Revitalizing Beaches and Inland Areas: Coastal Cleanup Day Makes a Lasting Impact – Orange County Register

Tens of thousands of volunteers from Southern California and beyond flocked to participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday. This annual event, now in its 39th year, is the largest volunteer initiative in the state. The goal? To tidy up the shorelines, parks, creeks, lakes, and waterways before the winter season hits.

Orange County alone hosted over 40 cleanups on Saturday. With a typical turnout of 2,500 volunteers each year, this county alone manages to collect and dispose of up to 10,000 pounds of trash in a mere 24 hours.

Huntington State Beach was one of the main attractions on Saturday. The event was organized by Orange County Coastkeeper and hundreds of beachgoers spent the morning removing garbage and debris from the sand. Nearby channels and creeks, as far inland as Brea, La Habra, Silverado, and Trabuco Canyon, also saw cleanup activities. After all, coastal pollution often travels from far inland to the shorelines.

Timing is crucial as these cleanups take place just before winter storms hit. The objective is to capture and dispose of the trash before it is carried away by the ocean, causing harm to wildlife and the marine environment.

Aside from the cleanup efforts, the gatherings also provided educational opportunities to raise public awareness about marine and coastal resources. The aim is to promote coastal stewardship throughout the state.

For over three decades, this event has garnered the support of more than 1.7 million volunteers, resulting in the removal of over 26 million pounds of trash from California’s beaches and inland shorelines. In fact, it is part of a larger, worldwide initiative known as the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy.