More than 3,000 pounds of trash collected so far during Coastal Cleanup Month

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Instead of gathering people together at Santa Barbara County beaches for Coastal Cleanup Day, Explore Ecology decided to convert the annual event into Coastal Cleanup Month. 

"With COVID-19, we came up with the idea of doing a month-long cleanup in people's neighborhoods close to home,” Explore Ecology public relations director Jill Cloutier explained. 

Every Saturday in September, community members have been picking up trash around town from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. 

The self-guided cleanups have been taking place at local parks, shores, creeks, streets, drainage areas, sidewalks, natural areas and trails.

Brian Wilson and his family have already teamed up three times this month to get rid of the garbage. 

"It's a great way for us to start our weekend on Saturdays as a family working on a project together,” Brian said.

“Even though it's not what you would typically think of as family time,” Jack Wilson said. "Picking up trash is definitely a good bonding experience."

Over 400 volunteers have already participated in the month-long event, picking up a total of 3,088 pounds of trash so far.

"Mostly cigarette butts, candy wrappers, fast food wrappers and cup lids,” Brian said.

Nearly 10,000 pieces of litter have been collected by local volunteers.  

“That's a lot of litter that's not going to be making its way into the creeks and oceans,” Cloutier said.

While working hard to keep the streets clean, the Wilson family is also helping save Santa Barbara’s waterways. 

"You don't really notice the trash when you're not actively looking,” Taylor Wilson said. “It's helping me be more aware of my community and how I can help."

"We live in a beautiful place and we want to keep it beautiful,” Brian Wilson concluded. “We want to keep this trash from making its way down to the ocean."

Organizers are encouraging people to participate in Coastal Cleanup Month through September 30.