Events – Page 3 – Flows to Bay

The first day of spring is Tuesday, March 20 but who says you have to wait until then to have a fresh start? Begin your spring cleaning now and remove and replace toxic chemicals from your home as part of our Flows to Bay Challenge series: “In the Home.”

Now is the perfect time to remove toxic chemicals from your home and replace them with safe, eco-friendly products. Old paint, motor oil, batteries, and pesticides not only clutter your home, but pose a toxic risk to your family and the environment. Properly dispose of these items at your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility or learn about other locations that collect these materials. Remove and replace these chemicals and create a more eco-friendly home!

Check out these dates below to know when you can drop off your items for FREE:

Saturday – 2/24 Redwood City – PAINT

Is leftover paint taking up space in your garage? Drop it off!

Saturday – 3/03 South San Francisco – OIL

Buckets of used motor oil cluttering your home? Take them here.

Saturday – 3/10 Daly City – PESTICIDES

Don’t toss your pesticides away, let us take care of it for you!

Saturday – 3/17 Pacifica – BATTERIES

Batteries can be recycled… What a bright idea!

Follow these 3 easy steps to get started:

Sign Up: Set up an appointment here to receive location information or call (650) 363-4718, select option 3.
Load Up: Up to 50 pounds or 10 gallons worth of material are allowed per appointment.
Drop Off: The facility crew will happily take your items directly from the trunk of your car.

If you can’t make these dates, there are other businesses and facilities that will gladly accept your household hazardous waste at anytime:

PAINT

Visit Pain t care’s website for locations near you.

MOTOR OIL

Click here to drop off your motor oil and filters.

BATTERIES

Click here to drop off your household batteries at any time.

Good luck and here’s to making more room for what matters most. Happy cleaning!

While dogs may be some people’s best friends, their poop doesn’t always make the cut! Did you know, pet waste is the largest contributor of bacteria to water pollution, second to sewer overflows? Whether you take the time to bend down and pick up their waste really does have an impact on the environment.

Why is pet waste so damaging to our environment and waterways?

Pet waste contains harmful bacteria that can contaminate our surroundings and infect humans. A study done by the American Chemical Society found antibiotic-resistant forms of E. Coli, among many other types of bacteria, in dog waste. When dog owners fail to pick up their furry friend’s waste, all of these bacteria can be washed away untreated into stormwater drains and local waterways by rain, contaminating water that ultimately flows into the Ocean. Once in the Ocean, these bacteria can harm both the environment and human health.

What are common reasons for people leaving pet waste behind?

While getting dog waste into the garbage seems like an easy task, there are some barriers that prevent people from doing so:

Lack of waste bags: One of the most common reasons why people don’t pick up their dog’s waste is that they forget to bring a bag! While some parks and public spaces have doggy bag stations, a lot of areas don’t have this luxury. Luckily, there are doggy bag canisters available for purchase that you can clip on to leashes or collars for easy and convenient access.
Lack of trash cans: Some areas don’t have enough trash cans and make it hard for people to find somewhere to toss their bag. While it can be difficult to carry the bags with you for the whole walk, try your best to dispose of it properly once you’ve located a trash can.
Location: While dog waste is “natural”, it rarely ends up decomposing on hiking trails or parks like one would expect. Rain will often wash the waste into nearby storm drains or streams. It’s important to pick up dog waste from the ground and toss it in the trash, no matter the location!
General awareness: Some people don’t throw dog waste in the trash simply because they don’t know that they should! Often, people assume that dog waste will just decompose in the dirt, but that’s not the case.

How are cities getting involved in curbing water pollution from pet waste?

Pet waste has created some trouble for watersheds on the Midcoast, so the County is taking action and implementing a pet waste campaign to spread awareness about this issue and prevent more bacteria from entering their waterways. Breann Liebermann from the Office of Sustainability explained that pet waste is “a definite source of bacteria in that watershed,” which is why they’re specifically targeting pet waste in their environmental efforts. The two-year campaign will include pet waste cleanups, articles in local newspapers, outreach to K-12 students at local schools, an online pledge (found under County Initiatives), and much more!

Looking for some dog waste products? Come to an event we attend and receive doggy waste bags for free!

Amazon has great prices on canisters and bags:

On December 2nd we hosted a rain barrel workshop at the San Mateo Library. We are happy to say the workshop was a great success and gave new meaning to the phrase – “every drop counts,” when it comes to rainwater harvesting. We had a full audience and it was a real treat for us to meet so many community members who are passionate about the health of our Bay. Chris and Brad, our local rain barrel specialists, gave great information about how to get started with installing a rain barrel or cistern at home, and we want to share with everyone some of our favorite takeaways.

