With the help of tens of thousands of citizen volunteers, Heal the Bay will attack trash on Los Angeles County Beaches and inland waterways as part of its 21st annual Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, Sept. 25.
The Southland troops will mobilize from 9 a.m. to noon at more than 60 cleanup sites from Compton to Malibu. Volunteers will canvass beaches, parks, creeks, lakes, highways and alleys to remove ocean-bound trash. Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers have collected more than 1 million pounds of trash in Los Angeles County since 1990’s inaugural event.
Linking with similar rehabilitation efforts around the globe, Coastal Cleanup Day is the world’s biggest single-day volunteer event. Attendees will receive hands-on education about steps that can be taken throughout the year to keep local watersheds clean and build community pride.
Five “Code Red” locations in need of special attention this year are Dominguez Channel, Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park, Los Angeles River and Encino’s Haskell Creek. These urban sites drain runoff and are rife with such litter as plastic bags and fast-food packaging.
Some 61 sites have been confirmed this year, including 25 inland locations. There will be SCUBA dive sites in Santa Monica, Redondo Beach and Leo Carrillo (Poncho, to the Cisco Kid) state beach, and a kayak effort in Marina Del Rey. A Google map of all cleanup sites can be found at http://www.healthebay.org/ccd Â
Coastal Cleanup Day sponsor Subaru will host special test drive and sweepstakes events throughout the county to benefit Heal the Bay and raise awareness about the cleanup. Among other community-building activities planned: Give Back to the Beach, a food truck festival, the LA Craft Beer Crawl curated by food critic Jonathan Gold, as well as a sunrise yoga session and three electronic waste drop-off/recycling collections. For event times and locations, visit http://www.healthebay.org/ccd/whatsnew.
 “The ocean needs us now more than ever and we all have a duty to protect it,” said Eveline Bravo, beach programs manager for Heal the Bay, which organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in Los Angeles County. “A single day of concerted action and education can make a world of difference.”
This year’s sponsors include Union Bank of California, the Grousbeck Foundation, KTLA5, the City of Santa Monica, Neutrogena, ClifBar and Subaru.
For registration information and cleanup tips, please visit www.healthebay.org/ccd or call Matthew King, Heal the Bay, (310) 451-1500 ext. 137. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bucket or reusable bag and gloves this year to collect debris. ER
