I lie on a rock and gradually realize I am on the ants’ path. Three different spiders visit my towel. They climb over me, tickle, and bother me. A green shiny beetle is perched in the middle of the towel when I return from a bush pee. I am in their way.

The sun is burning hot. Blue-green algae have already been detected in the capital region, the warm early summer hastened its development. Thanks to Godzilla, I have spent more hours at sea in a few days than in years. The highlights of childhood summers were a couple of weeks of sea trips to the archipelago, especially to islands that were uninhabited by human. It was there that my collecting began, and continues to this day. The most important treasures are algae, bones, and other parts of dead creatures, such as dragonfly wings, etc. Various kinds of trash have also joined the collection.

I have been trying to find a seal skull for my collection. At the same time, I started picking up trash. I didn’t find the skull, and at some point, I forgot about it entirely. I moved from trash to trash. Eventually, I had a bag full of plastic collected from one shore of Örö. The collector in me was thrilled. I found.

I move the trash from place A to place B and hope it has some meaning. I am tempted to go collect more trash. An oystercatcher yelled at me and clearly circled its nest as I waddled on the shore rocks. Maybe my collecting will ultimately have a positive impact on the oystercatcher pair and their potential chicks. 

The sea continues to swell as I head back to the city.

I must go collect more trash.

Anna Pekkala in the bushes of Örö, June 27th 2024