Coastal Cleanup Day returns to Santa Barbara County on Saturday, September 20th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at 30+ sites from Rincon to Jalama. New sites for 2025 include Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Elings Park, Ellwood Beach and Bluffs, Isla Vista Streets, More Mesa, Painted Cave, and San Pedro and Las Vegas Creeks.
For forty-one years, Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) has inspired citizens around the globe to take action for a healthier, cleaner environment. Since the event’s launch, 1.8 million volunteers have helped remove more than 27 million pounds of trash from California’s beaches and inland shorelines.
How can community members volunteer to clean up their favorite beach, creek, or park? It’s easy! Pre-register on EventBrite and be entered in a drawing to win prizes from local businesses dedicated to clean beaches and waterways.
This year, the CA Coastal Commission is sponsoring a “Trashure Hunt” where mini treasure chests are hidden at select sites throughout the state. Prizes include tickets to theme and amusement parks, gift cards, and hotel stays. The Santa Barbara County prize, which will be hidden at an unnamed Coastal Cleanup Day site, is a two-night stay at the Cuyama Buckhorn Resort!
Explore Ecology extends a special thank you to our volunteer Site Captains who are the heart of Coastal Cleanup Day. They hand out supplies, guide volunteers, and record cleanup data that helps shape environmental policy. Bodhi Crawford (9) and Pyp Pratt (17), both Environmental Stewardship Award winners, are Site Captains this year, proving that people of all ages can make a difference.
“Our team is grateful for everything this community gives us and Coastal Cleanup Day is one small way we can give back. We love being part of something that brings people together for a shared purpose!” said new Site Captain Mia McAdams.
In Santa Barbara County, Coastal Cleanup Day is organized by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management, with support from the Cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang. Statewide, CCD is managed by the California Coastal Commission.
“You might think one cleanup doesn’t make much of a difference, but when you add up the numbers, the impact is huge. Last year in Santa Barbara County alone, 1,059 volunteers covered 87 miles and removed 5,299 pounds of debris. We hope to beat those numbers this year!” said Lindsay Johnson, Executive Director of Explore Ecology.
Becoming part of the solution to ocean pollution is easier than ever on Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, September 20th from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Community members are invited to get outside, enjoy nature, protect wildlife, fight ocean pollution, and have fun participating in the largest cleanup event of the year!
Timely… First thing this morning going thru my emails, spent the extra effort to sign up for “East Beach – Chase…”, even getting the conformation email from EventBrite (that was probably the hardest part 🤡).
Next weekend I hope to be actually going “Outside”!
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I only put in about 2 1/2 hours; starting around 9:09 am PST… First bucket filled ending with a hypodermic needle, so went back to empty as I couldn’t recall what she’d said about dealing with those. I wanted to give a shout out to the two dudes in the red kayak picking up stuff in the slough (?); then pointing out items that were on the water edge, thanks. Nice set of MTB handlebars hoping they get donated to Bici; cig. butts galore; & they let me keep the Nickle I found… (East Beach)
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