Resources
Education and Curriculum
Plastic Density Activity: In this hands-on lab, learn about different plastic polymers and which ones float vs. sink in water. This can be done in a classroom setting and is suitable for middle school to high school age groups. You will need some jars of water and various materials from the recycling bin.
Plastic Distribution Mapping Activity: Use a small portion of the SEA ocean plastic dataset to practice plotting points on a map by hand, and answer questions about microplastic distribution at the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean. This activity is suitable for high school students.
Kahoot: Test your students’ knowledge on ocean plastic pollution with our Kahoot. This quiz is suitable for middle to high schoolers, or anyone who wants a challenge!
Trash Shouldn't Splash postcard designs by Falmouth High School students.
Local
Trash Shouldn’t Splash is a program aiming to reduce plastic waste entering the ocean through educational initiatives promoting a shift from single-use plastic items to reusables. The program is a partnership between Sea Education Association, Falmouth Water Stewards/Skip the Straw, and the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Trash Shouldn’t Splash educates people of all ages in the Falmouth, MA area on the state of knowledge on plastic pollution in our oceans, its environmental impacts, and the many actions we can take as individuals, businesses, and communities to reduce single-use plastic use.
The Falmouth Water Stewards is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the local water resources of Falmouth, MA. Their mission is to protect, preserve, and restore Falmouth’s bays, estuaries, salt ponds, and fresh waters through education, advocacy and citizen science. REfill, REuse Falmouth is a Falmouth Water Stewards program that aims to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles by installing water bottle refill kiosks in the community. Each water station has a drinking fountain, two bottle-refill ports and a bowl for dogs to drink. The stations are wheelchair accessible and operate from mid-May through early November. See the map here
Have you encountered an entangled animal in Massachusetts, or near Cape Cod? Please contact an entanglement hotline!
Have thoughts on plastic pollution in your community? Contact your representatives!
Falmouth Selectboard
Solid Waste Advisory Committee
Governor Charlie Baker
State Representative: Dylan Fernandes
dylan.fernandes@mahouse.gov
Outreach
Dr. Kara Lavender Law has presented on ocean plastic pollution to audiences across the country and internationally. Her talks detail the current scientific knowledge on microplastics, their impacts on human and environmental health, the sources of plastic pollution into the ocean, and the suite of solutions required to address this environmental problem.