Trash at the ramp, waiting to be shipped ashore.

With the installation of the new boat ramp in 2008 at Petit Manan Island came the rare opportunity to remove trash gathered over decades.  A work group from Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge and one volunteer (Tom Goettel, a former refuge manager) gathered tons of old metal, cast iron stoves, a cast iron tub, an old tractor, hundreds of lobster buoys and many other items that have washed ashore during many unforgiving storms. The crane and barge on site that installed the boat ramp were utilized for removing trash from this remote island.  This effort has preserved the natural landscape of the island while making it a safer environment for wildlife and all who visit the island.