California Coastal Cleanup Day 2024
Drakes Beach
Saturday, September 21, 2024
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Point Reyes National Seashore, in conjunction with the California Coastal Commission, will be sponsoring a beach cleanup at Drakes Beach on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The cleanup will take place from 10 am to 1 pm. This is a family friendly event, but keep in mind that dogs and pets are prohibited at Drakes Beach. Participants should bring sunscreen, lunch and/or snacks, and their own water bottles, work gloves, and bucket. The PRNSA Bookstore at Drakes Beach sells merchandise and some pre-packaged food and drinks. Please dress in layers and be prepared for cool, coastal conditions.
For more information, please contact Fiona O'Kelly by email. Pre-registration is not required and drop-ins are welcome for single participants or small groups. Please pre-register if you will be bringing a group of more than than 15 participants.
RSVP
Walk-ups on the day of are welcome, but pre-registration is required if you plan on bringing a school class, a Scout Troop, or other group of 15 or more people, please contact Ranger Fiona at least two weeks in advance.
Safety First
Safety is our first priority for any beach cleanup. Even the cleanest-looking beach can hide dangers under the sand. Nails, broken glass, hypodermic needles…even an unexploded grenade have been found during Coastal Cleanup Days.
Gloves are required for the Coastal Cleanup and will not be provided.
Anyone planning to eat snacks during or shortly after the cleanup should bring antibiotic hand cleaner.
Everybody that joins a beach cleanup is required to sign a Volunteer Agreement Form, which will be provided upon arrival.
Thank You & Results from 2023
Point Reyes National Seashore thanks the 22 adults and 5 children who helped collect 65.37 pounds of garbage and marine debris from Drakes Beach on September 23, 2023.
About California Coastal Cleanup Day
California Coastal Cleanup Day is an annual event which usually occurs on the third Saturday of September (unless Rosh Hashanah coincides with the third Saturday of September, in which case CCCD is held on the fourth Saturday of September). California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. On this day, over 50,000 volunteers turn out to over 700 cleanup sites statewide to conduct what has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Since the program started in 1985, close to 1 million Californians have removed almost 20 million pounds of debris from our state's shorelines and coast. In 2018, nearly 71,000 volunteers removed more than 819,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from California's beaches, lakes, and waterways. When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year.
Coastal Cleanup Day is the highlight of the California Coastal Commission's year-round Adopt-A-Beach program and usually takes place every year on the third Saturday of September. Coming at the end of the summer beach season and right near the start of the school year, Coastal Cleanup Day is a great way for families, students, service groups, and neighbors to join together, take care of our fragile marine environment, show community support for our shared natural resources, learn about the impacts of marine debris and how we can prevent them, and to have fun. Coastal Cleanup Day is also the kick-off event for Coastweeks—three weeks of coastal and water-related events for the whole family.
Everybody who joins a beach cleanup is required to sign a Volunteer Agreement Form, which will be provided upon arrival