I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) is inviting people of all ages to help keep San Diego clean and beautiful at the 14^th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup happening Saturday, April 23rd from 9 am to noon.  The event’s tagline “Your Neighborhood, Our Environment” speaks to the large scale impact that residents can make right in their own community. Trash and debris not only take away from the natural beauty of our neighborhoods, they can also pose a serious health threat to local waterways and wildlife.  To help residents make an impact close to home, the Creek to Bay Cleanup offers 105 convenient cleanup sites across San Diego County from Fallbrook to Imperial Beach, Ocean Beach to Alpine and everywhere in between. The difference residents make in their own neighborhoods can have a cumulative affect downstream and on our broader region.

“The Creek to Bay Cleanup makes it easy for people to get involved and make a lasting change for our environment,” said Moriah Saldaña, ILACSD's Community Program Manager. “It’s exciting to see San Diegans take action in their own neighborhoods!”

While collecting litter is a large focus of the event, there is often much more to it. The Creek to Bay Cleanup is an opportunity for neighbors to unite in shared community pride.  It offers an opportunity for residents to work alongside their fellow neighbors to shed light on environmental issues that impact the San Diego lifestyle. In addition to trash removal, volunteers will also contribute their time to beautification projects including planting native plants and graffiti removal. 

Thirteen years ago, ILACSD hosted its first Creek to Bay Cleanup with only 27 cleanup sites and 2,000 volunteers. Since then, the event has continued to grow to over 100 beaches, canyons, parks and urban spaces across the County. In 2015, more than 5,500 volunteers removed 187,000 pounds of debris during the three-hour event. ILACSD plans to match last year’s record breaking number of cleanup sites while strengthening partnerships in 4S Ranch and Logan Heights.

Kids are encouraged to merge creativity with conservation through ILACSD’s “Bling Your Bucket” contest.  A reusable bucket allows volunteers to participate in the cleanup without generating any additional plastic bag waste.  Participants are encouraged to decorate a reusable trash bucket and snap a picture of themselves using their bucket during the cleanup event for the chance to win prizes. 

Youth will also have the opportunity to commemorate their experience by requesting complimentary scout patches. A request form will become available on the event website at CreektoBay.org after April 23rd.

ILACSD has empowered residents, including San Diego's youth, to improve the health and beauty of the local environment for more than 60 years. Because of their efforts, ILACSD will be formally acknowledged as a Live Well San Diego Recognized Partner at this year's Creek to Bay event. Through ILACSD’s coordination and the efforts of the more than 6,000 potential volunteers, the 2016 Creek to Bay Cleanup will help to ensure that San Diegans have healthy and safe places to work, live and play in support of the Live Well San Diego regional vision.  

A complete list of sites and volunteer registration is available at CreektoBay.org. If you cannot make it to the Creek to Bay Cleanup, find out how you can get involved in a way that fits your lifestyle and schedule at CleanSD.org.

Article written by Sarah Buchholz, Marketing Manager for I Love A Clean San Diego

Community Service & Youth