The following article was submitted by Susie Menk, the Youth Services Librarian at the Manitowoc Public Library.
Nurdles! Nurdles! Who found a nurdle!?!
And what, you may ask, is a nurdle? Nurdles are small pellets or lentil-sized pieces of raw plastic that are used in the manufacturing of plastics. Unfortunately, nurdles are being found on the shores of lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water, most notably in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) noticed large quantities of nurdles showing up in gulf waters starting in 2018. Their mission now is to find out where nurdles are in various waters and remove them. Scientists want to make people aware of the nurdle problem, get them to help to remove them from waterways, and determine the impact of these bits of plastic on the environment.
Citizen Science is a program run by the government which helps federally-funded agencies to utilize regular citizens like you and me to gather data for innovative science and technology needs. Nurdle Patrol is one such program. Through this program, citizens can help to look for nurdles on beaches and shores, and then share their collected data with the scientists. Scientists, in turn, use the data that these citizens have collected to map where nurdles are being found and study their environmental impact.
Manitowoc Public Library is pleased to announce that we are creating a Nurdle Patrol. This will be a year-long project that will kick-off on Monday, August 15, from 2-3 PM at the Library. During the kick-off event, patrons will learn about nurdles, what exactly they should be looking for, how to collect and share their data, and how they can make a positive impact on lake waters.
Susie Menk
Professor Amy Kabrhel from UW-Green Bay/Manitowoc Campus will be joining us to explain some of the science behind the nurdles. Attendees will be given instructions on nurdle identification, small pouches into which they can place their nurdles, and buttons to identify them as part of MPL’s Nurdle Patrol. Families are encouraged to get involved as a group! This is a great way for our citizens to take care of our community and give back by helping to keep our shores clean.
In addition to collecting nurdles, we’ll be asking families to gather any beach trash that they may find as they search for nurdles. Manitowoc Public Library is also working with Alliance for the Great Lakes to track any kind of beach trash. We will be showing families how to process data for other beach trash at this kick-off event, as well.
Throughout the coming year, there will be additional events related to the Nurdle Patrol. Special speakers, beach clean-up days, beach trash art projects, and more. We hope that numerous families will participate in the Nurdle Patrol and show our community how much we value our Great Lake. This is an excellent opportunity to teach the next generation how to care for the world around us and keep it healthy.
So, join us on Monday, August 15, at 2 PM in the Balkansky Community Room to learn more about Manitowoc Public Library’s Nurdle Patrol. Bring a friend, bring your family. Let’s do this!
To learn more about nurdles, please visit https://nurdlepatrol.org/.
Happy Hunting!
