Your school, class or civic group can be a part of the solution to ocean pollution. Adopt a Beach today!

The Adopt-A-Beach Program, an educational project of the California Coastal Commission, gives people of all ages the opportunity to learn about and participate in the conservation of our coastal resources. Heal the Bay facilitates the Adopt-A-Beach program in Los Angeles county by providing all the cleanup supplies (trash bags, recycle bags, data cards, pencils, and gloves) for volunteers to carry out the beach cleanups.

By cleaning the beach, participants will see how trash on our streets ends up in the ocean. In addition, data that is collected during the cleanup and entered into our Marine Debris Database can be used to identify ways to stop beach pollution.

How the Program Works

Adopting a beach is simple, only takes a few hours and is very flexible. “Adopters” commit to cleaning the beach of their choice in L.A. County three times a year. All the details (location, date, time, etc.) of your cleanup are left up to you. We only require 3 weeks notice to be able to accommodate a request. To apply, please follow the instructions in our Adoption Packet (PDF:542kb).

Once a location has been selected, it's time to clean the beach! Heal the Bay provides all the cleanup supplies (trash bags, recycle bags, data cards, pencils, and gloves) for volunteers to carry out the beach cleanups. In addition, a free educational presentation by a volunteer member of Heal the Bay’s Speakers Bureau can be part of your first cleanup for any group of 20 or more. The speaker explains stormwater pollution issues, how to run a safe cleanup, and the importance of recording each item that is picked up on the data cards.

For complete information about the program, please review the Adoption Information Packet (PDF:680kb).

Curriculum for Teachers

Upon request, Heal the Bay can provide the request form for the California Coastal Commission's "Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds" curriculum to be mailed to teachers as a complement to the adoption activity. This K-12 curriculum is designed to encourage students to think about the complexity of ocean-based environmental problems such as marine debris and water contamination. Each lesson includes recommended grade levels, background information for instructors and hands-on activities.