Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation San Diego County Chapter and also San Diego Coastkeeper coordinate beach cleanups three times a month. On the second Saturday, Surfrider will host a cleanup at a North County beach (Oceanside to Torrey Pines). On the third Saturday, Surfrider hosts a cleanup at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and on the fourth Saturday of every month, the group will cleanup a beach in South County (La Jolla to Imperial Beach).
The well-​respected non-​profit sets up their blue Surfrider tent on the beach and hands out plastic gloves, buckets, trash bags, grabbers, and pencils to fill out the data cards they ask volunteers to tally trash items picked up during the cleanups. Surfrider does encourage people to bring their own bags, buckets, and work gloves to help limit what ends up at the garbage dump.
According to the Surfrider website,
«to help out at an already coordinated cleanup, all you have to do is show up. For all beach cleanups, please wear comfortable clothes, closed toed shoes and sunscreen.» All volunteers are welcome to participate and must sign a liability waiver, but volunteers under 18 MUST have a parent or guardian sign the waiver before the minor can participate. Many groups participate and high school students can get credits for doing the clean-​ups that will count towards their community service requirement hours needed for graduation. Beach clean-​ups normally start at 9:00 AM and last until 11:00 AM.
Surfrider will generally hand out snacks and water plus radio station 91X is sometimes hanging around nearby with some cool giveaways and prizes for participants. Trash, litter, and most especially-​cigarette butts are a chronic source of desecration to our beautiful local beaches and it is to the great credit of Surfrider (and Coast-​keeper) that they both do such an excellent job or organizing these clean-​ups.