Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup

The Santa Monica-based environmental group Heal the Bay is seeking volunteers to help clean beaches and parks during the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 17.

Volunteers of all ages and physical abilities are welcome; no experience is necessary.

People can volunteer at one of the 60 coastal and inland sites throughout Los Angeles County to remove cigarette butts, cans, bottles, plastic bags and any other debris that eventually ends up on the beaches and in the ocean.

The Los Angeles River, which runs through Encino, is considered a “Code Red” location this year, in need of special attention. There will be a cleanup site at Lake Balboa Park, 6300 Balboa Blvd., from 9 a.m. to noon.

“These urban sites drain runoff from huge swaths of Los Angeles County and are overwhelmed by such litter as plastic bags and fast-food packaging,” according to a press release from Heal the Bay.

Last year, more than 14,000 Los Angeles County volunteers picked up more than 137,000 pounds of trash during Coastal Cleanup Day, according to Heal the Bay. The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized the day as the world’s biggest 24-hour volunteer event.

Heal the Bay asks volunteers to bring their own bags or buckets to collect trash, as well as gloves and a water bottle.

“I love a clean street, noticing there’s no trash in the gutters or in the mouths of the catch basins, and I know my neighbors do too,” said Eveline Bravo, manager of Heal the Bay’s beach and Coastal Cleanup programs, in a press release. “On Coastal Cleanup Day everyone in Los Angeles gets a chance to clear their streets and neighborhoods of debris. Plus, it feels good knowing that whatever people pick up that day won’t end up in the ocean.”

An online map of all cleanup sites can be found here. To sign up, go to healthebayccd.eventbrite.com/