Rain Barrels are good for the community and your wallet!
Rain barrels help to keep local waters clean by decreasing runoff when it rains, this means rainwater isn’t running down the street, picking up pollutants and debris and taking it down storm drains and into the Ocean and Bay. Besides community health benefits, rain barrels also reap financial benefits as well! On many properties, rainwater travels through the roof gutter, down the rain spout and collects around the sides of the house. The soil around the foundation of the building can expand as it absorbs water then contract as the puddles and soil dry. Over time, this expansion and contraction can weaken the foundation of a home which can result in expensive repairs and many headaches. However, installing a rain barrel diverts the flow of water and captures it for later use instead of potentially causing property damage!! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The collected rainwater can then be used to water your garden and lawn saving even more money in the process.

Rain barrels are beautiful!
One of our favorite parts of Chris and Brad’s presentation were the pictures of the beautifully decorated rain barrels they have installed. It really opened our eyes to the fact that rain barrels can be a beautiful and unique decorative item for the backyard!

Our favorite is the furtive rain barrel disguised as a rock. We wanted to thank everyone that came to the workshop the past weekend. It was wonderful to meet and speak with like-minded people who care about the environment and the Bay Area community. And for those of you who were unable to make it this time around, we would love to see you at one of our upcoming workshops. You can check out Flows To Bay Challenge calendar to learn more about future workshops and events. And if you’re thinking about getting a rain barrel of your own, be sure to take advantage of our rebate, where most San Mateo County residents can oftentimes be reimbursed for the full cost! For those who were not able to attend, we are planning on hosting another rain barrel workshop in the spring– so stay tuned! Questions? Comments? Please feel free to reach us at anytime at info@flowstobay.org.

Each year, over one million gallons of trash and three million gallons of oil enter the Bay, along with pet waste containing parasites and bacteria, mercury from improperly disposed household items like thermometers and light bulbs, and pesticides and fertilizers from lawn and garden care, all of which can harm and contaminate marine life and make the water dangerous for recreational use. All of these pollutants start with and can be curbed by residents like you! But it’s tough to know where to get started and that is why we are excited to introduce the Flows To Bay Challenge.

This year we are challenging YOU to make small changes in your lifestyle that will have a big impact on your pollution footprint. Your actions have a direct impact on the pollution that flows directly to our Bay and oceans, which means your impact can be positive, if you choose!

With the Flows to Bay Challenge we will provide you with all of the steps and tools you need to get started! We will start by focusing on a theme for each season:

Fall: Rainwater as a Resource
Winter: Inside the Home
Spring: In the Garden and Community

At the start of each season we will send out our newsletter (sign up here) which will provide you with articles on our season’s theme and a checklist of our season’s challenges. We will also provide you with a calendar of workshops and events, so you can learn how to implement these changes in and around your home and connect with neighbors who also want to help save the Bay and ocean. Each season we will have local partners that are joining the Challenge, helping to run our workshops and provide rebates to help ease or eliminate the cost for the tools and supplies you’ll need. And of course we are going to be tracking our progress and your involvement on our website and social media with contests, prizes, and more!

Go to the Flows To Bay Challenge to access:

Our Challenge Checklist
Events calendar
Rebates
Video tutorials
Environmental footprint calculator
Learn more about our partners

Our first season will help you learn how to use rainwater as a resource, by capturing it and repurposing it, instead of letting it collect pollutants as it makes its way to storm drains and waterways. We will teach you how to install rain barrels and rain gardens to conserve tap water and utilize rainwater. Join the Flows To Bay Challenge and help us reduce pollution and conserve our natural resources!

October 7th was Save The Bay’s annual Bay Day, an event aimed towards bringing awareness to the health of our most treasured natural resource, the Bay! Bay Day hosts educational and recreational activities that will ignite your love for the Bay and motivates Bay Area residents to protect our local waters. With over 68 event locations throughout the Bay, including coastal restoration projects, trash cleanups and trail hiking, Save The Bay ensured plenty of local fun to all Bay Area residents. had the honor of attending the Bay Day homebase at Redwood City’s PortFest.

