Oakland Dons the Gloves for Saturday’s California Coastal Cleanup Day
Oakland is set to receive two cleanups across September and October, with the first taking place this coming Saturday, September 20. Hosted by I Heart Oakland-Alameda, the City of Oakland, California Coastal Cleanup, and event partners and supporters East Bay Rowing Club, Oakland Ballers, Open Water and Keep Oakland Beautiful, Saturday’s cleanup coincides with the city’s Creek to Bay Day Cleanup and California Coastal Cleanup Day.
“We invite you on a Grand-Garbage-Go-Getting-Adventure, connect with nature, protect and clean the Oakland Shores, Estuary Park, and Jack London Aquatic Center,” I Heart Oakland-Alameda (IHOAE) writes on the event’s webpage.
All volunteers are required to sign in between 10:30 and 10:45 a.m., and sign a waiver. Next is a safety talk, after which everyone will be assigned into teams. The cleanup itself will take place from 10:45 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.
EVENT MUST HAVES: Wear shoes with sturdy soles to protect your feet when you walk the park and shoreline. Please bring water, snacks, sunscreen, an extra layer and mask. We’ll have cleanup supplies on site, but feel free to bring your own gloves/buckets/bags if you’d rather use your own! See full details here.
Next month, on October 12, IHOAE and partners will host the Paddle/SUP Shore Cleanup. This cleanup will be both on shore and on the water. “We need people with kayak/SUP experience. Message the organizer at [email protected] or text 5102834224.” Learn more here.
Although it’s not specifically a cleanup event, you could also answer the call for “Adventurous Paddlers Wanted for Citizen Science.”
“We’re seeking water stewards 🏄🏾♀️ with paddling experience and a passion for protecting our estuary. IHOAE will provide training in shore-monitoring procedures as we gear up for Oakland Estuary–focused citizen science. 🦆” Contact [email protected] for more information.
California Coastal Cleanup Day is the country’s largest annual volunteer event and has been running for over 40 years. Each September volunteers remove hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash from the state’s beaches, lakes, and waterways. People will be out and about all along California’s shores taking trash out of the environment to protect wildlife and preserve our natural spaces. This year’s cleanup on Saturday, September 20, will become the world’s largest scavenger hunt. Special “trash” items will be hidden at cleanup sites all across the state. If you find one of them, you can redeem it for valuable prizes!
