Diving For Trash, Finding Friendship

A story from the waters of Cape Cod, MA.

After spending most of her life elsewhere, Marci Johnson returned to her hometown on Cape Cod and was once again surrounded by the freshwater ponds and lakes that define the area. 

But in 2022, Marci was at a low point. She was in her early 70s and looking to find new purpose in life when she met Susan Baur, the founder of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage, or OLAUG, for short. 

OLAUG members at Jenkins pond, Cape Cod, MA after a successful trash dive in 2024. Photo courtesy of OLAUG.

The youngest member is 64 years old, the oldest is 85, and they dive into the cold waters of Cape Cod to clean them up by hand. To join, prospective members need to prove they can swim a half mile in under 30 minutes and free-dive to at least eight feet. 

When Marci heard the group was holding tryouts, she dove straight in. She came to StoryCorps with Susan to remember.

Founder of OLAUG, Susan Baur, with the retrieved toilet in Cape Cod, MA, in 2024. Photo courtesy of OLAUG.

Top photo: Susan Baur and Marci Johnson at their StoryCorps interview in Falmouth, MA on October 8, 2024. By Jo Corona for StoryCorps.

This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Originally aired April 4, 2025, on NPR’s Morning Edition.