coastalcleanup One of the most-successful traditions in the environmental movement enters its 26th year Saturday when thousands of volunteers descend upon shorelines up and down the state—including several spots in Long Beach—to participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day from 9 a.m. to noon.

Since the program began in 1985, more than 800,000 Californians have removed more than 14 million pounds of debris from the state’s beaches, lakes and waterways. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year.

Locally, last year’s California Coastal Cleanup Day drew 1,663 volunteers to eight different Long Beach sites, where 5,944 pounds of trash—that’s almost three tons—were collected over three hours.

This year, volunteers are congregating at six locations in Long Beach:

Alamitos Beach—Ocean Boulevard at Alamitos Avenue.

Belmont Plaza Pool—4000 East Olympic Plaza.
Bluff Park—Ocean Boulevard, between Redondo and Cherry Avenue.

Colorado Lagoon—East Appian Way at Colorado Street

Mother’s Beach—E. Appian Way under the 2nd St. Bridge

Pier Point Landing—200 Aquarium Way

For more information, call (800) COAST-4U or coast4u@coastal.ca.gov.