The California Coastal Cleanup rids beaches of hazardous and unsightly garbage, but participants spoke of additional benefits Saturday at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area.

For Steve Sharp, of San Luis Obispo, the cleanup was a chance to teach his young daughters about volunteering.

For numerous Arroyo Grande High School students, the event was an opportunity to earn extra credit for school.

For Hal Morgan, of Grover Beach, cleaning up the shoreline was a chance to spend time with his son, 15-year-old Ryan Morgan.

The younger Morgan, an Arroyo Grande High School student, was earning extra credit for his participation in the California Coastal Cleanup.

Hal Morgan pointed out that he was not.

“I’m not getting extra credit. I’m just getting time with my son,” he said.

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“Whatever I can do to help,” he added.

And the community did help. Armed with plastic bags of different colors to hold trash and recyclables, individuals, pairs and groups walked along a 2-mile stretch of beach that began at the dunes and reached toward Pismo Beach. They reached down with gloved hands to retrieve garbage in the sand and kept a tally of items gathered by category.

Volunteers turned out to beaches across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties on Saturday to clean the areas from 9 a.m. to noon for the 24th annual California Coastal Cleanup

The event aims to remove debris from beaches and waterways, identify its sources and change human behavior that causes pollution, according to organizers..

The Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County, commonly called ECOSLO, coordinated the San Luis Obispo County cleanup efforts.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday, with 20 out of 25 San Luis Obispo County pickup areas reporting, the day’s effort involved 1,100 volunteers, who gathered 2,800 pounds of trash and picked up 1,500 pounds of recycling, said Caitlin Madden with ECOSLO, the San Luis Obispo County coordinator for the coastal cleanup.

Santa Barbara County Public Works Department coordinated cleanup efforts for its beaches, but officials could not be reached Saturday afternoon for a report on those cleanup efforts.

A Jalama Beach County Park ranger, who did not give his name, said he did not work the morning shift, but heard there was “a pretty good turnout” for the cleanup there.

He said Jalama visitors do their best at keeping the beach clean, but “there’s always room for improvement.”

Elaine Townsend was heading up the Oceano Dunes area cleanup along with her adult daughter, Rebecca Townsend.

At least 100 participants had shown up to clean by mid-morning, with more expected, she said.

“We do it because it’s a danger to people and birds and animals,” she said of trash on the beach, adding that it is also displeasing to the eye.

“It’s very impressive that so many people are interested and willing to help,” Townsend said.

Beach cleaners at the Oceano Dunes signed a waiver before listening to a safety talk and picking up the bags and a data sheet.

Organizers weighed the bags of trash and recyclables as they were brought back from the beach, and Townsend said they would track and tally what items were found.

“As we publicize the number, we hope that people will understand that it’s important not to litter,” she said.

At Saturday’s event, Sharp walked around picking up litter near the parking lot with his daughters Sydney, 5, and Sierra, 2. Sydney was ambitious in the effort, Sierra more so along for the excursion.

Sharp said he “just wanted to introduce them to the concept of volunteering and wanting to help out the community and the environment.”

He said he was among members of the First Presbyterian Church of San Luis Obispo who turned out for the cleanup.

Arroyo Grande High School senior Sarah Stump, 17, walked the beach with a group of others from her high school, including her brother 14-year-old Will Stump, at Saturday’s event.

She said she decided to participate in the cleanup that would earn her community service credits for her senior year.

“I thought I would do something productive that would actually help,” Stump said.

She said she hoped she was effective, “except there’s so many cigarette butts I don’t think I can pick them all up.”

Among those cleaning up the beach at the Oceano Dunes were 121 volunteers who are off-roaders and dunes supporters, said Kevin Rice, organizer of that group.

“Off-roaders really saw this as a chance to show that we care as much as anybody about cleaning the beach,” he said.

Samantha Yale can be reached at: 739-2159 or syale@santamariatimes.com.

September 21, 2008