The sheer number of Bay Dayers congregating around the live band and festive tables sharing messages of a commitment to a clean and vibrant Bay is testament to the fact that clean water and healthy ecosystems are a priority for many of us, and that local residents are ready to make a positive difference. It was inspiring just to see how easily people were engaged in learning about “stormwater pollution,” which typically isn’t the winning conversation at the party. But it’s clear that people do care and want to know what they can do to help reduce their own impact. To join the movement, our team shared the new Flows To Bay Challenge — a great way for residents to take action here in San Mateo through fun stewardship and sustainable-living events and all the resources you need to get started.

The reality of how each of us has a direct link to the health of the Bay, however, is not always clear. One family we spoke with, a young couple with a toddler, did not know that our trash, pesticides, etc. flow directly into the Bay without first being treated. This is a very common misconception that stormwater is treated before it enters the ocean. Any trash, pet waste, oil or other pollutants on sidewalks or streets eventually make its way directly to the ocean with no treatment. Albeit surprised, this young family quickly made notes about how to improve their home and their daily routines to lessen their impact. Like most of us, they want their daughter to grow up aware of and engaged in the issue, perhaps more than they themselves had been due to busy schedules. The main thought that seemed to linger as they moseyed along was that there are small things that all of us can do, like not over-filling waste bins, or capturing stormwater from your roof to water your garden.

We also spoke with a group of teenagers who were involved in a local sailing club, This eager group of young conservationists had seen first hand the litter and pollutants that can end up the Bay. They came to Bay Day mostly to have fun, but also to learn about what they could do to prevent the all too familiar site of litter and pollution on the Bay. We talked to them about local cleanup events and ways they can prevent litter from appearing in the first place (to learn about local cleanup events, visit our events calendar here, halfway down the page). This is what motivated people the most, the realization that they could take action, in a way that isn’t going to be disruptive to their lives.

Aside from the educational moments and inspiring conversations about real people making real change, there were also free boat rides, delicious crab cakes and even a jet pack demonstration! It was the ideal balance of fun and education. So if you didn’t make it this year, be sure to come out for the next Bay Day and help save the Bay, every day!

Put down those car keys and lace up those walking shoes, October 4th is International Walk to School Day and you’re invited! This global event began in 1977 and now involves over 40 countries around the world. Administrators, teachers, students, and parents alike walk and bike to school for this event that encourages communities to pollute less and promotes safer neighborhoods.

Why walk?

It’s fun!
Spend quality time with your children
Get your family more active with daily walks
Less traffic congestion leads to a safer community
Fewer cars on the road can reduce air and water pollution
- Car oil, antifreeze and grease leaked onto streets flows into storm drains
- Car exhaust contributes to pollution that decreases air quality and contributes to global warming

How to be safe when walking

Learn about the Safe Routes To School program, that helps provide safe paths for children to walk or bike to school
If you’re not joining your child on their walk to school, map out their route with them to make sure they’re taking a safe and direct route
Minimize street crossings and when available, use ones with a crossing guard
Coordinate with neighbors to have kids walk together both to and from school

If you’re interested in participating in or putting on a Walk to School Day event you can contact your school to see if they are already participating. You can also check out this link: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/ . And remember, just because October 4th is International Walk to School Day, doesn’t mean that EVERY day can’t also be! Make walking or biking to school a habit and you’ll be sure to notice a difference in yourself, your community, and the environment.

Spring is a time for sunshine, flowers, new growth and exploring the outdoors. Get outside and join a community cleanup event and help preserve our local waterways and environment. On or around Earth Day on April 22nd, neighborhood litter pickup events, habitat restorations, graffiti abatement and other general sprucing up activities take place. Help capture trash before it goes into the storm drain!

Once in the storm drain, litter easily flows directly to our creeks, Bay, beaches and ocean. Find a spring cleanup event near you.

Breathe Easy! Safer Home Cleaning

Open those windows while you do some spring cleaning with safer products! You can avoid the harmful ingredients in many household products by making your own products with ingredients that you can find in your own kitchen cupboard! Click here for safer, easy-to-prepare cleaners. The videos are especially helpful. Then e-mail us! We would love to hear your safer cleaning questions and suggestions. Contact us at info@flowstobay.org.

On Coastal Cleanup Day 2014, volunteers picked up an astonishing 13,036 cigarette butts in San Mateo County! Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter picked up on this day both in San Mateo County and internationally. Littered cigarette butts are easily washed, blown, or flicked down storm drains that lead straight into local creeks, the Bay and the Ocean. These unsightly cigarette butts never disappear because they are made of plastic and do
not biodegrade. According to a recent study published in the journal Tobacco Control, cigarette butts are also toxic to marine and freshwater fish due to the chemicals they contain. Littered cigarette butts may look small but these toxic items are a big problem because they are everywhere.

