Independence Day alone dumps about 4,000 pounds of trash on San Diego beaches each year. Whale sightings San Diego are becoming less common because of it. Whether you live in the area or you’re planning a visit, why not take some time to give back to the community by participating in one of these beach clean-ups?
I Love a Clean San Diego
I Love a Clean San Diego is a volunteer organization that hosts weekly cleanups throughout the year. The public is always welcome. Most events are on Saturday mornings with rotating locations. However, if you want to help and don’t have a Saturday morning free, other Cleanup days, fundraising parties, and related events do happen from time to time.
Surfrider Foundation of San Diego County
The Surfrider Foundation of San Diego County is another excellent organization to connect with if you’d like to join a well-established beach cleanup party. The foundation has removed nearly 35,000 pounds of trash and hosted almost 300 cleanup days since 2017. Multiple cleanups and fundraising events are hosted each week, and if you live in the area, you can apply to become one of the group’s core volunteers. Join a party hosted around the best time for whale watching in San Diego and you might even get an extra surprise while you scan the shoreline!
San Diego Coastkeeper
Yet another organization to help you get started is San Diego Coastkeeper. While some of its beach cleanup days are in collaborating with Surfrider, many of them are independent, making it that much easier to find something that fits your schedule.
Private Cleanup Events
Are you traveling into town for a school or work event, or do you live in San Diego and work with a particular organization? Your group can host its own private beach cleanup. Hosting this type of event not only helps the ocean but helps your group as well. Cleaning up the environment together is a great team-building activities for co-workers and classmates alike because it gives people a a sense of pride when they are doing something for the community. In addition, businesses that work to give back to the community are often considered more favorable in the eyes of consumers.
Have a Cleanup Party of One
Sure, hosting a cleanup party with a group of your family members or best friends can be fun, but perhaps you have a free day of your own. If you are dedicated to cleaning up the environment solo, you can purchase a cleanup kit in a box. These do-it-yourself options are perfect for individuals or small groups of people and include everything you need to make your beaches more beautiful.
When performing beach cleanup, remember to dress accordingly. You never know what debris you’ll come across, so wear socks and sneakers, and don’t forget the sunscreen. After spending hours making the beach a better place for people in the community as well as the wildlife in the area, you deserve to relax. Consider kicking back on a San Diego harbor tour to view your handiwork from the water and maybe even catch a glimpse of one of those whales!
