Approximately 35 volunteers came out for California Coastal Cleanup Day on September 17, cleaning up sensitive wetland and coastal areas in Crescent City. Over the three-hour cleanup effort, more than 2 ½ tons of trash and recycling was removed by volunteers along South Beach and the Elk Creek watershed. “I am extremely grateful and amazed by the number of people that turn out for our community cleanups here along the coast,” said Gustavo Vasquez, program associate with Smith River Alliance. “The trash and recycling we collect is being disposed of properly rather than finding its way to our waterways and harming fish and wildlife. The majority of the trash we collected would have found its way into Elk Creek and the Pacific Ocean, harming local wildlife, birds, and the myriad of aquatic species found in the Pacific Ocean.” #placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');The cleanup event in Crescent City was hosted by the Smith River Alliance, and was one of over 700 different hosted sites throughout the state of California for California Coastal Cleanup Day, one of the largest volunteer events in the United States. In Del Norte County, two events were coordinated for California Coastal Cleanup Day. Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation and Tolowa Dunes Stewards also hosted a second Coastal Cleanup in the north part of the county with approximately 23 volunteers. “We are extremely grateful to the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority for waiving transfer fees for the trash and recycling collected on California Coastal Cleanup Day,” said Grant Werschkull, co-executive director for the Smith River Alliance. “And special thanks to the many outstanding volunteers who participated. Their enthusiasm and commitment is inspiring and contagious.” Other Coastal Cleanup partners include the Whale Tail Grants Program, Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Tolowa Dunes Stewards, Schmidt’s House of Jambalaya, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and California Department of Parks and Recreation.For interested businesses, organizations, and individuals, the California Adopt-A-Beach Program provides an ongoing opportunity for beach and coastal cleanup. Cleanup supplies and special recognition is provided - and it’s great exercise. For information about Adopting-A-Beach and how to participate in other outdoor volunteer activities, contact Gustavo Vasquez at gustavo@smithriveralliance.org. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });