This month, SPLASh (Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines) is celebrating its fifth year in action and the thousands of volunteers, students, and community partnerships helping create cleaner habitats for coastal birds and other wildlife. The program was launched in 2020 by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), Black Cat GIS, and Gulf Coast Bird Observatory to address overlapping trash pollution and wildlife conservation problems along the Texas coast.

“Since SPLASh began 5 years ago, nearly 24,000 volunteers and over 8,600 students helped us remove over 55,000 pounds of trash from coastal and bay habitats in the greater Houston-Galveston region,” said Chloe Dannenfelser, ABC's Texas Coastal Outreach Coordinator. “We are so proud of all the students and community members involved and can't thank them enough for their ongoing dedication to the bird conservation movement and to creating a cleaner future for everyone.”

Research reveals that Texas has the highest average weight of litter per mile of any state in the nation, and marine debris accumulates on its coast 10 times faster than on the coasts of other Gulf states. The Houston-Galveston region struggles with large amounts of litter from currents that move trash through the Gulf and from 14.5 million people who live in the Greater Galveston Bay Watershed. Any trash not properly managed in this heavily populated region has a direct pathway to Galveston Bay and the larger Gulf ecosystem. All this waste poses a threat to the more than 600 bird species spending a portion of their lives in the state.

“Galveston Bay's unique location along the Central Flyway makes it a critical stopover for millions of migratory birds traveling thousands of miles between North and South America every year,” said Anna Deichmann, ABC's Gulf Coastal Program Director. “Beach-nesting shorebirds like the Black Skimmer, Least Tern, Snowy Plover, and Wilson's Plover need a healthy Texas coast to survive. SPLASh is a conservation solution turning the tide and ensuring these and many other species can safely feed, reproduce, and thrive for generations to come.”

Each year approximately 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters the ocean. Throughout years of bird conservation work on the Upper Texas coast, ABC saw firsthand the impact that plastic pollution has had on coastal birds. Often resembling plankton or mimicking food-like smells, microplastics and larger plastic fragments ingested by birds can cut soft tissues, damage internal organs, and accumulate in stomachs, causing the animals to stop eating and starve. Entanglement from discarded fishing line, nets, and other plastic items often hampers the ability to hunt, escape predators, and provide for their young. This can also cause severe wounds, infection, and even loss of a limb.

“Unfortunately, plastic pollution on beaches can prove deadly for birds,” said Elizabeth Virgl, Texas Coastal Education Specialist at ABC. “Coastal shorebirds are already at dangerously low numbers because they experienced steep declines in recent decades from habitat loss, natural disasters, oil spills, and other threats, making their nesting success all the more important. SPLASh proves that anyone can help by keeping their beaches litter-free and through other simple actions such as keeping pets on a leash.”

How to Get Involved:

SPLASh welcomes anyone interested to join its next community cleanup “NestFest” event taking place on Tuesday, March 11 at sites along Galveston Island, Follet's Island, and Bolivar Peninsula. Other events may be viewed on the SPLASh calendar. Register here or contact splashtx@abcbirds.org.

Ages 4-18 may also submit their artwork to SPLASh's annual Beach Sign Contest by March 31 for a chance to win a spot for their design on a permanent beach sign in the area. 

Ready to make a SPLASh in your classroom? Get in touch.

For more information visit splashtx.org or @SPLAShTrashTX and watch ABC's webinar.

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) takes bold action to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, we achieve lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet's fragile climate. Our every action is underpinned by science, strengthened by partnerships, and rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives yield stronger results. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1994, ABC remains committed to safeguarding birds for generations to come. Join us! Together, we can do more to ensure birds thrive.

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