SAVE THE DATE
Coastal Cleanup Day 2022 is happening on September 17, 2022.
More details coming soon!
Here’s how to get involved:
- Sign up for our newsletter to find out when Coastal Cleanup Day registration opens in LA County
- Contact our Advancement team to become a sponsor
- Do a cleanup now by taking part in Adopt-A-Beach
- Scroll down to review last year’s event recap below
RECAP FROM 2021
We reflect on the success of Coastal Cleanup Month 2021; where we embarked on Healing Our Watersheds across Los Angeles County throughout the month of September. We are all connected through our watersheds and together we can help them heal. This was our biggest cleanup of the year, and we appreciate everyone who came out and made a giant impact in LA by participating.
4,708 of our dedicated volunteers removed over 30,000 pieces of trash from our neighborhoods, parks, trails, and beaches this year. Together we’ve tracked more than 4 million pieces of trash picked up by volunteers at LA County beaches to date, and this informs and influences public policy and business practices.
Read an in-depth recap of Coastal Cleanup Month over at our blog, and take a look through our photo album to see all of the trashiest finds from cleanups this year.
Coastal Cleanup Month ’21 Recap Blog
1. Coastal Cleanup Day Success
On Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 we had 2,735 volunteers join us at 35 beach, river, and inland sites across Los Angeles County for Heal the Bay’s 32nd Annual Coastal Cleanup Day. From 9 am til Noon, our volunteers covered 50+ miles of area on land and underwater, removing 5,051 pounds of trash and 156 pounds of recyclables.
It would not be Coastal Cleanup Day without a list of weird trash finds. Here are a few of our favorites from Coastal Cleanup Day 2021:
- Social Security Card (Santa Monica Beach – North)
- Student LAUSD Bus Pass from 2012 (Toes Beach)
- Fake $50 Bill and Pearl earring (Mother’s Beach)
- Barbie Doll head found in a tide pool (Surfrider Beach)
- Bike wheel and pineapple (Ballona Wetlands)
If you participated, don’t forget to share your trashy photos and videos with us at #CoastalCleanupDay as we reflect on such an impactful day.
Thank you for taking part and protecting what you love!
2. Crushing the Self-Guided Cleanups
973 self-guided cleanups took place all month long and were an essential part of Coastal Cleanup Month. We’re sending big waves of thanks to our 1,973 cleanup volunteers who took part across their community–trails, neighborhoods, waterways and beaches–to protect what they love.
3. Virtual Advocacy Events
Heal the Bay’s Coastal Cleanup Month virtual events took participants on a journey through local watersheds and explored how to advocate for the places we love. Each week of September, we highlighted unique watershed regions – beginning at the top of our mountains, working through neighborhoods and waterways, and culminating at wetlands and beaches. Our virtual events featured experts, scientists, and partners who work to protect clean water in Los Angeles County.
Check out these newly signed Environmental Laws
Share the Love
Thank you for tagging your cleanup, donation, and advocacy with #CoastalCleanupMonth so we were able to re-post all your good work… and weird trash finds.
A big wave of thanks to our 2021 event sponsors and partners!
Portland Potato Vodka, Ocean Conservancy, California Coastal Commission, Water for LA, City of Santa Monica, TIME TO ACT Entertainment
And, thank you to illustrator Kelsey Davenport who designed Heal the Bay’s Coastal Cleanup 2021 Poster and a special thanks to Steve Nguyen for collaborating on an animated video honoring cleanup volunteers in Los Angeles County.