The group clutching bags and wearing gloves set out with one mission: To scoop up as much trash as they could from the sand and shoreline.
More than 20 volunteers got to work on Tuesday, April 16, at Huntington State Beach, an early environmental clean-up effort ahead of what is expected to be a busy weekend of activities in Orange County in honor of Monday’s Earth Day.
“We don’t do enough, as citizens – period,” said Larry Cook, contract transformation director for Veolia North America, a company that focuses on water, waste and energy management services. “So any chance we get to give back to the local community, we want to take that opportunity.”
Veolia employees teamed with Orange County Coastkeepers and professional pickleball athletes in town this week for a big tournament in Fountain Valley for an early chance to give back.
For Roscoe Bellamy, who is on the Professional Pickleball Association Tour and is competing along with 900 other players at the Veolia LA Open in Fountain Valley, it was a chance to put a pause on training to do some good.
“I’ve been lucky enough to grow up next to these beautiful beaches,” said the Calabasas native. “I love animals, I love the ocean and I love where I live. So any way to help and give back is important to me. It’s super cool that we get to do stuff like this.”
Cook said Veolia aims at leading by example.
“Our impact today alone, we hope, is substantial – and we hope others follow our lead,” Cook said. “We all live in the communities in which we work and making sure, environmentally, we make an impact is huge for us.”
Orange County Coastkeeper program coordinator Irene Cordero said cleanups are a way to not only spruce up the beaches, but a great introduction to environmental issues such as pollution.
“Directly picking up litter helps with clean water, but then it’s also hoping that you take the message home and think twice before you use single-use plastics, and take note of the kind of trash we find here,” she said. “Not all of it ends up here, but we can have a big impact on what ends up on the beach.”
Before the group got started, Cordero talked about how recent rains washed plenty of trash from inland communities, down the waterways and to the beach. Driftwood and seaweed make for “trash jackpots,” with Styrofoam and plastics often tangled in the natural seascape.
“Around the fire pits, you’ll find trash people left from the weekend,” she added.
By the end of the day, the volunteers had picked up 40 pounds of trash, said communications director Matt Sylvester.
“A lot of people come out and they are so surprised at the amount of pounds of trash they can pick up and the impact they can make in one or two hours with relatively low effort,” he said. “And maybe they will pick up a few extra pounds of trash when they come to the beach with their family, hopefully it’s making them think about this issue that maybe they’ve never put thought into before and they’ll hold onto that knowledge going forward.”
Professional Pickleball Association Director of Partnerships Ellie Wright, who was among the volunteers, said growing up in Florida gave her an appreciation for beaches and keeping them clean “tugs at my heartstrings.”
“I love the beach and I think it’s fair to say everyone loves the beach,” she said, “and if we want to enjoy it, we have to keep it clean.”
Your turn
Need inspiration for Earth Day? Here’s a few events planned for community members to help out at across Orange County:
• Surfrider North OC will be hosting a cleanup in partnership with Maui & Sons and Earth Pack at Bolsa Chica Beach from 8 a.m. to noon on April 20 and the following day will host a cleanup from 10 a.m. to noon in Huntington Beach, meet at Jack’s Surfboards at Main and Pacific Coast Highway.
• Crystal Cove Conservancy and California State Parks will host a beach cleanup on April 20, at 8 to 11 a.m. with volunteers cleaning the beach, bluff trail and parking lots. Bring your own supplies, including buckets and recyclable bags to help reduce plastic bag usage. Meet at Reef Point Lot, with parking fees waived for cleanup.
• Earth Day at the Bay on April 20 will bring volunteers out to Upper Newport Bay for the annual event, where there will be hands-on arts and crafts, educational activities and science discovery. There will be live music, booths and food trucks on hand. Meet at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Bolsa Chica Conservancy is hosting an Earth Day Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 21, with educational booths, carnival games and a beach cleanup. Parking is free for all participants. Meet at Bolsa Chica State Beach’s north end parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..
• Dana Point Harbor Partners is teaming with Stand Up To Trash for a cleanup on April 21, with a “lunch and learn” following the cleanup. The event begins at 8 a.m. with free yoga in the grass at Baby Beach, followed by the clean up from 9 to 10:30 a.m. and then the lunch and learn at 10:30 a.m., which will feature guest speakers from the Dana Point Historical Society. Fresh coffee, hot chocolate and donuts will be provided by Coffee Importers and prizes are donated by local businesses.
• The OC Public Libraries system is holding free “Gettin’ Wiggly with Composting” presentations at the Costa Mesa Donald Dungan Library on April 18, at the La Habra Library on April 22 and at the San Juan Capistrano Library on April 23. All programs begin at 5:30 p.m.
Also, the Laguna Beach Library on April 20 will be hosting an Earth Day celebration at 11 a.m. with clay sunflower crafts, rock painting, story time, composting workshops and a special fairy garden activity. The San Juan Capistrano Library will host a recycled art program at 11 a.m. on April 20, where kids ages 4- 12 can make unique art out of recycled water bottle caps. The Stanton Library will host an event at 4 p.m. on April 22, where there will be a bee pollination craft activity, with attendees learning about how bees are vital to the ecosystem.
OC Habitats will be hosting a “Fast Fashion Industry” presentation at 5 p.m. on April 22 at the Irvine University Park Library. The conversation will explore the modern fashion industry, how it affects the environment and sustainable alternatives. For information on all the libraries’ events visit www.ocpl.org.
• The Community Roots Academy in Laguna Niguel is holding an event from 1 to 4 p.m. on April 20 for the public “to learn more about environmentally friendly practices, services and products” with interactive displays, ecology projects, musical performances and tours of its Discover Garden. Information: www.learningcommunities.org
• Mission Viejo will have an Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration from 8 a.m. to noon on April 20. Volunteers will plant trees and shrubs along the Oso Creek Trail and there will be a Green Expo at the open space along the trail north of Jeronimo Road. Pre-register and more information at cityofmissionviejo.org.
• The Environmental Nature Center is hosting a 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. celebration of Earth Day and specifically pollinators on April 20 at its Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Modjeska Canyon. There will be a butterfly storytime and crafts, games, lessons about hummingbirds and animal presentations. Information: encenter.org/tucker
• Costa Mesa will host its Earth Day Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 20 on the City Hall lawn, offering games, activities, giveaways and more.
