Rubbish and treasure along the Wales Coast Path

Day 19: Porth Eilian to Moelfre

Working together for good

We start at the beach.

Along the expanse of sand exposed at low tide are small mounds of rolled sand that look like little piles of spaghetti.

I imagine the animals are creating them. I had to investigate. Oysters? Mussels? No.

Worms. Worms. They hide in the sand, with their “U” or cup-shaped bodies beneath the surface. There they devour sand, filter the organic matter, and then excrete the sand. Yes. Piles of poop.

Disgusting. And great!

These worms aerate the seafloor, oxygenating the sediment and improving the ecosystem for other creatures. They also recycle organic material, which improves coastal habitat.

At low tide, birds feast on them. During high tide, the fish eat them. And fishermen (humans) have great success using them as bait.

And here there is a surprise factor. Lugworm hemoglobin carries more than forty times the oxygen of human hemoglobin and is compatible with all blood types. Its use greatly improves the success rate of organ transplants.

Earthworms also have antibacterial properties. Currently, they are being studied for the development of new types of antibiotics.

And understand this. Until the early 1990s, researchers thought there was only one type of worm. Now you know there are two types.

Two. And you can tell them apart by the size and shape of their feces. Who knew? Yes. Now you do it too.

true benefactor

On the way we see a kettle on top of a small propane container. A piece of paper underneath says «FREE KETTLE (NEVER USED)» plus a smiley face.

I’m a big fan of free things and people who give them away. The Appalachian Trail often has sites set up for hikers where they can get free food, drinks, and sometimes supplies.

Jon says, «Someone must have gotten tired of carrying that around.»

Later we see what appears to be an abandoned backpack next to a trash bag partially filled with trash. Mmmm…a mystery.

Then, walking from the beach is a young woman, with her reddish-brown hair in two braids and her hands full of discarded paper, bottles, and food wrappers.

Jon immediately knows the scene. «Hello, are you the person who left the teapot?» I can’t get the connection.

She laughs and says, «Yeah. I wasn’t using it, so I thought someone else could.»

“And it has to be a burden?”

«Well, I wouldn’t have the ability to carry the trash I find if I kept it. I could use the space. I just wish I could have picked up more.» She will carry the trash until she can place it all in trash and recycling bins.

Virtue

I say, «That’s inspiring. You should start a movement.»

She shrugs, laughs, and says, «I wish I could do more.»

Here is a person who does what he can to improve the world. What strikes me is that there is no fanfare. No label.

If we hadn’t come across it, we wouldn’t have known. She is giving in such a way that her left hand hardly notices the good deeds of her right hand. (Matthew 6:3)

A virtuous person! She has influenced me.

«Virtue is what you do when no one is looking.» Nassim Taleb

Treasures and trash

Elly reaches into her pocket and holds out her open palm. In it are four very worn pieces of sea glass. They glow green and brown.

She says excitedly, «Look at this one! I think it was a glass bottle stopper!» I think it was.

She doesn’t just pick up trash; she also finds a treasure. Jewelry made by the sea. Recycling. Now it also has space for nice things.

Art and Function and Nature. Again.

In front we see a skeleton. Bare bones. Remains. It dominates the coast.

It is a wooden boat. What’s left of it.

I once again marvel at human ingenuity. Someone figured out how to do that. Probably observing nature and experimenting. Then assemble the skeleton. And covering it.

It is a beautiful ruin. We rarely get to see the inner workings and craftsmanship of a thing.

Art is everywhere. And this wooden boat is biodegrading naturally. Eventually we will return to dust.

fiddlehead hitchhiker

Ferns abound on the Wales Coast Path. Today I discover that ferns are not the only ones that curl/unfold. I take a photo of long leaves curled at the tips. I had no idea other plants produced violins! I look it up on my phone.

Curling is protective. Some curly plants protect their immature or vulnerable parts. Some open and close day and night (prayer plants). My phone tells me these are «yellow flag lilies.» Maybe? The image is blurry, so…

Much later, I look at my shoe and notice that a hitchhiker has wrapped himself around my shoelaces. I laugh and let him go.

Perhaps their spores will start a new group, sometimes referred to as «fern allies.» Perhaps now it is an ally of ferns.

Cows curled up

We go around a hill and see a herd of cows standing in a corner of a field, huddled together. Cow people, please tell me why.

Jon usually talks to the cows we find, especially if they are gathered together. He gives them motivational speeches. He tells them to organize themselves, to free themselves. He shows them where the door is and explains how to operate it.

It was in vain. We say goodbye to them and I tell them that, although their eyes seem empty, they are beautiful and have extraordinarily beautiful eyelashes.

And some more

The other highlights of our day were the pheasants, the rabbits (Welsh! Remember that Bugs Bunny pun?) and the sparkling seas.

Oh, and it was sunny all day. Then I saw what I could see. Grateful.

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