On September 23, Berkeley prepares for a spirited community effort as residents, local groups, and the city's staff unite for Coastal Cleanup Day, aiming to clear the waterfront and Aquatic Park of trash and unwelcome plastic debris. As part of a statewide mission to clean local beaches, bays, and waterways, Berkeley's event will run from 9 am to 12 pm, providing a fantastic opportunity for individuals and groups to contribute to a cleaner and healthier coast, according to the City of Berkeley news report.
Help clean up the Berkeley Waterfront and Aquatic Park for Coastal Cleanup Day!
— City of Berkeley (@CityofBerkeley) September 13, 2023
🗓️ Saturday, Sept 23, 9am-12pm
📍 Shorebird Park Nature Center, 160 University Ave
Register with friends, family, school groups, or corporate teams: https://t.co/vF9PSxSqIBhttps://t.co/rl11wChsT5
Participants can either pre-register online on their own or as part of a group, or they can sign up in person on the day of the event. Remember that all participants need to fill out a waiver, and minors (under 18) require one completed by their legal guardian.
Volunteers will gather at the Shorebird Park Nature Center, where they will receive a safety talk, training, and essential supplies. Parking is limited, so consider using the bike boulevards, carpooling, or taking public transportation, such as AC Transit bus 51B. In the spirit of environmental consciousness, the organizers also encourage attendees to bring their reusable bags, buckets, lightweight gardening gloves, and filled water bottles; however, supplies will be available for those who can't bring their own.
During the cleanup, volunteers will log the trash collected using either the Clean Swell App or data cards. This valuable data will contribute to one the world's most significant research efforts conducted in the past three decades. As reported, over 1.5 million volunteers have removed more than 25 million pounds of trash during this period. In 2020 alone, more than 19,730 volunteers picked up a staggering 182,000 pounds of rubbish from California's beaches and waterways.
Beyond merely serving as a one-day event, Coastal Cleanup Day aims to educate participants on the lasting detrimental effects of pollution on our coasts and aquatic ecosystems. Waste often comes from "single-use" items like cigarette butts, food wrappers, and bottle caps, which inflict significant and lasting damage on the environment. By raising awareness of this issue, the event hopes to prompt individuals to adopt more sustainable daily habits, like regularly clearing neighborhood storm drains of debris before and after storms, thus reducing flooding and protecting our waterways.
The Berkeley Coastal Cleanup Day is just one of many gatherings organized throughout the year by the City's Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department. Offering activities and programs for residents of all ages and backgrounds, the department provides a glimpse of their diverse selection through an online registration portal.
Even if you cannot attend the event on September 23, other Berkeley-specific cleanup days can be found on the city's event calendar.
