California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. In 2009, more than 80,500 volunteers worked together to collect more than 1,300,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from our beaches, lakes, and waterways. California Coastal Cleanup Day has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the largest garbage collection” (1993). Since the program started in 1985, over 800,000 Californians have removed more than 14 million pounds of debris from our state’s shorelines and coast. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year.
Coastal Cleanup Day is the highlight of the California Coastal Commission’s year ’round Adopt-A-Beach program and takes place every year on the third Saturday of September, from 9 a.m. to Noon. In 2009, that day fell on September 19. Coming at the end of the summer beach season and right near the start of the school year, Coastal Cleanup Day is a great way for families, students, service groups, and neighbors to join together, take care of our fragile marine environment, show community support for our shared natural resources, learn about the impacts of marine debris and how we can prevent them, and to have fun! Coastal Cleanup Day is also the kick-off event for Coastweeks—three weeks of coastal and water-related events for the whole family.
Participating in Coastal Cleanup Day is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Pre-register with your local Coordinator, or simply show up at any of our drop-in sites.
For more information, contact us at (800) COAST-4U or . Join us on Saturday, September 19, 2009, from 9 a.m. to Noon for the 25th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Be part of the solution to marine pollution!