This year marked the 30th anniversary for Estuary Week, an event celebrated by estuary groups across the country. The purpose of the event is to increase public awareness on how important estuaries are to the environment food source and local economies. The Sapelo Island Estuarine Research Reserve invited the general public to join Friends of Sapelo members in the annual clean up the beach event on Sapelo Island. It turned out not only to be a productive day in the collection of trash but also a lesson in understanding coastal weather.
The eager participants boarded the ferry under bright blue skies and traveled by van to Nanny Goat beach. The group divided up at the pavilion, half walked north and half waked south. About 7 minutes into the walk the sky to the south darkened and the rain came. Everyone ran for cover. The rain did not last long and the beach sweepers returned to their task. As for the people that traveled to the north, the sky remained blue and the beach walkers stayed dry. It was a productive day; the beach was debris free, at least until the next tide and everyone had a good time.
