On Saturday morning, volunteers armed with buckets, trash bags and gloves will fan out across Sonoma County’s coastline, scouring beaches for litter as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day’s “Trashure Hunt.”
The annual event, now in its 44th year in Sonoma County, is coordinated locally by Coastwalk California and overseen statewide by the California Coastal Commission. Organizers say it has drawn thousands of volunteers over the decades, bringing communities together to protect marine life and connect with the environment.
“It’s not just cleaning up the beaches,” said Lindsey Pacela, Coastwalk’s director of communications. “It’s the bigger picture that really excites them, and I think that’s what makes volunteers come back year after year.”
Last year, volunteers collected 702 pounds of trash, everything from shipwreck fragments to a doormat, vape pens, hubcaps, car keys, a wallet and even a pair of shoes. Organizers say the data gathered is as important as the cleanup itself. In 2018, records of cigarette butts gathered at beaches helped propel Senate Bill 8, which restricted smoking on state beaches and parks. Since then, Pacela said, cigarette litter has dropped significantly.
Preparation for Saturday’s cleanup began months ago, with permits secured and site captains recruited to lead groups at eight Sonoma County beaches, including Bodega Dunes, Doran Beach, South Salmon Creek, Portuguese Beach, South Goat Rock and Schoolhouse Beach.
Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at their designated sites for a safety talk before receiving gloves and bags. Captains emphasize involving children, calling them “citizen scientists” and teaching them that every bottle or wrapper removed could mean saving an animal’s life.
Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at their designated sites for a safety talk before receiving gloves and bags. Captains emphasize involving children, calling them “citizen scientists” and teaching them that every bottle or wrapper removed could mean saving an animal’s life.