Beachcomber

By: Andrew Thomas 

Few people live their lives in simple virtues. A continuous focus of flow in discovering something new but not trying to overpush the natural rhythm is a balance that brings a patient sense of a purpose that is difficult to achieve during the Anthropocene.

John Anderson is one the few examples of a pious hard worker who has accumulated more interesting objects and has a museum open to the public. A quiet former plumber who was born and raised on the Olympic peninsula of Washington state; one of the most remote spots in the contiguous United States. It is cut off from Seattle and the main interstate system by the rugged mountains in Olympic National Park. It also receives more rainfall than anywhere else and is surrounded by dense temperate rainforests on the west side of Olympic mountains. 

Growing up in a quiet small town surrounded by beautiful nature, John was a regular at the beaches and picked up beachcombing in the 1970’s. It instantly become a daily ritual and as the years went by, he had accumulated so much artifacts with stories that he decided to open a museum in his native town of Forks, Washington.

Having visited the John Beachcomber Museum in 2019, thankfully John allowed me to ask a series of questions regarding a museum of beach accumulations for 40+ years:

Did you grow up here on the Washington coast?

I was born and raised here in Forks, Washington.

Do you remember what was the first piece from the beach you kept?

I first started beachcombing with a friend and brought home glass floats. I had never done it, I was just along for the ride. I was intrigued by it and kept the floats and soon went out to see what else I would find.

 Where did you compile this material that you found on the beach before you opened your museum?

In the trees, on the fence and in the loft of my Plumbing shop. I had no plans of it growing to where it is today but I’m still going after 40+ years.

 Was it mostly glass and steel when you started this? When did you see a shift to more plastic?

Mostly glass and metal with a little plastic when I started in 1976. Plastic increased because they quit making and using glass floats in the 1960’s. It took decades for plastic floats to catch up with with glass floats the arrived here on the coast. 

 What is the most moving message in a bottle you've read?

Several letters to deceased loved ones. Many people think it’s symbolic to write a letter to the deceased, put it in a corked glass bottle and send it to sea. 

 How many invasive species have you come across?

Several species were found on the beach after the 2011 tsunami. It’s hard for many people to fathom species being brought from thousands of miles away from a natural event combined with modern debris that doesn’t sink. It’s not too far fetched to image it happening thousands of years ago but it’s so minimal with the floating wood vs. now with glass and plastic it’s very possible to transport a huge colony of invasive species. It’s fastening yet scary.

 Did you see a large influx of debris after the 2011 tsunami?

Yes, big time. Beachcombing increased probably 300% over the following 3 years. Despite the Japanese advanced infrastructure it’s still vulnerable as we saw in 2011 and the volume of debris that ended up in the ocean.

Is there a beach combing community in this area? Are there any trends in different areas? Have you connected with other people on the Pacific coast who do this?

There are several beachcombers in my area, a few regulars and some more sporadic. But there are two Beachcombers Fairs each year in Washington that beachcombers get together and there’s always a good turnout.

Have you seen the regular volume of garbage increase in the last 20 years?

Yes, a lot of plastic and Styrofoam. It shifted dramatically from glass to plastics by the 1990’s. And overall volume has increased steadily over the years.  

 Have you been concerned about the quantity of micro plastics or even nano plastics have been turning up in the ocean?

Yes isn’t everyone? It’s mind boggling how much is beginning to be found. The idea of nanoplastics are hard for a lot of people to even fathom. 

 Finally are you optimistic about plastic being replaced by biodegradable and compostable materials?

Yes, they keep trying these things and overall innovation is leading in the right direction but until you get other 3rd world countries to quit dumping their trash in the oceans it will continue.

How did you learn about items found on the beach before internet? Books? Word of the mouth?

Friends who showed me how to do it and lots of books.

Are others who beach combers do it out of fascination or activism out of climate change? Volunteers more on Rialto beach area because of Olympic Park?

There are traditional beachcombers and then there are environmental volunteers. There is definitely a difference. Easy to get to beaches are cleaned up first because of the PR. The best treasures that are found are off out of towners radars.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Do people generally still search with metal detectors?

Hah, No, Not around here. 

Growing up in a small town surrounded by wilderness of Olympic Park did you travel other parts of the Pacific coast in the US?

Sometimes, I’ve seen other parts of the Pacific coast but this is where I’ve spent my whole life so I am content here. 

Are you still consistently adding to the museum? Any new trends besides just general plastic?

Yes, all the time. There is some container spill items coming in now. So it’s not all plastic, there’s still plenty treasure items washing up on the shore.

Lastly have you seen different reaction to your museum from younger generations vs older generations?

No, they are all amazed. That’s one consistent reaction I see from all ages of people. Stories and messages that have traveled across the world, an artistic way of communicating can be moving to all generations. Yet, there’s simultaneous concern about the destruction of different species through suffocating with waste and transporting invasive species. It's kind of scary. Bittersweet in some ways. I guess as long as I keep expanding the museum collection I just hope people of all generations get to see it.

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