Cape Town - Among the beachgoers at Strand Beach Marine Protected Area (MPA), one person catches the eye, Lisa Starr, the founder of the Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement (Hoam).
Always armed with a refuse bag and a bright smile, her mission to turn this beautiful coastline into a trashfree paradise is still going strong after seven years.
Starr’s journey began years ago when she moved from Cheshire in the UK after falling in love with a South African.
“I just felt in my heart that I had to live by the ocean, it was some calling. I always felt so connected and at home at the ocean, and I’m still here going strong,” she said.
The 48-year-old’s day kicks off with getting her kids ready for school, and then she heads to the beach as part of her daily routine.
As she strolls along the shore, the first thing that hits her is the calming sound of waves crashing on the sand. But beneath that tranquillity lies the harsh reality of litter.
Plastic bottles, wrappers, bottle tops and lollipop sticks are strewn about, which Starr refers to as a persistent problem, coming to the ocean through storm water.
“I always have extra bags now because people constantly say, ‘Well done, thank you’, so it makes sense to offer them a bag too,” Starr said.
Every piece of trash she picks up is a small win. But it also serves as a sobering reminder of the larger issue at hand.
“Once you give people the option of picking up too, eight out of 10 will take the bag.”
Her enthusiasm shines through as she talks about Hoam, but she understands that cleaning the beach is just one aspect of her battle against ocean pollution.
“We don’t realise how fortunate we are in South Africa. We have such a rich variety of flora, fauna forests, and very importantly two oceans that we need to protect more than ever.
“The number of oil and mining applications trying to worm in here is shocking. We all need to shift back to sustainable living.
“The answer isn’t hosting clean-ups every weekend or once a month. The answer is everybody picking what they see when they leave the beach.”
Starr faces several challenges every day, and one of her biggest is getting all the community involved.
While many locals pitch in, a lot still stroll by, totally oblivious or uninterested, unaware of the trash beneath their feet.
“The biggest problem is when you speak to the dog walkers nicely and explain to them that Helderberg MPA is No Dogs. People often get aggressive, and can be verbally abusive,” Starr said.
“It’s not just about the people; it’s about protecting the environment. Right now, we’re focused on cleaning up the Soet River, which is so polluted that during rainy days, Greenways clear the beach of around 2 600 bags of trash a week.
When Starr isn’t busy with sand between her toes, she’s either looking after her family or hanging out with friends.
Still, she stays optimistic and teaches students from schools in Helderberg about the importance of keeping our oceans clean.
Starr feels a rush of joy when kids get excited about learning and understanding the importance of rethinking their purchases, recycling and ocean conservation.
“Education is key, but many of our children don’t have easy access to nature. If you look at a lot of our informal communities, there are no trees, flowers or rivers. So that means no birds, insects or wildlife” she explained.
“It’s so much better to get them here cleaning, with sand between their toes, than talking to them at a school.
“Every clean-up, chat, and challenge adds up to something much bigger.”
It’s a tough journey at times for her, but the good times and great bonds formed while educating our future footprints about why the environment must be clean makes it all worthwhile.