From Trash to Tranquility: the Work You Don’t See!

The majestic beaches along the Emerald Coast are truly only beautiful because of the efforts made by those here in the community willing to give up their week nights in order to clean up the garbage and keep our beaches as pristine as you all witness upon arriving here. This is not easy work but the Harper family, owners of Destin Dreamers, dedicate their evenings to walking the beaches and cleaning up the trash, instead of enjoying its beauty, because they know if they don’t…who will?

This 12′ x 12′ float washed up on the beaches of Destin at Okaloosa Point just as you are coming into Destin. Although this was the largest single item pulled off of the beach that evening, they fill several trash bags full of garbage each week from this spot that wash in from Crab Island and surround beaches. Sadly enough, each time they come out, the trash seems to be as endless as the sand.

Here are their two kids, Serenity and Gabriel, getting in on the action. We invite everyone in the community to take part in this. Don’t wait for some church outreach or local event to clean up what you all see when you walk down the beach. Bring a bag with you and if just everyone picks up a little bit every time they go to the beach, our beaches can remain beautiful and our marine life too can enjoy what we have all come here to witness.

This Good Samaritan helped Christopher haul this huge float all the way back to the parking lot. Filled with water and sand, this float weighed over 250lbs and was drug over 3/4 of a mile. What you don’t see are the kids and Jamie Harper, whom took this photo, behind Christopher, each carrying trash bags full of garbage.

This photo was taken the very same evening. It is a reminder of how majestic our beaches are here but only if we do our part.

You can find The Harpers walking the beaches in the evenings, trash bags in hand, ready for the next big haul. Won’t you join us?

Published on Thursday, July 11, 2019