Long Beach Seeks Volunteers for 40th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, September 21

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PRESS RELEASE

Above: Volunteers skim Long Beach shoreline during the 2023 California Coastal Cleanup Day.

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine (PRM) is inviting the community to get involved and make a positive impact on the local environment by participating in the 40th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day, taking place Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

"California Coastal Cleanup Day brings us together every year to preserve the beauty and health of our shoreline," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "And with our new youth art contest, we are empowering our younger generations to make a meaningful impact by combining their passion for art with environmental action."

Volunteers may join in at any time from 9 a.m. to noon at any of the following locations:

• Junipero Beach (2100 E. Ocean Blvd.)
• Belmont Pier (3998 E. Allin St.)
• Peninsula (72nd Place and Ocean Boulevard)
• Mother's Beach (5839 Appian Way)
• Seal Beach Yacht Club (255 N. Marina Dr.)

Gloves and trash bags will be provided; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable buckets and reusable gloves to limit waste. Joining in this year's effort as site captains are members of Aquarium of the Pacific, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Algalita, Seal Beach Yacht Club and El Dorado Nature Center. Parking is free for the event.

To pre-register, people can fill out the digital waiver, courtesy of the California Coastal Commission. Community members may also visit the El Dorado Nature Center volunteer opportunities webpage to print a liability waiver and submit it on the day of the event. Pre-registration is encouraged prior to the cleanup to save time, but waiver copies will also be available at the participating sites. For large group registration, such as school groups or businesses, please contact Long Beach Coastal Cleanup Day Coordinator Kaitlin Soto at 562.570.1745.

At this year's event, PRM and the Adopt a Beach Program, in partnership with the Aquarium of the Pacific and supported by sponsors Long Beach Container Terminal and Intex Recreation Corporation, are launching a youth art and naming contest for the Jellyfishbot, the City's newest piece of debris-collecting equipment that can remove up to 100 pounds of debris from water in a single mission. Local youth are invited to share their ideas for a chance to name the Jellyfishbot and have their art displayed on its sides. Youth interested in submitting their ideas can apply at lbparks.org starting Sept. 23 through Oct. 25 by clicking on the contest link on the home page. The chosen artist will receive a scholarship package, as well as other prizes generously donated by sponsors. To learn more about the Youth Art Contest and see the Jellyfishbot, visit the Belmont Pier cleanup site on California Coastal Cleanup Day.

Last year, more than 1,100 Long Beach volunteers removed over 2,500 pounds of debris in only three hours. This year, the City strives to increase the number of participants and continue to provide educational materials to the community to inform the public about marine debris issues and inspire local environmental stewardship.

The City has recently made significant investments and efforts to improve water quality and mitigate debris on the City's beaches. As part of the Adopted Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, one-time funding was approved for a barber surf rake to support the Beach Clean-up Crew and increase the frequency of the City's beachfront waterline clean-up, as well as a new trash interceptor barge to be placed in the Los Angeles River to improve water quality. The City also has been actively working to leverage regional partnerships and advocate for regional infrastructure improvements to address upstream sewage spills and continues to advocate for additional state funding to be allocated to communities impacted by sewage spills, such as Long Beach.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is available at longbeach.gov/park and on Facebook and Instagram.

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