Volunteers needed for second biggest cleanup of year
SANTA CRUZ – Save Our Shores (SOS), the leader in ocean awareness, advocacy and action on the Central Coast, invites all who care about our beaches to celebrate responsibly this Independence Day and participate in its annual Pollution Prevention is Patriotic outreach event on July 4 and the Star Spangled Beach Cleanup on July 5.
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and its inhabitants need the community’s help to prevent trash on the beach from entering the water. Pollution harms marine life, creates an eyesore, and can pose problems on the shore for locals and visitors alike. Fireworks, in particular, are often made with plastic and contain dangerous toxins.
“As July 4 falls on a Friday, we are anticipating some of the largest crowds we have seen on the beach,” said Rachel Kippen, SOS Program Manager. “In 2013, our volunteers prevented nearly 1,500 pounds of pollution from entering the bay. This year, we are hoping that visitors will pack their picnics with minimal packaging and take their waste with them off of the beach so that we don’t have to clean up as much.”
While SOS has been working with the City and County of Santa Cruz, GreenWaste and California State Parks to increase the number of dumpsters on the beach during the holiday, all are encouraged to bring waste home, when possible, so that the trash cans do not overflow.
Locals and visitors should also note that the Santa Cruz City Council approved a citywide safety enhancement designation for the holiday which includes tripling the fees for violations of the city’s municipal code, such as littering. Enforcement will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 4 and continue through Sunday, July 6. With additional court costs, fines can range from $200-700.
“From our public safety personnel patrolling neighborhoods, to the staff at Save Our Shores walking the beaches to help with trash control, it truly is a collaborative effort to ensure the holiday is a success,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Lynn Robinson.
Pollution Prevention is Patriotic: Friday, July 4
Save Our Shores needs volunteers to hand out bags, spread the pollution prevention message, and remind beachgoers to take care of their trash and recyclables. Outreach efforts will take place from 12-4 p.m. at 4 Mile Beach, Cowell and Main Beach, Seabright State Beach, Twin Lakes State Beach, Seacliff/Rio Del Mar beaches, Del Monte Beach and Carmel City Beach.
Star Spangled Beach Cleanup: Saturday, July 5
During the second largest beach cleanup of the year, volunteers can help clean the following sites from 8-10 a.m.: Davenport Main Beach, 4 Mile Beach, Cowell and Main Beach, Twin Lakes State Beach, Seabright State Beach, Seacliff State Beach, Panther/Coast Dairies State Beach, Sunny Cove, Hidden Beach, Moran Lake Beach, Beer Can Beach, Its Beach, Del Monte Beach, Sand City Beach and Carmel City Beach.
Pre-register online at: saveourshores.org/volunteer/july-4th-and-5th
For more information, contact Rachel Kippen, Program Manager at Save Our Shores at (808) 721-1136 or [email protected].
ABOUT SAVE OUR SHORES:
Save Our Shores is the Central Coast leader in caring for the marine environment through ocean awareness, advocacy and citizen action. Our core initiatives are Clean Boating, Marine Debris and Ocean Awareness. Over the last 30 years SOS has been locally responsible for key accomplishments such as helping to establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, preventing offshore oil drilling and cruise ship pollution and bringing together diverse stakeholders to find common solutions to ocean issues. Today we focus on educating youth about our local watersheds, tackling marine debris on our beaches and rivers, supporting habitat conservation efforts, implementing our nationally renowned DockWalker program and providing our community with educated and inspired Sanctuary Stewards! For more information about Save Our Shores, visitwww.saveourshores.org or call at (831) 462-5660