WILMINGTON — Every year, as the Fourth of July approaches, party-goers from across the Cape Fear region prepare for an annual migration to Masonboro Island. Although the party celebrates the birth of the country, the mess that thousands of visitors leave in their wake can be appalling. But one group is working to change that.
Jack Kilbourne is co-founder of Masonboro.org, a grassroots organization formed in 2009 in an effort to preserve the island as a public access for generations to come.
The group started after public outcry arose over the way the island was treated on Independence Day year after year.
“There was an article basically wagging their finger at the reader saying, ‘if you don’t shape up, we’ll be forced to close the island.’ The title of the article was ‘Masonboro Island is not a playground,’ which really got all of our attention because, it is in fact a playground,” Kilbourne said.
“It is our most important playground, and I took issue with their point that one event a year could trigger a response like that from someone who thought they had control over what went on at Masonboro Island,” he added.
After that, Kilbourne began organizing other members of the community that felt as strongly about the issue as he did. After reading a letter written in response to the article, he was able to get in touch with Richard Johnson, who would go on to co-found the organization with him.
Kilbourne said the organization is now quite large, and even has members on the local advisory board to the Coastal Reserve, which is the state-appointed managing arm for the island.
“What we did, was we looked at the problem from a sniper approach, rather than a shotgun approach, and what they’re saying is that from one day where some trash was left that they’re just going to close the island, so we decided we’d fix that,” Kilbourne said.
The fourth of July problem
The following year, Masonboro.org showed up in force, setting up for the entire holiday weekend in preparation for the ensuing mayhem. But what they learned, was that this wasn’t a regular problem, it is actually a one-day problem.
“The biggest takeaway is that this is a one day a year event, it’s an anomaly, it’s not something that happens on holiday weekends,” he said. “People seem to think that the island takes a beating on holiday weekends, and there are a lot of people who will be out there over the weekend by boat and enjoying with friends, but they all almost always take everything with them.”
In the time since, Kilbourne says volunteers have honed themselves into a well-oiled machine. They arrive on the island one day per year, and that’s the only day they’re necessary.
“… they’re not sure how they’re going to get off the island, but they know they aren’t going to drag a trash bag full of garbage back into a boat to get there.”
The problem, according to Kilbourne, is not that Masonboro Island sees regular traffic from boaters, anglers, and surfers. The organization itself is made up of people who visit Masonboro on a weekly, and even daily basis.
“The problem is the people who go buy a cooler full of beer and get a ride from someone they don’t know or a casual acquaintance, and they pay them to drop them off at the island (on July 4),” he said. “And then they’re not sure how they’re going to get off the island, but they know they aren’t going to drag a trash bag full of garbage back into a boat to get there. That’s the reason it’s a bad day for trash on Masonboro.”
Although they don’t support “bad” behavior on the island, Kilbourne says it’s the principal his group is fighting to preserve.
“The mission statement for Masonboro.org is to ‘Protect public access, promote responsible use, and preserve the traditions of Masonboro Island,’ ” Kilbourne said. “And while we do not condone foolish behavior, and the stupidity of the people who leave all their trash on the island, we are also there to ensure that they have the right to enjoy Masonboro Island.”
It takes an army
Beginning early Tuesday morning, the first of approximately 75 volunteers will begin making their way to Masonboro island. Work for them begins at 8 a.m., and Kilbourne says they won’t head home until the last party-goer leaves the island.
The volunteers will be handing out trash bags to visitors, and asking everyone they meet to please be mindful of your surroundings, and clean up after themselves.
“We’ll be very visible in our red shirts, and we’ll have a big tent set up. You know, should there be any trash left over at the end of the day, then we are prepared to carry all of that trash back to the mainland to a large trash receptacle provided by Waste Management,” Kilbourne said. “And we’ll make sure that there is nothing at all left on Masonboro.”
Although volunteers don’t want to be seen as the island’s trash collectors, they’re willing to accept that responsibility to ensure the survival of one of the Cape Fear’s most treasured natural resources.
“While we’d like everyone to take their trash with them when they leave, they also know that if they can’t, or if they don’t, we’ll be there to do it,” Kilbourne said.
Last year alone, the group pulled approximately 2.9 tons of waste back to the mainland. Kilbourne said that, without the tireless work of volunteers willing to give up a holiday for the sake of the island, none of this would be possible.
Recreationally, there’s fewer and fewer places you can enjoy without having to get permission from someone first,” Kilbourne said. “We’re all tired of being told what we can and can’t do, just use a little common sense and it’s something we can all have use of, and enjoyment of, for years to come. Treat it like it’s something your proud of, treat it like it’s yours, treat it like you own the place, because we do.”
For more information about the non-profit organization, and to learn about its latest efforts, follow it on Facebook. To find out how you can get involved this Fourth of July, visit the website masonborodotorg.squarespace.com.
Send comments and tips to Cory Mannion at cory@localvoicemedia.com, @corymannion on Twitter, and @corythamann on Facebook.
