Every Piece of Trash You Remove Reveals Something Beautiful on Coastal Cleanup Day!

On Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012 tens of thousands of Southern Californians headed to their local beaches and inland waterways on a mission to clear the sand and water of harmful and unsightly pollution. Despite scorching temperatures, Southlanders showed up in droves to pick up nearly 20 tons of ocean-bound debris as part of Heal the Bay’s 23^rd annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

2012 Wrap-up

• Download the 2012 Coastal Cleanup Day Wrap-up Book (PDF)

Congratulations on being part of the BIGGEST volunteer day on the planet!

From Agoura Hills to Wilmington, 9,323 Angelenos worked together to protect what they love, scouring local beaches, inland waterways, regional parks and urban neighborhoods.

Heal the Bay’s efforts spanned 58 sites and 56 miles, mobilizing volunteers from local corporations, service groups, faith-based organizations, school clubs and youth sports teams who worked in tandem to gather and remove 38,598 pounds of debris. Cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, snack-food packaging, plastic bags and Styrofoam fragments were among the most frequently found items at cleanups.

Among the unusual objects found at the September 15 cleanups: a dead rooster with its head cut off, likely a remnant of a voodoo or Santeria ritual (Santa Monica Beach); a dead cat found in a bag (Ken Malloy Harbor Regional Park); a rifle barrel, later confiscated by police (Torrance Beach). And in the “Only in L.A.” file: a tattered headshot of an aspiring actor found by divers on the sea bottom near the Santa Monica Pier.

Read our news release for more details.

Questions?

Please contact Cara Young with any questions regarding Coastal Cleanup Day in Los Angeles County.

For other California locations, please contact the California Coastal Commission: 800-COAST4U

Can’t make Coastal Cleanup Day? Just $20 can help run a cleanup site in your neighborhood.