GrassRoots Garbage Gang

06/17/2026

#30.

Today makes number 30 for washed up whales in Washington. Cascadia Research Collective wrote on their website two decomposed gray whale washed up yesterday the 16th, one near Moclips and another near Quinault Reservation. Today another at Ocean Shores.
The information is still the same for malnutrition during the northern migration. All necropsies are pending at this time. Cascadia Research just got the text from me about the Ocean Shores one, and will be going out there later. I’ll update post when more info comes in.

📷 Tom Bies

06/15/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉

Tim Conces, Beth Kreischer Tripp, Frank J. Lehn

Please keep engaging! This page has grown organically thanks to our wonderful followers. You help us get into the flow of more people’s algorithm❤️🩵👌🏻 You’re likes and comments contribute to clean beaches!

06/14/2026

JUST ADDED to the Silent Auction! Stop in DuneSide Trading Co. and place your bid! Peninsula Blues Festival Weekend Passes (2)

Enjoy a weekend of world-class music with two weekend passes to the Peninsula Blues Festival. Headlining the festival, Ty Curtis and Taylor Newville unite seasoned power with rising talent for an unforgettable celebration of the blues.

With eight acclaimed albums and performances alongside legends including George Thorogood and Robert Cray, Ty Curtis brings commanding vocals and electrifying guitar. Taylor Newville channels the spirit of B. B. King and Jimi Hendrix with youthful fire and award-nominated grit. Together, they deliver a powerful blend of tradition and fresh energy that defines today’s blues.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience an incredible weekend of live music and community on the Long Beach Peninsula. Thank you Peninsula Blues Festival

Peninsula Blues Festival Weekend Passes (2)

Enjoy a weekend of world-class music with two weekend passes to the Peninsula Blues Festival. Headlining the festival, Ty Curtis and Taylor Newville unite seasoned power with rising talent for an unforgettable celebration of the blues.

With eight acclaimed albums and performances alongside legends including George Thorogood and Robert Cray, Ty Curtis brings commanding vocals and electrifying guitar. Taylor Newville channels the spirit of B. B. King and Jimi Hendrix with youthful fire and award-nominated grit. Together, they deliver a powerful blend of tradition and fresh energy that defines today’s blues.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience an incredible weekend of live music and community on the Long Beach Peninsula.

06/14/2026

GRASS ROOTS GARBAGE GANG / DuneSide Trading Co.
Silent Auction Fundraiser

We are so greatful to partner with DuneSide Trading Co. to bring together this collection of generously donated items.

Our amazing community has generously stepped up with fantastic auction items. Please read photo captions for more info.

Proceeds support the Grass Roots Garbage Gang and help provide cleanup supplies, safety equipment, volunteer support, educational outreach, and other stewardship projects that protect our beaches and coastal wildlife.

Thanks to community support, GRGG volunteers have removed more than one million pounds of trash (525 tons) from our beaches since 2002.

Please stop in DuneSide Trading Co. and visit our auction table.

06/13/2026

It may seem mundane but think about this Russ is 81 not that you could tell if you met him is out cleaning the north end weekly lifting heavy wet sandy items into his truck.. - Commercial crab pots weighing up to 80 occasionally wash ashore, like this old beat-up one. With no ID tag, it had to be removed, and he wasn't about to leave it behind. Scroll right to see the ingenious method he used to get this massive, sand-buried pot loaded into his truck!

4550 Commercial crab pots weighing up to 80 lbs. or more sometimes show up
on the beach such as this old beat-up example did. It had no ID tag, so in
any case it must be rounded up. There is a reliable method to getting one
of these heavy weight items loaded up as the next three photos will show:

06/12/2026

Rss Lewis Beach Report June 9, 2026
To all: There has been more trash/debris to gather up since last week due to several days featuring onshore winds at times. Most of it was not of the long-range varieties, but consisted of old crabbing rope, funky buoys, bags, plastic sheeting pieces, a 4" dia. 15-foot-long section of plastic pipe, a wheel, 10-foot-long section of hardy plank and household trash items. Just enough stuff needing to be rounded up to keep you busy. Paul who is a biologist monitoring snowy plover nesting sites for the refuge has also
contributed trash gathered up in the Leadbetter Point area which we later load into my truck to be transported to the beach dumpster. We do have dedicated folks out there helping to keep our shoreline looking free of litter as possible and many thanks to them.