Pacifica Beach Coalition is installing receptacles in hot spot areas in Pacifica where dedicated volunteers pick up a detestable number of cigarette butts from beaches weekly.

Visit smchealth.org/cigbutts to read more about the problem, and how you can be part of the solution.

Thousands of volunteers turn out to pick up litter on a soggy Coastal Cleanup Day

San Mateo resident Winston Bumpus normally would welcome a little rain. But the gloomy forecast on September 21 had the Coastal Cleanup Day Site Captain a little worried. Founded in 1985, California Coastal Cleanup Day is the largest volunteer event in the state. Every year, thousands of passionate Californians join together on the third Saturday in September to pick up trash and debris that threaten our oceans and waterways. Would the rain keep San Mateo residents at home?

Not a chance. “I didn’t see any fewer volunteers this year,” said Bumpus, “and when the rain fell no one complained. They just kept picking up trash.” This year’s Coastal Cleanup Day brought together 3,783 San Mateo volunteers, who collected a whopping 24,461 pounds of litter from 29 county sites.

Most of the debris found on our beaches and shorelines begins as litter that has travelled from inland communities through storm drains, creeks, or rivers. Once there, it can harm the environment, native wildlife, and beachgoers—and cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in cleanup costs.

Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers always discover some strange things washed up on shore. This year, a volunteer found a stereo speaker with a live octopus inside. (The speaker was opened and the octopus released back into the ocean.) But according to site captains, cigarette butts are by far the most common item found at cleanup sites. “One volunteer at my site counted 800 cigarette butts,” Bumpus says. “And that’s just one volunteer! It’s very frustrating.”

Matt Fabry, Program Coordinator for the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program, says that cigarette butts are particularly disastrous to waterways because they’re made from plastic that doesn’t biodegrade. “When butts come into contact with water,” Fabry says, “all the toxic chemicals leach out of the filter, impacting the bay and ocean wildlife.” According to a study at San Diego State University, the chemicals from just one filtered cigarette have the potency to kill half the fish living in a one liter container of water. [http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/extinct.html]

By the end of the 2013 California Coastal Cleanup Day, San Mateo volunteers prevented 20,973 pounds of trash (including thousands of cigarette butts) and 2,800 pounds of recyclable items from being washed into the coastal waters by the rain that continued to fall. For Bumpus, there was no better way to celebrate his birthday. “It was a lot of fun,” says the Sequoia Yacht Club’s Vice Commodore, who invited family and friends to join him in the birthday cleanup. “All the volunteers had a great time. There were families, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters, and grandmas that all came out to participate. The Sequoia Yacht Club also made sure to provide a nice fireplace for volunteers to get warm and dry off.”

How You Can Help

San Mateo volunteers accomplished great things on September 21, but the work isn’t done. It’s easy to get involved and help protect our coastline and waterways.

Don’t smoke! But if you do, don’t litter. Always discard extinguished cigarette butts properly where they won’t end up in a storm drain.
Carry reusable water bottles. Since 1985, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers have removed more than 428,000 plastic water bottles from the coast and shorelines.
Adopt-A-Beach. Form a group and make a pledge to clean up the beach three times a year. Learn more at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/aab/aab1.html or (800) COAST-4U.
Become part of the Team Effort. Follow us on Facebook and learn about opportunities to help us tackle litter in our neighborhoods, parks, and beaches. Learn more about Coastal Cleanup Day 2014 and other cleanup events throughout the year at https://www.facebook.com/flowstobay.

Coastal Cleanup Day: By the Numbers

California volunteers: 51,543

San Mateo volunteers: 3,783

Trash collected statewide (lbs): 471,218

Recyclable material collected statewide (lbs): 30,530

Trash collected in San Mateo (lbs): 21,661

Recyclable material collected in San Mateo (lbs): 2,800

Do you belong to a group that hosts events for people who care about making San Mateo County a healthier community? As you can see from our calendar and our Facebook page, we promote the good work of our partner cities, watershed stewardship groups, and envionmental non-profits already.

But there are lots of civic and volunteer groups that contribute without thinking of themselves as environmental. If your group helps County residents do the right thing (in their homes, while shopping, gardening, driving, boating, taking care of pets, and more), let us know! You are part of the team effort for clean water and a healthy community. We’ll be happy to share that news with our contacts, and send supporters your way.