Spiritus Stories: Coastal Cleanup near Jeju Resort

Preserving Nature, One Piece of Trash at a Time

Today, we took part in an environmental volunteer activity – cleaning a beach by a local resort in beautiful Jeju Island. While Jeju is renowned for its picturesque coastal scenery, we saw how even this location is not exempt from pollution.

By the time we arrived, the beach appeared peaceful at first glance. But as we drew closer, we started to notice plastic bottles half-hidden in the seawater, fishing nets snagged among rocks, fishing hooks with sharp points, and other scattered debris. Most of these items had likely been there for weeks or even months, blending into the environment, but posing serious dangers to marine life.

Why It Matters: Protecting the Ecosystem

The trash we collected may have seemed small at first, but even every piece removed from the shoreline is a step toward protecting the fragile coastal ecosystem. Plastic bottles discarded can break down into microplastics, which are consumed by fish and eventually end up on our kitchen table. Discarded fishing nets and hooks injure or kill wild marine animals, such as turtles and seabirds. Even one careless piece of trash can have a lasting, bountiful impact.

By cleaning up trash from the beach, we weren’t just making it more beautiful — we were making it safer for the animals that call it home. Removing those hazardous items prevents “ghost fishing,”, prevents microplastic pollution, and conserves Jeju’s beauty for later generations.

Reflection

The activity made me realize that something you do for nature needs to always be something big – at items it is simply being there, working with others, and doing something small but meaningful, not just for the world, but for us. Because when we preserve nature, we preserve our own. Today’s activity was more than volunteer work, more relevant to thoughtful life lessons.