Cleaning Up — at the Beach

Byline: Ambrosia Brody

Cleaning Up -- at the Beach

SAN DIEGO — Boaters and beachgoers are being asked to lend their time — and a hand — to help clean up local beaches. San Diego Coastkeeper has announced a year-long beach cleanup schedule to help them do it, with events throughout the county.

For the past six years, San Diego Coastkeeper in partnership with Surfrider’s San Diego chapter, has hosted cleanups at beaches throughout San Diego County. This year residents can attend any of the 35 events planned at local beaches.

The cleanups in 2012 hosted the second-highest volunteer turnout since 2007. More than 4,000 volunteers collected more than 7,500 pounds of trash, which ran the gamut from cigarettes to plastic foam fragments.

Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter Coordinator, Haley Haggerstone, said “In addition to picking up litter, volunteers also collect data on the marine debris we find, which helps support local campaigns such as Rise Above Plastics and Hold on to Your Butt.”

Without the help of volunteers, much of the debris that accumulates on San Diego shorelines would have eventually made its way into the ocean, said Mallory Watson, San Diego Coastkeeper’s community engagement coordinator.

“Volunteer cleanups, though not the only solution to marine debris, help keep these items out of the areas we value so highly here in San Diego,” she said. “It helps to create healthier waterways, protecting the resource we swim in and fish from.”

Watson encouraged everyone to do their part to help keep shorelines debris-free.

“Consider bringing a bag or bucket next time you go for a walk on the beach or head out on a kayak or fishing trip, to collect trash you find,” she said. “Even the smallest actions can add up to a huge impact.”

To find a cleanup near you, visit sdcoastkeeper.org. Cleanups are held from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturdays.

2013 Beach Cleanup Schedule

Del Mar Powerhouse Park Beach, March 9
Moonlight Beach Cleanup, March 16
Coronado Beach, March 23
Sunset Cliffs Beach, April 13
Moonlight Beach, April 20
Creek to Bay, April 27
Oceanside Harbor Beach, May 11
Moonlight Beach, May 18
Fiesta Island, May 25
Oceanside Pier, June 1
World Oceans Day – La Jolla Shores, June 8
Moonlight Beach, June 15
Pacific Beach Crystal Pier, June 22
Ocean Beach, July 5
Moonlight Beach, July 20
South Mission Beach, July 27
Oceanside Pier Cleanup, Aug. 3
Tamarack State Beach, Aug. 10
Moonlight Beach, Aug. 17
Pacific Beach Drive, Aug. 24
California Coastal Cleanup Day, Sept. 21
Moonlight Beach, Oct. 19
Cardiff State Beach, Nov. 9
Moonlight Beach, Nov. 16
Tijuana River Action Month, Nov. 16
Imperial Beach, Nov. 23

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