Keep the Puget Sound Baachachik this 4th of July!

Before I was a Naturalist with Harbor WildWatch, I used to work for the largest firework store in Montana- Baachachik Fireworks.  Baachachik (baw-chaw-chick) is a word from the Crow Indian language that means “the best, the greatest of all” and indeed, this job was fun!  In order to explain the difference between a zip and a zinger or a double break crackling star and a glittering palm, I was involved in many dazzling demonstrations which added to my already existing delight in fireworks.   

Having been on the retail end of fireworks, I became very aware that when the 4th rolls around people will shell out a lot of buck for their boom.  The average Joe loves playing pyro-technician, myself included.  It is fun to beautifully illuminate the sky with bright colors in celebration of our freedom.  It is exciting to satisfy the curiosity of what chemical reaction is awaiting release from inside of each cardboard cylinder.  It is exhilarating to be surrounded by loud noises and the thrill of danger.  There are plenty of reasons why people enjoy fireworks.  On the flip side, a quick Google search sheds some light on the many valid reasons why people detest them- fire hazard, property damage, concern for human safety, harmful chemicals, air pollution, noise pollution, and trash!

Where I participated in firework displays in Montana it was easy to go back the next morning and scan the field for firework debris.  The amount of cardboard, plastic, and wooden trash could fill many garbage bags.  However, I have noticed that during my years living in Washington, many firework shows take place over water.  What a gorgeous idea to have the explosions in the sky mirror on the water’s surface!  Not only are the risks of sparking up a fire lessoned, but all that trash seems to go away too.  Ooooh! Ahhhh! 

But not so fast!  I have learned that there is no such place as “away”.  Away is always somewhere, meaning all that firework junk is hiding below the surface of the Puget Sound later to be washed up on our beaches, littering the shoreline.  The resulting garbage from the fourth is a concern, but a concern that presents an easy opportunity for mitigation.  You can protect the Puget Sound by lighting your own fireworks away from the water.  When you fire off your display in a place where you are able to retrieve the resulting debris, you can insure that your firework trash will not be washed into the Sound.  Another great option is to plan a morning adventure to pick up litter at the beach the following day.  The low tide on July 5th is at 10:44 AM, so there will be plenty of beach access for you to explore and collect firework litter along the way. 

Whether or not you will be out lighting fuses on the fourth, we hope that you always keep the health of the Puget Sound in mind.  Have a Baachachik 4th of July!!!

Stena Troyer, Naturalist