Saturday, September 20, 2008

9 AM to Noon

California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. In 2007, more than 60,000 volunteers worked together to collect more than 900,000 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 12 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 2008, that day falls on September 20. 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 (which will be placed on the county contact pages as they become available). For more information, contact us at (800) COAST-4U or coast4u@coastal.ca.gov. Join us on Saturday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to Noon for the 24th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Be part of the solution to marine pollution! Can't make it to Coastal Cleanup Day? Or, want to keep enjoying our coastal resources after the cleanup is done? Then you should check out our Coastweeks Calendar! Coastweeks takes place in the three weeks following Coastal Cleanup Day. You can participate in nature walks, restoration efforts, workshops, and more! Just visit our Coastweeks page to find an event that's right for you. *Visit us on MySpace. *Read the 2007 California Coastal Cleanup Day Report *View the powerful video, Our Synthetic Sea, which explores the problem of plastic ocean debris and helps explain some of the reasons why Coastal Cleanup Day is so important. *Find beaches with beach wheelchairs available free to the public! *Want to do more? Take the Coastal Stewardship Pledge! The California Coastal Commission partners with Earth 911 to bring you information about Coastal Cleanup Day and other environmental programs in your community. Visit www.earth911.org for more information.