There have been plenty of brown pelicans working the waters and at rest along the shoreline. Heermans gulls are now present as well as the Caspian terns and the usual gulls. Vultures are also present near any carcasses found along the beach and I noticed lately a few ospreys at work
hunting/hoovering over the breaking waves in search of a fish dinner. Still have these small clear jellyfish stranding at times along the beach during periods of onshore winds. Velella have been completely absent for over a month now. All gone for now.

Surf yesterday was running to 6 feet and winds were from the west to 15mph. The beach dumpster is about 50-60% full now. Of note is that the 4th of July is quickly approaching, and it has been estimated that there will be upwards of 100,000+ people planning to be recreating on the beach/peninsula in
celebration of the 250th anniversary of America. We are planning the Grass Roots Garbage Gangs, (GRGG), July 5th beach clean-up as we need as many volunteers as possible to help gather up what's left behind. Check the GRGGs site for further details.

Russ

https://mailchi.mp/2e2283922b63/beachreport62524-15404248

06/10/2026

On June 7th, Cascadia Research Collective confirmed another gray whale has washed ashore on a popular Washington beach. This marks the 27th whale to wash ashore in Washington this 2026 calendar year. Based on the whales condition of decomposition, there will be no necropsy conducted and the s*x is unknown. Last week another gray whale on the same beach washed back out with the tide and washed up at Olympic National Park. It’s a popular spot as the ocean currents carry these whales to this area.

The record for the highest number of gray whales washing ashore in Washington state in a single calendar year is 35, set in 2019.

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

We want to give a BIG shoutout and heartfelt thank you to DuneSide Trading Co. for going above and beyond in support of the GrassRoots Garbage Gang!

What makes their support especially meaningful is that it comes from a genuine love for this community and a deep commitment to keeping our beaches clean, healthy, and beautiful for everyone who lives here and visits our coast. They understand that clean beaches don't happen by accident, they happen when people get involved and work together.

Not only have they graciously opened their space to host our Silent Auction Fundraiser, they have given their time, energy, creativity, and enthusiasm into helping make it a success.

The Silent Auction is happening now, with new items being added regularly. Every bid and every donation helps support our year-round efforts to care for our coastline and our annual July 5th cleanup. If you see something you love, place a bid. If auctions aren't your thing, you can also make a direct donation.

We are especially excited to have DuneSide Trading Co. host the complimentary Soup & Sourdough Social following the July 5th Beach Cleanup. It's a wonderful opportunity for volunteers, community members, and visitors to gather, warm up, share stories from the day, and celebrate what we can accomplish when we work together.

Community partnerships like this are what make events like the Beach Cleanup possible. We are incredibly grateful for DuneSide Trading Co.'s generosity, support, and dedication to preserving the natural beauty of our beaches while strengthening the sense of community that makes the Long Beach Peninsula such a special place.

Please stop by, check out all that DuneSide Trading Co. has to offer including the auction, and join us on July 5th. Together, we're making a difference, one piece of litter at a time.

We've had quite a few people stop in to browse the silent auction items and ask questions about how it all works, so we thought we'd share a little more about it.

The silent auction is raising funds to support the GrassRoots Garbage Gang and their ongoing efforts to care for our coastline. If something catches your eye, simply write your name and bid amount on the sheet beside the item. If someone outbids you and you'd still like to participate, you can always add another bid. When the auction closes, the highest bidder takes home the item and the proceeds go directly toward supporting this important work. New items are being added and you can drop off a direction donation if you'd rather not bid.

If you've been curious about the July 5th Beach Cleanup, this is also a wonderful opportunity to learn more about how to participate. These kinds of community traditions only continue because people choose to show up for them.

Following the cleanup on July 5th, we'll also be hosting a complimentary Soup & Sourdough Social here at DuneSide Trading Co. Everyone is welcome to gather, warm up, share stories from the day, and connect with neighbors who care about this beautiful place we all call home.

We hope you'll stop by, place a bid, & consider joining us on the 5th.