic waste. The world needs LESS plastic! 

We invite you to tell us your story/share your plastic reduction tips. We'd like to compile tips from islanders and share them (anonymously) on our website. Taking action to reduce plastic waste begins by raising awareness and re-thinking our purchases. You can help!

Cedar Petrick, 5253 South Shore Drive, is open weekends throughout the summer offering a variety of vegetables and flowers. Chicken and duck eggs are also available.

Chris Damarjian (pictured on the left above), 7001 Guemes Island Road, stocks her stand on Friday mornings with organic vegetables and fruit. She often sells out by the end of the day. Check back over the weekend for late additions and flower bouquets. Also, handmade beeswax food wraps.

Tom Deach’s Garden on Edens (pictured on the right above), 4623 Edens Road, sells vegetables and flowers and stocks the farm cart by the road during the week as things are harvested. The proceeds benefit Carol Deach’s Jamaican children’s education program.

If you need fresh homegrown eggs, you need only drive the “egg route” around the island until you find an egg stand that still has a dozen for sale. Mimnaugh’s on Paradise Lane, Davelaar’s and Petrick’s on South Shore Drive west of the Store, (if the sign is out) Horneman’s on Edens Road east of Deach’s farm stand, the farmhouse on Eden’s Road at Section Ave, or Stamper’s north on Section Ave.

A Guemes frittata of just picked greens and fresh eggs can be on your menu if you hit the stands early. If you miss out, the Anacortes Farmer’s Market runs every Saturday morning until October 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Depot at 7th and R Streets in Anacortes.

 
Following a 14-year military career in the Navy, which brought him to Whidbey Island, Rick Norrie joined the Island County Sheriff’s Office in 1987. He was introduced to Renee Van Iterson, daughter of the late Ria Foster, and Guemes Island, where Renee was raised. It was love at first sight on both accounts. Renee and Rick married and began living on Guemes fulltime in 1993. 

Rick was schooled in woodworking and construction by his father-in-law, master craftsman Tony Foster, who Rick says “could pretty much  build anything.” He enjoys working in his shop doing woodturning and learning when he is not volunteering or working in his private investigative business doing background checks. 

During his 31 years in law enforcement, he became a drug-recognition expert and was nationally recognized for his ability to spot symptoms of drug and alcohol impairment. He traveled across the state promoting drug education and early intervention. Rick retired in June 2018. 

Wanting to give back to the community that “has benefitted my family so much,” Rick joined the volunteer Guemes Island Fire Department and has already taken the strenuous firefighting course and plans to take the challenging EMT course this fall. 

When he learned about the need for construction and constructive management of the stage project, he again volunteered his services. Rick’s goals for the stage project are to realign the project, improve communication, and overcome adversity and conflict so that the community can work together to accomplish short-term and long-term goals in a reasonable time frame. With a positive and inclusive attitude, he states, “I want to help the community achieve its dream.” 

Please contact Rick Norrie at 360-661-5770 with questions or to volunteer.

 

Eight years ago, when my husband, Kurt, and I first set foot on Guemes to look at a house for sale, like so many others before us, we didn’t know the island existed. This seems crazy given that my father had grown up in Anacortes and I had spent my formative years visiting family in the area. But despite that fact, it took us precisely one trip around the island with Karen Everett to become smitten with this haven. We loved our home in West Seattle and had no plans to leave but here we are celebrating nearly two years as full-timers in our happy place. We are fortunate that our jobs allow us the flexibility to work remotely, of which we are taking full advantage. I have been with A Place for Mom, a senior care referral company, for nine years and am enjoying a new role as a coach to our partner support team. Kurt is celebrating 17 years as a residential home mortgage lender with an office in Anacortes.

 

Thanks to my extroverted husband and some fan-freaking-tastic neighbors (island-wide) I have quickly come to appreciate the joy of community. You have to experience it to understand and I feel incredibly grateful for that gift. In fact, I have my community to thank for encouraging me to become a licensed Zumba Gold instructor which has been an unexpected source of tremendous joy for me. Dance has always been an outlet for me and I’m grateful to be able to share it in a way that is simple, silly AND SO GOOD FOR YOU.

