August 2022. Coastal Cleanup Day is an annual community volunteering event dedicated to removing trash and plastic pollution from beaches, inland waterways, parks, and other open spaces throughout the state. This September, Coastal Cleanup Day returns and there are two ways volunteers can participate:

Saturday, September 17, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Volunteer for a traditional single-day cleanup event. The City of Thousand is looking for volunteers to help collect litter along Arroyo Conejo Creek South and its tributaries. Volunteers should meet at Borchard Park picnic area C behind the tennis courts at 8:45 a.m. to receive collection supplies and instructions. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and bring their own water bottle (refills available), face mask (optional), and gloves (a limited supply of nitrile gloves will be available on-site). A hat and sunscreen are highly recommended. For alternative sites, volunteers can pick a location from the Ventura County Coastal Cleanup Day site list to volunteer. Pre-registration is not required; however, volunteers must complete a waiver to participate.

Self-guided Neighborhood Cleanups. Participate throughout the month of September by cleaning your neighborhoods, parks, and other local areas. Trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast so cleaning up neighborhood trash prevents it from reaching the ocean and harming marine life. Download the CleanSwell app (use it to track the litter you pick up and have it counted in state totals), and clean in your own time throughout September while out hiking, biking, or walking your neighborhood. Statewide more than 74,000 Californians participated in Coastal Cleanup day and neighborhood cleanup sites during September 2021, preventing over 800,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from entering our stormwater systems and potentially polluting our waterways, coast and ocean.

Coastal Cleanup Day is an effective and rewarding opportunity to give something back to your community by spending just three hours of your morning picking up trash while enjoying a local park or beach. Come on out to one of approximately 20 Cleanup sites in Ventura County. Bring your own reusable supplies (water bottle, gardening gloves, trash bucket etc.) to cut down on event-generated trash. Safety is our top priority, so wear a hat, sunscreen, gloves, and closed-toe shoes.

However you choose to participate, thank you for keeping our beaches and waterways clean and healthy! For more information visit www.vccoastcleanup.org.

Show us your cleanup! Post your cleanup photos using the #ProtectYourHappyPlace hashtag and see how your community is participating!