Orange County Coastkeeper Invites Locals to Stop Trash From Reaching the Pacific
Advocacy group to wrap up first series of San Gabriel Creek Cleanups
ORANGE COUNTY, October 14, 2015— This Saturday, Orange County Coastkeeper’s San Gabriel River Cleanup series culminates at Ted Craig Regional Park in Fullerton. Coastkeeper calls on the local community to join the effort and prevent harmful pollution from reaching the ocean while learning about the types of trash that ends up in local waters.
The cleanup series included a total of five cleanups that improve water quality in the creeks of the San Gabriel River Watershed with the total amount of trash collected from the last four cleanups weighing in at over 500 pounds.
At each cleanup, Coastkeeper’s staff surveys the site and weighs the trash collected by volunteers using the California Rapid Trash Survey Protocol. Coastkeeper uses the results from the study to evaluate trash density, analyze the effectiveness of community cleanups and identify and promote best practices for businesses to reduce the quantity of litter-prone items they distribute. The organization aims to reduce the amount of waste created and the number of litter sources polluting the area.
“The cleanups give volunteers a unique opportunity to learn firsthand how pollution in their community has a direct effect on the health of downstream nature,” says Julia Williams, coastal cleanup coordinator. “By educating the community about the widespread effects of pollution and raising awareness to the types of trash that ends up in local waters, we can better prevent trash in our creeks and subsequently our ocean as well.”
Orange County Coastkeeper seeks volunteers for the final creek cleanup from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, at Ted Craig Regional Park in Fullerton.
Anyone seeking more information or interested in participating in the event or future creek cleanups can register at http://www.coastkeeper.org/coyote_creek_cleanups.
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ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER: Founded in 1999, the mission of Coastkeeper is to protect and promote sustainable water resources that are swimmable, drinkable, and fishable. Coastkeeper is a nonprofit clean water organization that serves as a proactive steward of our fresh- and saltwater ecosystems. We work collaboratively with diverse groups in the public and private sectors to achieve healthy, accessible, and sustainable water resources for the region. We implement innovative, effective programs in education, advocacy, restoration, research, enforcement, and conservation. For more information, visit www.coastkeeper.org or call 714-850-1965.
