ORANGE COUNTY – On Sept. 17, thousands of Orange County residents will head to sites across the county to participate in Coastal Cleanup Day, a statewide event in conjunction with the world’s largest trash pickup. Registration is now open for all 47-cleanup sites in Orange County.
Organized by Orange County Coastkeeper and Trails4All, there are various cleanup sites where beach-goers can lend a hand ridding local harbors, waterways and beaches of trash.
At press time, cleanup sites included Seal Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach, Santa Ana River, Upper Newport Bay, Crystal Cove State Beach, and Dana Point Harbor. For a complete list, visit coastkeeper.org/ccd.
According to Orange County Coastkeeper, beach cleanups stand as a last line of defense to prevent this debris from polluting the ocean and its wildlife. Orange County’s cleanup sites are included in California Coastal Cleanup Day, which encourages volunteers to leave the Golden State’s beaches sparkling. This statewide event is part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, the largest volunteer event on the planet.
Last year, nearly 7,000 Orange County volunteers collected more than 42,000 pounds of trash and recyclable materials during the event. For this year’s cleanup, the Ocean Conservancy launched an app called Clean Swell that volunteers will use to collect data on the types and amount of trash picked up at each site.
After three-hours of picking up trash, volunteers can celebrate their work at the post-cleanup celebration at Huntington State Beach organized by Orange County Coastkeeper and California State Parks. The event will feature educational games and activities, sponsor booths, prizes and food trucks.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to Coastkeeper, Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beaches to support environmental education efforts.
Attendance is free and supplies will be provided. Volunteers are advised to bring their own cleanup supplies including a bucket or reusable bag, gloves and reusable water bottle. To register for Coastal Cleanup Day, visit coastkeeper.org/ccd. For more information, contact Julia Williams at [email protected].
