For many Ventura County residents, the beach represents their happy place. Surfing, swimming, and sunbathing contribute to our way of life. California Coastal Cleanup 2020 challenges everyone to protect their “happy place” by signing up to clean the city’s streets, parks, and beaches.

California Coastal Cleanup 2020

Last year, more than 74,000 volunteers cleaned up their local areas all over the state in one day. This year, the California Coastal Cleanup looks a little different. For one thing, it takes place throughout the entire month of September. For another, the official dates fall on each Saturday of the month from 9 am to noon. However, organizers want to encourage as many people as possible to contribute to the cleanup. Therefore, they allow cleanup any day of the week and any time of the day that fits with your schedule.

How to Participate

First of all, visit the Coastal Cleanup website. Organizers strongly discourage large gatherings of people to lessen the chances of spreading COVID-19. If you feel ill, stay at home. Check the air quality before you head out. Wear masks and stay at least six feet away from anyone you do not live with.

You will need to provide your own clean up equipment, such as gloves and trash bags. Do not touch sharp objects such as syringes. Leave any object too large to fit in your trash bin. Wear closed-toed shoes for your protection. Avoid touching your face. Safety remains a top priority.

Where to Clean

Your only limitation to where you clean is where you see trash. Start on the streets outside of your house. Anything that falls into the ditches on the side of our roads ends up in the storm drains. Eventually, everything in the storm drains ends up in the ocean. Unfortunately, that harms all living creatures that live there, too. Clear any storm drains you see stopped up, providing it is safe to do so. Parks, school grounds, community centers, and beaches also make great places to spread out and pick up debris as well.

How to Track Your Progress

Download the Clean Swell app onto your smartphone. Then, record every single bit of trash you pick up. This helps keep the Ocean Conservancy’s database as up to date as possible.

Dave & Pat Zumbrun, your Ventura County real estate specialists