This month’s Adopt-a-Beach feature is Club Finz Parrot Head Club of Southern Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire! Diane Hollingworth, Club Finz’ president, gave us a glimpse into their AAB journey, which started in 2000.
Club Finz Parrot Head Club of Southern Maine and Seacoast New Hampshire is a not-for-profit social and volunteer group.
As fans of the singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, our members engage in social, charitable, and educational activities that promote the general welfare of the community and environment. Club Finz was founded in 1996 by Shanlee Ginchereau and Joe “Finz” Forbes.
Since that time, Club Finz members have volunteered tens of thousands of hours to charity, taken thousands of pounds of trash off our local beaches for Blue Ocean Society, and collected countless items for local charities, all while keeping a positive outlook on life and the environment. We’re here to make a difference and have fun doing so. They party with a purpose!
Members meet in various places each month for a social outing. They invite you to check out their website and see what “Buffettesque” things you have been missing.
Check out their answers to the interview questions below!
What beach have you adopted and when? Is there a reason you chose this particular area?
Wallis Sands Beach in Rye, NH. I believe it was assigned to us by Blue Ocean back in 2000.
Why did you choose to adopt a beach through Blue Ocean Society?
We wanted to give back to help keep our local ocean side safe for the environment and all the mammals that live there.
What item(s) do you find the most, and is it what you expected?
Cigarette butts, and it’s not surprising because people think the beach is a giant ashtray. We find it sad that people don’t pick up their own trash.
Have there been items you’ve found that you weren’t expecting to see a lot of?
Not really. It’s been pretty much the same types of items. I think the Hooksett Discs were one when that all happened. I believe we came across one a couple of years ago, which was surprising.
What is the craziest/weirdest thing you’ve found?
Underwear LOL
Do you have a fun cleanup story to share?
We usually get a chuckle out of things we find, but overall, we have fun each time we go to do the cleanup. We enjoy going for lunch afterward.
Has adopting this beach changed your behavior? Is there anything you do differently now?
We are just more aware of how trash can be harmful not only to our environment but to sea life.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I hope more people can appreciate the beauty of the seacoast and respect it!
Thank you, Club Finz, for your 23 years of dedication to Blue Ocean! You pioneered our Adopt-a-Beach program, and it’s grown so much since its inception, thanks to our first volunteer groups, like you!
Get Involved!
Click here to learn more about our Adopt-a-Beach program! You can view which beaches are available for adoption, read our AAB Handbook, and fill out an adoption application.
Are you interested in joining a beach cleanup before you commit to adopting? Join us on the first Saturday of every month at Hampton Beach from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Learn more and register here. We hope to see you there!
We also have some fun upcoming events! We have a few virtual night programs, Blue Ocean Symposium, monthly cleanups at Hampton Beach, and more! Check out our Upcoming Winter Programs blog post to get more info and register for our events winter events!
