Community Corner
Chance to Help – Annual Coastal Cleanup Saturday
Volunteers are encouraged to pitch in for three hours Saturday to help clean up the Albany Waterfront as part of the annual Coast Cleanup Day. Register at 9 a.m. at the foot of Buchanan Street.
Volunteers are wanted for the annual California Coastal Cleanup on Saturday in communities up and down the coast, including Albany.
Those who wish to help in Albany are asked to meet at the end of Buchanan Street at the Albany Bulb at 9 a.m., according to the Watershed Project, which is organizing the Albany effort. The event goes until noon.
Volunteers may register ahead of time through a link on the Watershed Project website, though it appears that groups of 10 or fewer people can just show up and register at the site. Participants must sign a waiver, which can be downloaded and filled out beforehand.
The Watershed project provided the following details on what to bring and what to expect:
Supplies: All cleanup supplies are provided-- bucket, gloves, data card, pencil, etc. However, in an effort to make this a less wasteful event, we encourage everyone to bring their own refillable water bottle, bucket and gloves. For safety, wear closed-toed shoes to avoid stepping on anything sharp. And be sure to remember a hat and sunscreen for proper sun protection.
Small sifters and rakes are great for kids so that they can spend time looking for marine debris around the beach area.
In addition to the cleanup, we also provide data cards, which are used by volunteers to indicate which type of trash they come across most often. The data is then collected and sent to the California Coastal Commission who uses the information to help generate ways to reduce certain types of marine debris. We will have great prizes donated from local businesses for volunteers that fill out a data card.
Call to Kayakers! We are looking for 15 experienced kayakers to join the Flotsam Flotilla and help clean up the mess that has already reached the Bay. Many thanks to REI for their generous support for the event by providing us with Outdoor School staff and kayaks for a handful of 'yakers' on a first come, first served basis. Experienced kayakers are welcome to join us in their own boat. If you are interested, please contact us at (510) 665-3430 or register here.
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Waiver forms: Each volunteer must have a signed waiver form to participate. Children must be accompanied by an adult. To save time at the registration table, download the waiver here: English waiver Formulario de renuncia en Espanol
For further information, e-mail volunteer@thewatershedproject.org or call us at 510-665-3430.
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Now in its 29th year, the event – known also as the International Shoreline Clean Up – has become an impressive demonstration of combined citizen action to remove a lot of trash.
The California Coastal Commission estimates that 4,062 volunteers in Alameda County collected over 46,000 pounds of debris, and the Watershed Project says California as a whole saw 57,500 volunteers pick up more than 600,000 pounds of trash.
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