Our Community
OLAUG
OLAUG, or "Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage," is a group of old ladies, aged 64-85 and counting, who swim in the freshwater ponds of Cape Cod collecting trash. They are serious about their mission, but as you can maybe tell by their name, they don't take themselves too seriously.
Mission
OLAUG swims to remove trash from ponds, channeling the strength of older women and challenging others to see beyond limits to take concrete action to preserve the environment.
Their Story
In 2017, Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, OLAUG, was formed. They have been cleaning up ponds on Cape Cod from Brewster and Orleans to Plymouth ever since. Gathering small teams of swimmers, ages 64 to 85, they sweep along the shallows, diving down to pick up beer cans, golf balls, fishing lures, waterlogged dog toys, hats, jackets, shoes, and occasionally a tire, cell phone or box of spent fireworks.Whatever they heave up from the bottom, they hand to the Garbage Collector who paddles a canoe or kayak. One swimmer goes ahead looking for snapping turtles and guides the swimmers around them. Their affection and respect for the fish, turtles, and plants that live in the ponds are what motivates them. Well, that and cookies.
