| 02 September 2010

The Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County (ECOSLO) will once again coordinate the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day at twenty-three beaches throughout SLO County on Saturday, September 25, from 9 a.m. to noon at. This is the 26th annual and to reduce the amount of trash generated during the work efforts volunteers are being asked to B.Y.O. (Bring Your Own) bag, bucket, water bottle and gloves. Home Depot of San Luis Obispo has generously donated 150, five-gallon utility buckets for use at the larger beach and remote sites. 
Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) removes marine debris from the state’s beaches and waterways, identifies its sources and implements education to support the change in behaviors that cause pollution. In 2009, SLO County had 1,425 volunteers pick up 4,129 pounds of debris. Volunteers are needed to gather and record the debris found. The data is entered into the Ocean Conservancy Database and that information assist in the development of Environmental Policy. Marine debris not only destroys oceans and beaches, but also creeks, streams and other waterways.
A new addition to the cleanup efforts is the removal of invasive species at one of the sites. Biological debris has been recognized as having a potential negative impact on the native coastal habitat.  If you are interested in invasive species removal, this site is by specific RSVP only. Contact ECOSLO directly.
Raffle tickets will be given to each participant who brings their own supplies. Local businesses have kindly donated prizes that will be raffled on the day of the event.
• Novo’s of SLO – Lunch for 2
• The Natural Café – 2 entrees
• Shore Cliff Lodge, Pismo– 1 night deluxe accommodations
• Shelter Cove Lodge, Pismo – 1 night deluxe accommodations
• Avila Lighthouse Suites, Avila – 1 night stay in a Master Suite
The first California Coastal Cleanup Day was in 1985 with 2,500 volunteers turning out statewide to help. Since then, the event has become International Coastal Cleanup Day. It’s the largest volunteer event of its kind in CA. Last year, 80,622 volunteers removed almost 1,387,541 million pounds of trash from the coast of California.
ECOSLO is still accepting financial support from the community. For more information contact Maria Kelly at 544-1777 or visit ECOSLO’s booth at Farmers Market on Thursday nights. A list of SLO County locations is available at www. ecoslo.org.