Tidy Seas Seeks More Funds & Volunteers in a Year-Round Coastal Trash Cleanup Effort
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) - What was a small beach cleanup effort has now grown into a year-round commitment to keep trash out of the ocean on the Central Coast.
Based in Santa Barbara, and now a non-profit, Tidy Seas has grown in the last few years from a few outings at a time, to several each month.
Now, many individuals, companies and even visitors to the area are joining the groups heading out to different locations to pick up trash that would possibly get into creeks, drains and the ocean.
Ryan Wong is the President and co-founder and his fundraising efforts have come from friends and some grant writing, a task he is new to discover.
In just over two years, Wong says just over 80,000 pounds of trash has been collected.
Thursday will be a fundraiser at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum with a new film on Tidy Seas, some stories from those on the front lines, and a chance to collaborate on future efforts and locations.
This is not just on the Santa Barbara beaches. The outreach has gone to the Channel Islands, Ventura County, inland to river beds with homeless camps and city streets that have waste near drains to the ocean.
Monday night, the City of Carpinteria gave Wong and Tidy Seas an honor for efforts along the waterfront there. That includes presentations and leadership to the Junior Lifeguards for the last two years, to show them how beach cleanups can be part of their day to day lives where they live and where they vacation. He has also worked with Girls Inc. and in coordination with Coastal Cleanup Day annually.
Carpinteria City Councilmember Julia Mayer said she was impressed with the effort and, "bringing the youth in." She acknowledge the "legacy of stewardship" that is being shown.
Wong recently left his full time job with motorcycle parts and service to devote his hours to Tidy Seas.
Councilman Wade Nomura has seen the clean up efforts first hand and has brought the Rotary members in from Carpinteria. At the city council meeting he told Wong, "you are one of the few people in the world I know that has committed 100 percent to environmental causes. You are doing well for the world."
For more information go to: Tidy Seas and the Tidy Seas Fundraiser
(More details, photos and video will be added here later today.)
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