Laguna's Main Beach Gets All Spruced Up On Coastal Clean-Up Day

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—Laguna Ocean Foundation and Laguna Beach Police Department teamed up to organize the Main Beach cleanup as part of Coastal Cleanup Day 2021.

The police department procured buckets from Ganahl Lumber and provided pick-up devices for volunteers to gather detritus, which prevents it from making its way into the water. All the cleanup equipment will be re-used another day.

Joining Laguna Ocean Foundation in the check-in and information booth lineup were the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, SoCal Sea Turtles, Outerknown and Hobie Surf Shop. Laguna’s Jedidiah Coffee provided urns full of hot coffee to keep everyone energetic.

A tarp on the ground behind the booths displayed some of the largest trash gleaned from the beach, including a tire.

The 165-pound haul was impressive for such a well-cared-for beach.

Patch encountered four teens who had just emptied their buckets into a trashcan, so the total weight is but an estimate. The group claimed the weirdest items they picked up were a couple of shoes. Not a matching pair.

Volunteers worked solo, in pairs with their dogs, or in larger groups. They scoured the dried seaweed at the high tide line, which traps debris. Or foraged among the big rocky outcroppings at the north and south ends of the beach.

Laguna Ocean Foundation's managing director Virginia Esperanza Lorne was accompanied by her son and his friend, who both put in some time on the cleanup.

B. Claire Arre, who serves as the foundation's outreach and education coordinator, offered us coffee even though we had our hands full with notepad and camera and wouldn't be picking up any trash. If you want to know anything about Laguna's tidepools and intertidal zone, Claire is your go-to.

Coastal Cleanup Day 2021 is the 37th iteration of California's largest statewide volunteer day.

As of this writing, 50 percent of the cleanup sites across the Golden State have reported in. The current total of 81 tons of trash picked up by 20,029 volunteers will surely increase, if not double. Our beaches and waterways are rid of up 153,281 pounds of trash and 9,256 pounds of recyclable materials.

Excellent work. Congratulations to all who made the effort to "Protect your happy place."