Drive around the Bay Area and you may spot a group of eco-warriors sporting buckets or garbage bags and doing their part to clean our streets and beaches. Lynn Adams, President of the Pacific Beach Coalition, leads the charge with these volunteers as they strive to fight the pollution problem and raise awareness of the widespread ecological and health impacts caused by litter in our creeks, the ocean and the Bay .
The Pacific Beach Coalition (PBC) is a volunteer organization aimed at preserving the ocean, coastal habitat, and wildlife and ending litter. They achieve this mission through advocacy, education, community building, and citizen action. The PBC is driven by its community. Everything that they do revolves around creating a better community for all.
“Basically we engage, educate and inspire people to pick up litter, restore habitat and ultimately end litter because of the knowledge they receive from taking action and witnessing litter first hand. We clean our beaches but we also clean our streets and ask everyone to do so to help the ocean. Trash can easily infiltrate our waterways, leading out to the ocean, especially when storms pass through.”
Lynn teaches a school group about marine debris – pre-covid. 
Lynn with Terra Nova High School students conducting a cleanup of their campus. 
Lynn talking with volunteers at a San Pedro Creek cleanup.
Many participants in PBC’s clean-up events began by just having a high-level interest in preserving the environment and protecting wildlife – not necessarily joining from years of dedicated conservation work. After participating in a clean-up or two, participants often leave learning not only about their efforts’ benefits to the ocean but to themselves and to their communities. Working together with other passionate volunteers has allowed PBC to create an environment of acceptance and joy for their volunteers. Volunteering provides a much needed channel for building a sense of community, and is not at all uncommon to see a group hauling full buckets around with huge smiles on their faces. You could say that taking out the trash has never been so fun!
While cleanup efforts can be a source of fun, not to mention a little exercise, , the PBC also strives to help community members understand that litter from hundreds of miles away can make its way through our waterways and negatively impact downstream communities and habitats. It’s also about fostering responsibility and global citizenship. Whether coming from San Mateo County to Pacifica’s beaches or getting dragged across the Pacific Ocean from far away places, litter can be transported easily by wind and water and impact innumerable creatures and habitats along the journey. For example, Lynn states that studies show “one of the three pieces [of debris] identified in the state of California have come from the 2011 Japanese Tsunami.” While we are seeing some debris from Japan, other countries are seeing trash from our communities. This is why it is so important to eliminate litter from getting into the environment in the first place!
How Can You Get Involved?
While the PBC’s beach cleanup events are currently postponed due to COVID-19, regulations have been implemented for a monthly habitat restoration event at Linda Mar State Beach. Stay up-to-date and learn about upcoming events here. You can also find other groups doing similar work, like the San Mateo Surfrider Foundation, which is currently planning public beach cleanups on the coast side through June using social distancing protocols.
In addition to cleaning the beaches with a group, there are other actions we can all take closer to home! According to Lynn, everyone can pick up litter around their home or on their hikes to help the cause. To make this an easier and lasting effort, the PBC has created the Street to Beach program, which is open to all and allows volunteers to log their efforts over time and join hundreds of Bay Area Stewards to make a difference. PBC can also help “school groups and businesses” to spearhead clean up efforts in their communities. If you’re interested in learning more, check out their Contact us page to organize a cleanup or HR event for your group. Lynn also encourages Bay Area residents to “clean up their own street, park, or favorite location and report their work on the Clean Swell mobile app.”
Other things that you can do to positively impact your community involve:
- Build a rain garden at home to collect stormwater and prevent litter from reaching storm drains – click here to learn about rain garden resources, including how to get a rebate for your project
- Clean up after your pet or other pet waste left behind to eliminate harmful bacteria from entering our waterways.
- Learn about how to properly dispose of your cleaning materials so that you don’t harm local wildlife.
- Say no to Single Use Plastic by bringing your own cup, shopping bags, straw and utensils.
Learn more about other ways to make an impact here.
Flows To Bay loves to acknowledge and hear about the efforts of local heros—both individuals and organizations. If you know someone who’s making a difference and helping prevent water pollution, we’d love to hear about them! Nominate a community champion here.