  

My favorite feedback came from a new Zumba participant after her first class when she said, “I wanted to apologize for laughing at you, but oh my gosh, your face (expressions)!” So come and dance and sweat and laugh at me! Or better yet, laugh at yourself. Life is too short to take ourselves so seriously.

Carol Deach is a third-generation Guemes Islander born to Alice and Marv Shoultz in 1950. Her many adventures growing up on the island could fill volumes and they include attending school at the Guemes Schoolhouse until it closed in 1960. Her higher education, then marriage to Tom Deach, followed by the birth of their two children took her young family to other parts of the state, and then to Idaho. She and Tom returned to Guemes in 2010. Carol’s training in art and special education has benefited our community in many ways. Carol was president of the Guemes Island Historical Society and helps with the popular summer Guemes Science Camp as a teacher and organizer. Her vegetable and flower farm stand on Edens Road helps fund her volunteer work with Great Shape! Inc., a humanitarian organization that provides access to education and health care for children and families in Jamaica.

Libby Boucher and her husband, Tony, found their way to Guemes through the brother of a friend who owned property on the island. After a few years of perusing real estate ads and dreaming of island life while still young enough to enjoy it, they made the decision to leave their jobs in Sammamish, and move north to Guemes in 2017. Not quite empty nesters, they have one of their three sons also living here. Tony still works from home. Libby left a career as an office manager at an elementary school where she was president of her local office employees union. Volunteering was also an important part of her life in Sammamish and she wasted no time becoming involved here on Guemes. You’ll see her in the Guemes Library on most Wednesdays. If you ask Libby why she enjoys volunteering, she’ll tell you it’s the best way to meet people when you move to a new location.

Location brings us back to that common ground. There are many of our long-time residents who over the years have served on the board that governs our 105-year-old Community Center. That foundation and support provide a match to the new energy and enthusiasm that honors tradition and keeps our community working together and moving forward. We welcome the contributions Carol and Libby bring to GICCA.

The Connects volunteers provide on-island skilled, compassionate assistance with respite care, transportation, home maintenance, medical equipment, housing, and meals for shut-ins. The organization’s mission is to foster a network of support for the Guemes Island community. They are committed to meeting the needs of anyone needing assistance regardless of age, illness, disability, race or religion.

Guemes Connects sponsors The Gathering Lunch, a weekly lunch program open to everyone, residents, visitors, and workers. Meals are prepared and served by volunteers every Thursday from 11:30 to 12:15 from October through April at the Guemes Church. There is a suggested donation of $5.00 for this “home cooked” meal. Check the Events Calendar on myguemes.org for the weekly menu. Free blood pressure checks are available from 11:15 to 12:30. Take-home meals are available by request for shut-ins only.

The following coordinators can help if you have a need or know someone who needs occasional assistance.

• Meals – Lorraine Francis 360-293-8364
• Respite Care – Sue Nichol 206-755-7937 or Juby Fouts 360-293-2704
• Home Maintenance/Yard Care – Bill Clark 360-299-3230
• Medical Equipment – Juby Fouts 360-293-2704 or Barb Ohms 360-298-1885
• Housing Assistance – Ron Knowles 360-588-9922
• Transportation – Susan Rombeek 360-293-0777 or Anne Passarelli 360-299-2549

Please give the Transportation Coordinators 24-hour notice so they can arrange rides. If you cannot reach a coordinator or wish to volunteer your time or skills, please contact Lorraine Francis or Juby Fouts. Additional volunteers or new Gathering Lunch cooks are always welcome.

 
When I finally contacted Father Ernesto about our Camino plans, he was delighted to hear that we'd like to visit his pilgrims' shelter in Güemes. He made arrangements to pick us up near Logroño, a 2-1/2 hr drive from Güemes. After 4 days of walking from Pamplona to Logroño (with blistered feet, already!), we were really looking forward to seeing our friends and giving my feet a couple of days rest. Ernesto, Paqui, and Miguel were a sight for sore eyes (and feet)! There was much hugging and laughing. We spent the day touring the Spanish countryside, including some beautiful little seaside villages, and around the village of Güemes on our way to Ernesto's albergue.

 We visited the 2 churches where Father Ernesto serves, including one that displays photos from his "Guemes world tour."
 

