Beach
clean up attracts groups community groups
By Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
Running
along the beaches in Long Beach several
times a week may sound enjoyable, but when
Justin Rudd teaches his boot camp classes,
running in the trash that has washed up
onto the sand is less than enjoyable.
Rudd is one of the many people who will
participate Saturday in the 18th Coastal
Cleanup Day from 9 a.m. to noon along California’s
coast and bodies of water. On the same day
is the Ocean Conservancy’s International
Coastal Cleanup featuring all 55 states
and territories along with 122 countries
according to Christopher Ward from the Environmental
Stewardship Program.
Ward explained that both the San Gabriel
and Los Angeles rivers empty into our beaches
here in Long Beach, meaning all the trash
from the more than 28 communities land on
our beaches. Ward stressed that “it’s all
interdependent and you have to take care
of the entire water shed,” which means the
complete water system cycle.
Ward said the Long Beach site alone there
will be approximately 1,200 1,500 volunteers.
According to Ward the organizations participating
are: Cal Perg-for clean water, Long Beach
Aquarium of the Pacific, Dept. of Conservation,
Long Beach Marine Institute, El Dorado Nature
Center, Cal State Long Beach Associated
Students Inc., El Dorado Autobahn Society,
Long Beach Clean Water Division, Haute Dogs,
Sierra Council and the American Plastics
Council.
The California Coastal Cleanup Day began
in 1985 following Oregon’s clean up day
in 1984 according to the Coastal Cleanup
Day’s official Web site. Since then, 506,000
volunteers have been clearing an amount
of more than 7.5 million pounds of debris
from California’s shorelines and coast.
In relation to CSULB, Gwen GoodmanLowe a
marine biology professor for three and a
half years, is encouraging her 155 students
to participate by offering extra credit
for attending the event.
“I wanted my marine biology students to
do something active for the ocean,” she
said, as she participated in the clean up
two years ago.
Haute Dogs, one of the participating organizations,
estimates that about 75 volunteers from
their organization will participate, according
to Rudd, the boot camp teacher and founder
of Haute Dogs.
Haute Dogs is an organization that features
dog parades and social events in order to
raise money for animal shelters. Along with
these events, the group has a monthly beach
clean up because “it’s important to have
clean beaches for the humans, animals and
sea animals,” Rudd said.
No pre-registration is required to volunteer,
according to the Coastal Cleanup’s Web site.
The closest clean up site from CSULB is
located at 4320 Olympic Plaza just east
of the Belmont Plaza Pool. Volunteers will
receive free parking, refreshments, supplies,
and with conservation and ecology exhibits.
For more information call (800) coast-4u,
or for group signups call (562) 570-1471
or visit www.coastal.ca.gov/
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