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SANTA MONICA (CNS) - Online volunteer registration is set to begin next week for Heal the Bay's 32nd Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual effort to collect trash and debris from Southland beaches and neighborhoods.
Heal the Bay will hold the event at 9 a.m. Sept. 18 at Santa Monica Beach, north of the Santa Monica Pier, with dozens of other clean-up locations planned in the county. A registration portal is expected to be available beginning at 10 a.m. Sept. 1.
“From wildfires to waste, clean water is so important for us to sustain in L.A. to protect the places and people we love and to fight against the increasingly severe impacts of climate change,'' according to a statement from Heal the Bay.
Coastal Cleanup Day is Heal the Bay's highlight of the worldwide Coastal Cleanup Month, which is co-sponsored by Portland Potato Vodka and Ocean Conservancy. Coastal Cleanup Month is an effort to mobilize residents to pick up harmful and unsightly trash and debris while enjoying the outdoors.
In 2020, Heal the Bay volunteers removed more than 40,000 pieces of trash from neighborhoods, parks, trails and beaches. PPE was among the top 10 types of trash recovered.
Heal The Bay will also virtual events throughout the month about “Healing Our Watersheds.'' Information on all events can be found atwww.healthebay.org/coastalcleanupmonth.
Volunteers can record their trash totals on the Clean Swell app, or through Heal the Bay's data card. Data gathered during Coastal Cleanup Month will educate and inform policymakers, sanitation and waste managers, and communities about sources of waste in the environment.
All participants are asked to wear a mask, use gloves and to abstain if not in good health. Spots will be limited at cleanup sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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