20. Storm Eleanor
Caring for the environment should be a priority for all of us. If we could all see the mountains of trash that float in the sea, we would be completely terrified. Thinking of all those animals and the ecosystem underwater is filled with so much waste should keep us awake at night. But not if we do something about it. A man and his two kids decided to start cleaning a beach in the United Kingdom after Storm Eleanor hit the coast and brought with it piles of rubbish.
What they did not expect was the beginning of a very strange adventure! Back in 2018, a huge storm hit the coast of the UK, bringing tons of waste on the shores. There was garbage all over the beaches, so a father took his family with him and they all volunteered to the cleanup effort. While they were all sifting through the rubbish, his youngest son calls his father…
The kid had no idea he stumbled upon something he only saw in movies.
It was only a piece of trash, thought the father as he looked at it, but then he noticed something peculiar about it.
By 2050, the fish in the water will be outnumbered by plastic waste, and when the massive storms like the one in 2018 hit the coastlines, part of that trash is washed ashore, creating mountains of garbage.
Storm Eleanor hit the coastline of the UK in 2018 with massive winds, hail and rain, causing immense damage.
Trees fell over cars, parts of the road collapsed, and whole communities were left in the dark for days when the power lines were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the beaches were flooded with tons of garbage.
It was the ugly truth nobody wants to see: beaches filled with disgusting trash, showing how little humans care about their own planet.
Then, the community responded to a man’s call to clean up the beaches…
People volunteered and groups gathered, making incredible efforts to clean the mountains of garbage and restore their beautiful beaches.
That’s where Nick Crooks and his two boys began their own special adventure.
Nick was impressed with BBC’s documentary Blue Planet II, which showed how animals were struggling the seas riddled with garbage and he took his kids to the beach to join the other volunteers and make a difference.
His kids were picking up the trash. Out of the blue, Nick’s eight-year-old son, Noah, picks up a strange plastic bottle, that seemed to stand out from the rest.
Although it was just a regular green bottle, what was inside made Noah curious. He called his dad and brother before opening the bottle.
The two came to see what Noah found. It seemed like there was something inside the bottle.
Noah opened the bottle and the three were looking at the contents in shock!
At first sight, the thing inside looked like a crumbled piece of paper. As Noah carefully unfolded the paper, he saw that it was in fact a handwritten letter!
What was it saying?
On the letter, Noah read that the letter was written by a 10-year-old girl named Jacquie Chmilar. She said she was visiting her grandparents and if someone sees this message, they should call or email her at her parent’s contact info, which was written at the bottom of the letter.
Of course Noah wanted to write back!
As soon as Nick and his sons got home, they went to email Jacquie back and learn more about the story behind her message in the bottle. Noah was wondering how much time ago she wrote that message.
Plus, she sent that bottle from Canada, meaning that it traveled with the waves for over 2,100 miles!
That day, Jacquie's mother was reading her emails and saw Noah’s mail. At first, she thought it was all a joke because what were the odds the message reached someone?
The story behind the message in a bottle is far more elaborate…
Jacquie was visiting her grandparents in Newfoundland, Canada. Her grandpa thought it would be fun to put this message in a bottle and then throw it in the ocean. Who knew someone would actually read it?
Six months passed and Jacquie didn’t get a reply. She just thought it would never really reach anyone.
As Noah replied to her message, they began writing to each other daily and became friends.
He learned that Jacquie sent the bottle from Canada, and that it wasn’t the only message she sent.
Jacquie sent three bottles into the ocean, and the second one was found at the Widemouth Beach in Cornwall, United Kingdom.
The bottle was found by a nine-year-old girl a week before Noah found one!
As the story of the bottle became famous, it was even shared around the world at the news.
Noah was happy that this could raise awareness and inspire more to help keep the ocean clean.
"I think lots more people should do it because you just see these massive piles of rubbish," said Nick.
Meanwhile, Noah and Jacquie still talk through emails and their families even plan to meet one day!
As for Jacquie, she said it would be “really cool” to meet Noah and the nine-year-old girl that discovered the second bottle.
She added that she would want to visit Cornwall, the place where their friendship began.
Jacquie's message led her to a new friend!
Their story is now viral, and its obvious why: what were the odds of a message sent from Canada from a 10-year-old to actually reach a boy cleaning a beach in the UK?