Last April, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) invited volunteers of all ages to keep San Diego clean and beautiful by attending this year’s Creek to Bay Cleanup. The event’s tagline, “Your Neighborhood, Our Environment”, called for volunteers to make a difference right in their own community. Out of the record number of 110 cleanup sites, more than three-quarters of them were located in inland communities to stop the bulk of litter and potential marine debris at the source. The Creek to Bay Cleanup provided residents with a convenient opportunity to give back close to home while making a lasting, positive impact on the entire region.

6,400 volunteers, a record number, turned out to show appreciation for San Diego’s beaches, bays, canyons and parks; that’s nearly 700 more volunteers than previous years. During the three-hour event, this dedicated volunteer team removed 170,000 pounds of debris from San Diego County! Additionally, volunteers spent their time beautifying the county by planting native landscape and removing graffiti. In total, more than 19,000 hours of volunteer services were dedicated to enhancing San Diego’s natural environment.

The Creek to Bay Cleanup provides a unique opportunity for volunteers to see environmental issues first-hand and the impact litter has on our way of life. When our environment thrives, the quality of life for San Diegans and local marine animals improves as well.

ILACSD's largest cleanup of the year, Coastal Cleanup Day, took place on Saturday, September 17th 9am-noon, where thousands of people including youth gathered at 100+ sites. In addition to San Diego County’s 100+ sites, the cleanup also took place across the nation and nearly 100 countries. Coastal Cleanup Day offered San Diegans the opportunity to be a part of a global movement. The difference you make in your neighborhood will have a lasting impact on our entire region and around the world. Sign up to cleanup at a site near you at CleanupDay.org.

If you cannot make it to a Coastal Cleanup Day, visit CleanSD.org to learn how to get involved in a way that fits your schedule. I Love A Clean San Diego’s independent volunteer programs, Adopt-A-Beach, and Storm Drain Stenciling, provide volunteers of all ages with supplies and the flexibility to schedule when and where they volunteer. Please visit CleanSD.org for more information.