Photo courtesy of City of Long Beach.
Tens of thousands of Californians are expected to take part in the 33rd annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 16 throughout the state, including multiple spots in Long Beach.
The statewide event will take place at over 1,000 sites on beaches, bays, rivers, creeks, parks, roadsides and highways, according to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) which is the state agency that protects coastal resources and organizes the event.
“Trash in our environment and in our ocean can cause enormous harm, even death, to wildlife, and plastic fragments are known to travel up the food chain and potentially end up on our dinner plates,” said cleanup Director Eben Schwartz in a statement. “Coastal Cleanup Day is our opportunity to invite everyone in California, no matter where they may live, to help protect not just our communities and our environment, but all the animals—including us—that call it home.”
Organizers said that in 2016 almost 60,000 volunteers removed more than 700,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from 54 counties across the state.
Most cleanups will be taking place from 9:00AM to noon on Saturday. Click here to see the commission’s interactive map that provides exact locations and other site-specific information. You can also call (800) COAST-4U for more information.
In Long Beach, the El Dorado Nature Center is partnering with the CCC to coordinate five cleanup sites throughout the city. Joining them as site captains are the Aquarium of the Pacific, Seal Beach Yacht Club, Long Beach Marine Institute and Clean LB, according to city officials.
The following locations in Long Beach will be cleanup sites:
- Alamitos Bay Marina (255 North Marina Drive)
- Belmont Pier (lot at end of Termino Ave and Ocean)
- Cherry Beach (lot at end of Junipero Ave and Ocean)
- Peninsula (lot at 72nd Place and Ocean)
- Sea Scout Base (near Mother’s Beach, 5875 Appian Way)
To participate, just show up at one of the sites listed above and sign in. Staff will provide bags and gloves or you can bring an old bag, bucket and gloves. For more information about Coastal Cleanup Day in Long Beach click here or call city officials at (562) 570-4876.
The Belmont Pier cleanup site will also include a Paddle Out in memory of local environmental champion Robert Palmer.
The paddle out will be held at 11:30AM. Participants can bring surfboards, kayaks, paddleboards, canoes and boogie boards and are encouraged to bring leis or flowers (no plastic pieces or string!) “as an offering to the sea in Robert’s memory.”
The statewide cleanup day will also mark the beginning of COASTWEEKS, a three-week celebration of coastal resources nationwide.
In Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific will host the 13th annual Moompetam: Gathering of the Salt Water People Festival in conjunction with COASTWEEKS on Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17 from 9:00AM to 5:00PM.
The festival is a celebration of indigenous state maritime cultures, including Tongva, Chumash, Acjachemen, Costanoan, Luiseno and Kumeyaay.
“Moompetam, meaning People of the Ocean, is derived from the word for saltwater in the Tongva language,” aquarium officials stated. “For the local, coastal, and island indigenous people of Southern California, the ocean has always been a sacred entity. The maritime native peoples that inhabited ocean waters for thousands of years […] deeply respected the ocean. The ocean environment is reflected in all aspects of their cultures.”
The event will feature traditional music, dance, storytelling, cultural craft demonstrations and educational programs. Native American artists will present cultural materials such as basketry, items of adornment and artifacts of daily life, according to the aquarium.
Tickets for the event are $29.95 for those ages 12 and older, $26.95 for those ages 62 and older, and $17.95 for children ages 3 to 11. The aquarium is located at 100 Aquarium Way.
For more information on COASTWEEK events click here.