Ernesto's albergue isn't just a pilgrims' hostel. It's a large estate owned by Father Ernesto. Practically the entire village of Güemes is engaged, somehow, in helping at Ernesto's albergue. Volunteers bring food, help cook, help with maintenance, and many other tasks. Paqui and Miguel and several others are an integral part of the albergue’s mission. Many pilgrims who stop at the hostel for the typical one-night stay decide to come back and volunteer for weeks or months. Three meals a day are served to pilgrims and all that's requested in return is a donation. The complex has a library, a common room, and an ermita, where pilgrims can sit and reflect on their journey. Ernesto's collection of slides from his travels line the walls and ceiling of his study. Notes of gratitude from pilgrims from around the world are compiled into large volumes - each one a treasured gift. Many pilgrim guidebooks call this the best hostel on the Camino del Norte. It was definitely the best that we saw on our journey across northern Spain (of course, maybe we're also a little partial). 

 Although we were pilgrims on the Camino, Ernesto insisted that we would not eat or sleep with the other 70+ pilgrims spending the night at his albergue that particular evening. Rather than twin beds or bunks in a large dormitory-style room, we had an entire living space, including 2 bedrooms and a private bath, in what was once was his parents' house (where Ernesto was born, 80 years ago), right on the grounds of the albergue.  Instead of the customary pilgrim's meal that we had experienced so far on the Camino, we ate with the wonderful staff in the large dining room - with mementos of Ernesto's travels and his life of caring for others covering the walls. The huge dining table was covered with plates of amazing food (Spanish paella, pasta with mushroom sauce, succulent roasted chicken) and lots of wine and other "merry-making" beverages. Dozens of volunteers shared in the feast. Barbara, a volunteer and former pilgrim from Dusseldorf, Germany, served as our translator.  There was much laughter and joy (no translation required) - obviously one big "family" enjoying a shared meal and time together. We were stuffed - and very "merry."

 Our visit was short (parts of 2 days and 1 night) but we were grateful for the time we could spend together.  Ernesto, Paqui, Miguel, and Barbara drove us to Bilbao the following day.  We spent the afternoon and evening in Bilbao, where we visited the Guggenheim museum and participated in a "tapas tour." The following morning Gina flew to Barcelona and then home to California; John and I took a bus back to Logroño, where we picked up the Camino again - only 26 more days of walking to reach Santiago! 

My feet continued to be a problem; I was resigned that they would hurt for the rest of the trip. However, after a visit to a podiatrist in Burgos (5 days further down the road), a new pair of shoes, and another day of rest, things began to improve. 

About a week after leaving Ernesto and friends in Güemes, I received a text from them asking where we were - they wanted to take us out to dinner. "Wherever you are, we will find you."  What a fun surprise - and a little crazy, we thought. Were they really going to drive another 2-1/2 hr (one way) to have dinner with us and then turn around and drive back? Yes, they did! They found us in the sleepy little village of Castrojeriz (population 500). We shared another wonderful meal with these amazing people. Excellent food, excellent company - we felt so fortunate to be the recipients of their kindness and hospitality once again!

After dinner, we said another fond farewell, with more hugs and smiles. Nineteen more Camino-days (~ 285 miles) awaited us when we set out again the following morning. We stayed in touch with our friends throughout our trip and shared this photo when we, finally, arrived in Santiago on October 16.

Amazing journey. Amazing people. Special friends. 

If you'd like to keep the "Guemes connection" alive, I encourage you to include Güemes, Spain in your future travel plans. In the meantime, if you're interested in sending holiday greetings to Father Ernesto and team, here's the mailing address: 

Father Ernesto Bustio Albergue La Cabaña del Abuelo Peuto Calle el Albergue, S/N, 39191 Güemes, Cantabria, Spain

 

Paul, a graduate from the University of Washington, is an award-winning wildlife photographer and acclaimed author. He combines his love of the outdoors, his skill as a photographer, and his passion for wilderness conservation into his books as well as his multimedia presentations that emphasize the natural history of North America with a focus on birds and habitat. 

Paul has been featured numerous times in local and national press, including in the Seattle Times, King 5 News, Evening Magazine, NPR, NBC Nightly News, etc. He currently serves as the Director of Major Gifts for Conservation Northwest, an organization dedicated to protecting and connecting wild areas and recovering native species from the Pacific Coast to the Canadian Rockies. 

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