Community Corner

Volunteers Needed to Make Tamarack State Beach More beautiful

The 28th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day Sat. Sept. 15 will give Carlsbad residents and visitors a chance to help beautify the sandy shores they love in just one morning.

Sponsored by I Love A Clean San Diego and part of the larger International Coastal Cleanup Day, the California Coastal Cleanup Day is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 15, and takes place at 80 locations throughout San Diego County, including several sites in Carlsbad.

The is sponsoring a cleanup at Tamarack State Beach, a location it has gathered volunteers at for many years.

Cleanup volunteers not only pick up trash, they also collect data on types of trash and debris found. This data is used to educate the public, businesses, industries and government on pollution prevention.

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"The City of Carlsbad's longtime sponsorship of this cleanup is fitting, as our mission is to properly manage our resources and to work in partnership with the community," said Hallie Thompson, environmental specialist for the city, adding that its "beaches are central to the Carlsbad way of life." Last year, Thompson said the City of Carlsbad had 113 volunteers who cleaned up two miles of Tamarack State Beach and removed 335 pounds of trash and recyclables.

While various types of trash are found on the beach, Thompson said the most common forms are cigarette butts, plastics and Styrofoam, which aren't biodegradable.

Find out what's happening in Carlsbadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 "That's why we find those items more than anything else," she said. While some of the trash and debris is left by beach-goers, Thompson said trash can also travel to the beach through the storm drain system. Rainwater and urban runoff transport pollutants into our creeks, lagoons and the ocean. 

Although it is completed in one morning, Thompson said the Cleanup Day has a lasting effect. "The cleanup is a great way to not only enjoy our beaches, but also to do our part to keep them beautiful," she said. To sign up for a California Coastal Cleanup Day site or for more information, visit cleanupday.org.

–City of Carlsbad Press Release


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