Volunteers needed to clean up the beach





The 18th annual Coastal Cleanup Day sponsored by the California Coastal Commission will run from 9 a.m. to noon Sat. Sept. 21 as volunteers young and old participate in a statewide beach cleanup.


The goal of the event is to encourage Californians to clean their local beaches, shorelines and inland waterways while raising awareness about the connection between inland neighborhood non-point source pollution and the ocean.


Each year thousands of tons of garbage end up on the beaches and in the ocean off the California coastline.


Last year, more than 37,000 volunteers cleaned up 400 beaches and waterways, collecting more than 680,000 lbs. of trash and debris.


Trash that enters the ocean may endanger wildlife through entanglement or ingestion.


Among the huge amount of trash collected were 107,922 lbs. of recyclables.


Coastal Cleanup Day activities occur at beaches, creeks, lakes and shorelines throughout the state. Cleanups are organized in every coastal county and in many inland regions as well.


Locally, volunteers will work to remove trash and debris from Malibu Creek and restore native habitat at Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas.


Heal the Bay, a nonprofit environmental group dedicated to making Santa Monica Bay and Southern California coastal waters safe and healthy for people and marine life, is the L.A. County coordinator for the event, working in conjunction with the California Coastal Commission and the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors.


Volunteers will be at work at more than 50 locations throughout L.A. County, including beaches, rivers and streams.


To find the local coordinator for Coastal Cleanup Day, please call (800) COAST-4U or visit the Website www.coastforyou.org.



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