As Earth Month winds down, volunteers from I Love a Clean San Diego (ILACSD) are rolling up their sleeves for its 4th annual Creek to Bay Cleanup. If history repeats itself, volunteers for this year’s event will remove nearly 50 tons of garbage from the county’s beaches and waterways on Saturday, April 29.
Sarah Leone, ILCSD volunteer and events coordinator, said that nearly 7,000 volunteers participated in the past three annual cleanups, removing a total of more than 300,000 pounds of trash and recyclables.
The three-hour event includes both coastal and inland areas because much of ocean and bay pollution comes from urban and residential areas.
“The entire watershed is connected,” Leone said. “This is one of the key messages we’re trying to get across.”
Leone said coastal pollution and debris in the ocean and bay are directly related to inland pollution and litter. The Creek to Bay Cleanup event allows San Diegans to help remove some of that debris before it ends up in the county’s waterways.
Several Pacific Beach organizations are involved with this year’s cleanup event, including Friends of Rose Creek and Surfrider Foundation.
“It’s a constant battle,” said Karin Zirk of Friends of Rose Creek “We had our last cleanup in September, when we filled three dumpsters with trash and one van-load with recyclables.”
Zirk said in previous cleanups, discarded items as diverse as surfboards, bottles, cans, wicker chairs, a window frame, pieces of plastic and paper, and dirty diapers have been found. Additionally, electronic dumping is an ongoing problem, depositing toxic materials into the watershed.
“The most important thing for volunteers is that you don’t need to know anything to help,” Zirk said. “Just show up and we’ll put you to work.”
Volunteers at the Friends of Rose Creek site can choose one of several options: trash pickup, water trash pickup, invasive plant removal, or working in the native plant garden.
Surfers have always promoted clean water and beaches and have participated in the cleanup since its inception.
“This event ties directly into our mission of keeping the beach and water clean,” said Bill Hickman, chapter coordinator, San Diego County Surfrider Foundation.
Surfrider is so dedicated to that mission that they hold two beach cleanups of their own each month.
Hickman said cigarette butts are the No. 1 item found in beach cleanups, although there is also a lot of styrofoam and plastic as well.
And the strangest thing ever found?
“Probably an ATM machine found at Mission Beach during a regular cleanup,” Hickman said.
Volunteers don not have to be Surfrider members to help out with the cleanup.
“Bring your family and friends,” Hickman said.
Surfriders volunteers will meet at Tourmaline Surf Park at 9 a.m.
Other area cleanup options include: Discover PB on Garnet Avenue; Belmont Park, meeting at the south side of the coaster; South Shores, meeting at South Shores boat launch by the restrooms; and Tecolote Creek, meeting at the first parking area just past the creek. More details, including maps and contact information can be found on the Web site. All cleanups are from 9 a.m. to noon.
“Look at our Web site and find which locations are not already packed with volunteers,” Leone said. “That way you can go where you’re needed more.”
Gloves, water and bags are provided for volunteers. The first 50 volunteers to show up at each site also get a T-shirt.
For their own protection, volunteers are asked to wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes, long pants, long-sleeved shirts and sunscreen. A hat might also be a good idea.
For a list of the 40 cleanup locations and to register as a volunteer, visit www.creektobay.org. Registration is not required but does help event organizers plan for the appropriate amount of supplies.
Volunteers must also sign a waiver, which can be downloaded from the ILACSD Website. Waivers can be presented the day of the cleanup, and a parent or guardian must sign the waiver for volunteers under 18.