Help clean a beach on September 18

California Coastal Cleanup Day celebrates 20 years on Saturday, September 18.

The Coastal Commission’s web site has a list of beaches in San Mateo county where you can help clean up. I’m going to be at Montara State Beach, where the cleanup is sponsored by Montara Beach Coalition.

Each year, more than 40,000 volunteers turn out to over 400 cleanup sites statewide. Since the program started in 1985, over 552,000 Californians have removed almost 8.5 million pounds of debris from our state’s shorelines and coast.

Be sure to wear sunscreen, shoes, hat, and gloves. When you check in at the cleanup location, you will be given trash bags, pencils, and a special data card to tally the items you collect.

Data collection is important. Your data goes into the Ocean Conservancy’s international database, which is used to identify the sources of debris and to help devise solutions to the marine debris problem. Be sure to return trash, recyclables and your data card to the beach or site captain after the cleanup.