San Diego Coastkeeper
How You Can Help
Beach Cleanups
Overview
San Diego Coastkeeper’s Beach Cleanup Program is sponsored by Ford Motor Company Fund.
Twice each month, San Diego Coastkeeper partners with the Surfrider Foundation to coordinate two hour beach cleanups with volunteers at designated sites throughout San Diego County. Every month, new volunteers join a dedicated group of regular beach cleanup volunteers to remove marine debris from our precious coastline from Imperial Beach to the Oceanside Pier. The second Saturday of each month, we organize North County cleanups, while we focus on South County beaches on the fourth Saturday of the month.
For all beach cleanups, please wear comfortable clothes, closed toed shoes and sunscreen. Coastkeeper will provide bags, gloves and water. Each person must fill out a liability waiver before participating, if you are under 18 you MUST have a parent or guardian sign the waiver. You may download the waiver here and bring it to the cleanup filled out or fill one out at the beginning of the cleanup. To participate in the cleanup just show up at the location of your choice at 9am and check in at the registration table. To find out date, location and meeting place of our cleanups please check the schedule. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLEANUP UNLESS YOU HAVE A GROUP LARGER THAN 25 VOLUNTEERS. To register your group send an email to Alicia Glassco.
Coastkeeper encourages all volunteers to bring reusable work gloves and reusable buckets or bags to pick up trash. This will save us from creating more waste at the cleanups.
2010 Beach Cleanup Calendar
Please join us in keeping the coast clear!
Download Liability Waiver (PDF)
Marine Debris Data Collection
Starting January 2007, Coastkeeper and Surfrider began data collection on the different types of marine debris found on the beach during our twice-monthly cleanups. We provide the volunteers with a data card, which they use to keep a tally of all the debris they remove while participating in the cleanup. The purpose of these new cards is to quantify the data at the end of the year and use the information to track trends, educate and inform the public and local businesses about ways they can prevent pollution and to advocate for policy change. It is our hope that the findings from the data cards will lead to behavioral changes in the household and businesses.
After two year’s worth of collecting marine debris data at cleanups, it is our finding that plastics or items made of plastic continue to be the dominant types of debris found littering San Diego County beaches. In 2008, Coastkeeper engage 12,209 volunteers to remove more than 185,000 pounds of trash at monthly cleanups and other cleanup events such as Coastal Cleanup Day, Creek to Bay and Morning after Mess. During the monthly cleanups in partnership with Surfrider Foundation, 93,968 pieces of plastic and items made of plastic or Styrofoam were collected at 20 cleanups countywide. This marine debris not only trashes San Diego’s beautiful beaches but has a negative impact on the Pacific Ocean.
2008 San Diego Beach Cleanup Data Collected
Download 2007 Data Presentation to Natural Resources and Culture Committee PowerPoint presentation
2007 San Diego Beach Cleanup Data Collected
Beach Cleanup In A Box Program
If you really want to help keep San Diego beaches clean but just simply can’t make it to our twice-monthly cleanups this program is for you! The Beach Cleanup In A Box program was created to provide the tools so that any resident or community organization in San Diego can hold their own beach cleanup. Through this program we will provide a Do-It-Yourself Manual, which provides all the instructions needed to host a cleanup, and a Beach Cleanup in a Box kit. The kit comes with everything needed to host a cleanup.
If you are interested in hosting your own cleanup please contact Alicia Glassco.
Download Beach Cleanup In A Box Do-It-Yourself Manual
Corporate Cleanup Program
In addition to inviting corporate partners to join us at our monthly cleanups or Coastal Cleanup Day, Coastkeeper hosts special corporate cleanups throughout the year. Corporate beach cleanups are a great way to involve your employees in an important environmental hands-on program which teaches people about pollution while they remove debris from the beaches. In addition, involvement in a beach cleanup will enhance the image of your company as a positive contributor to the community and local environment.
To find out more about corporate beach cleanup opportunities click here.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
Save the date for the 25th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, hosted by San Diego Coastkeeper and their partners I Love A Clean San Diego and California Coastal Commission. CCD takes place the third Saturday every September and is the largest volunteer event in support of the oceans in the world. To find out more about Coastal Cleanup Day click here.
More information
Along with cleaning our beaches, please click here to find out more about how you can be part of the solution of reducing marine debris and its harmful affects on our ocean
Watch the “Pick it up” video to see how marine debris is plaguing our beaches and ocean.