Save Our Shores volunteers prevented 1,657 pounds of cigarette butts, firework remains and assorted beach party leftovers from becoming a stinky supper stew in the stomachs of seabirds and marine wildlife on July 5. More than 250 volunteers swarmed 10 beaches in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties at 8am on the “morning after” cleanup in the aftermath of righteous, if environmentally damaging, Independence Day celebrations.
Santa Cruz’s 167 volunteers picked up 1,354 pounds of trash and recyclables, while Monterey’s 101 volunteers came away with 303 pounds. Santa Cruz beaches produced bigger numbers because they have more July 5 cleanups, says Save Our Shores spokesperson Colleen Bednarz, and they may endure more hardship on holiday weekends. “It seems to me that a lot more of the traffic from over the hill comes to Santa Cruz instead of Monterey County,” says Bednarz.
The amount of garbage collected was about half of the 3,000 pounds collected in each of the past two years on July 5 and down from a high of about 14,000 pounds of waste collected in 2007. It could be a sign the beaches are getting cleaner. “We’re happy the numbers are going down,” says Bednarz, adding that pollution prevention efforts on the day of the celebration itself may be cutting down on the debris collected the morning after. On July 4, continuing a tradition that started in 2008, volunteers handed out 1,650 garbage and recycling bags and talked to 4,850 people about protecting the ocean, according to Save Our Shores.
The three dirtiest beaches cleaned were all in Santa Cruz County, with Seabright producing the most trash, followed by Cowell/Main Beach near the Boardwalk and Panther Beach coming in third. Panther Beach, a notorious party location, looks to be improving and fared better than in 2010, when volunteers found the remains of large-scale bonfires. “Last year, we ran into people sleeping on the beach,” says Bednarz.
Save Our Shores staff stresses their prevention efforts on July 4 as the main reason for the decreasing trash tonnage. “Maybe in five years, the July 5 beach cleanup will be just a fun gathering where there’s only 20 pounds of trash to remove,” says Bednarz. “It’s not likely, though.”
