Coastal Cleanup Day cleans out the Arroyo Simi Greenway in Simi Valley
When thousands of volunteers spread out along beaches and inland waterways on 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 20, they will make a visible difference. Cigarette butts, food wrappers, bottle caps and other litter will disappear from the shorelines, reducing hazards to wildlife and making recreation areas more pleasant.
Yet as much as the cleanup helps, it lasts only a day. The larger impact of California Coastal Cleanup Day is how it educates, motivates and builds community for year-round environmental stewardship.
Locally, the Countywide Stormwater Quality Management Program -- made up of the Ventura County Watershed Protection District, the County, and all 10 cities -- sponsors sites to help meet state mandates. Their support for the cleanup helps satisfy conditions of a state permit for stormwater systems, which require public education as part of a broader strategy to keep trash out of rivers and oceans, according to David Laak, stormwater resources manager with Ventura County Public Works.
The event also yields valuable data that can inform legislation and regulatory efforts.That legislative connection will be visible at Ormond Lagoon in Oxnard, where Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, is co-hosting a site with Coastal Keepers and Oxnard City Corps.
Volunteers there will not only pick up trash but also hear updates about environmental bills. The Ormond Lagoon cleanup begins at 8:45 a.m. at the end of Perkins Road, south of McWane Boulevard. Like other sites, it requires a waiver, recommends sturdy shoes and encourages volunteers to bring reusable gloves, hats, water bottles and sunscreen.
The educational and motivational aspects are complemented this year by an added element of fun: a statewide "trashure hunt." Organizers are calling it the world's largest scavenger hunt.
Specially marked items will be hidden at cleanup sites across California, and those who find them can redeem their discoveries for prizes. Rewards range from practical to luxurious: a VinFast Drgnfly e-bike, a $1,000 cash prize from Wells Fargo Advisors, an inflatable kayak, Habit Burger and DoorDash gift cards, California Coastal Cleanup Day Klean Kanteen bottles and more.
Big-ticket items include a two-night stay at the Fairmont San Francisco, another at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa with dinner for two, and a rafting trip in Browns Canyon. Sports fans could score tickets to an Oakland Athletic's or San Francisco Giants game, and one lucky winner will even throw out the first pitch for the A's.
Prizes aside, the event emphasizes best practices for cleanup volunteers. Official sites usually provide bags, gloves and data cards, but experienced participants often bring reusable garden gloves, buckets instead of bags and even their own litter-grabber sticks.
Many now use the Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app, which simplifies data collection and feeds results into a global database shared with scientists and policymakers. That app can also be used year-round, enabling anyone to log solo cleanups at any time.
While one-day events may inspire the most visibility, reducing trash is also about infrastructure. Local jurisdictions in Ventura County are working toward compliance with the State Water Board's 2015 Trash Amendments, which require full capture devices in storm drains by 2030. These devices intercept trash before it reaches rivers or oceans.
Still, results from Coastal Cleanup Day suggest beach litter often comes directly from beachgoers, since the most common items collected over the past 35 years are related to food, beverages and smoking.
Last year, 1,162 Ventura County volunteers collected 12,725 pounds of trash and recyclables. Statewide, 28,751 cleanup participants registered. The 41st anniversary of Coastal Cleanup Day offers a chance to build on that momentum -- not just for one morning but throughout the year.
For site maps, waivers and other resources, visit www.vccoastcleanup.org, www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html, or www.oceanconservancy.org.
David Goldstein, environmental resource analyst with the Ventura County Public Works Agency, may be reached at 805- 658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org.