Event Coincides with 'National Estuaries Week' Kickoff
Los Angeles, CA (August 25, 2014) – On Saturday, September 20, from 8:15am – 1:30pm, The Bay Foundation (TBF) will host its 10th Annual Marina del Rey Kayak Cleanup Day Event as part of the greater annual Coastal Cleanup Day (CCD) which draws over 14,000 volunteers from across Los Angeles County to hundreds of events. As the longest-running kayak and SUP cleanup site, the TBF event is immensely popular each year and spaces fill up early.The annual event coincides with the launch of National Estuaries Week (NEW), which celebrates beaches and estuaries, the vibrant coastal areas where rivers meet the sea. TBF, as a member of the EPA's National Estuaries Program, helps educate about the connection between the watersheds that feed, or drain into, the Santa Monica Bay. TBF encourages everyone to take part in the national #ToastTheCoast social media campaign during that week, starting with pictures of their participation in CCD on Sept. 20.
TBF invites eager volunteers to come and participate with their own (or rented) kayak, SUP board, or boat; there are a limited number of these items available, but they are going fast. In other words, BYOK! or "bring your own kayak!" TBF will provide small nets for volunteers to pick up trash from the ocean. For questions on signing up with your own kayak or being added to the wait list for Sept. 20, please contact Carrie Baldwin, CCD coordinator, cbaldwin@santamonicabay.org.
Last year, the TBF kayak event drew 114 volunteers and collected 114 pounds of trash and 30 pounds of recyclables. To everyone's happy surprise, there was less debris collected last year compared to prior years.The goal of TBF's kayak clean-up is to change people's behavior and habits so that they will recycle more, use less plastic (i.e. zero waste lunches, packaging, etc.), and help protect the benefits and values of Santa Monica Bay and our coastal ocean.
CCD is an international event with over 90 countries around the world participating, making it one of the largest volunteer efforts on the planet. It began 1985 as a way to combat the increasing marine debris along our shorelines. California Coastal Cleanup Day is coordinated in Los Angeles County by Heal the Bay in conjunction with the California Coastal Commission (statewide) and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors.
NEW is the nation's largest volunteer event for estuaries in our country, and this year marks the 26th anniversary of the first National Estuaries Day. This year's NEW is focusing on the connections between our estuaries and our economy. With growing concern about our nation's financial health, it is important to recognize the value that protecting and restoring our estuaries delivers to our national economy. In fact, coastal counties provide more than half the nation's gross domestic product and support more than 69 million jobs—that's about 40% of US employment!
There will be a post-event celebration featuring lunch donated by Chipotle—a TBF-certified Clean Bay Restaurant—and raffle prizes provided by various sponsors. TBF event sponsors include: The Arbor Collective, Bristol Farms, The Cheesecake Factory, ChicoBag, Chipotle, The Counter, Islands, Klean Kanteen, Kurmalliance, Patagonia, Pro Sup Shop, Starbucks, UCLA Marina Aquatic Center, and ZJ Boarding House.About The Bay Foundation (TBF)
The Bay Foundation, also known as the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation, is a 501(c) 3 non-profit environmental group founded in 1990 to restore and enhance the Santa Monica Bay (from the LA-Ventura county line to the Palos Verdes Peninsula) and local coastal waters. The Foundation is the non-profit partner of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission, raising and expending funds for research, education, planning, cleanup efforts and other priorities identified in the Commission's Santa Monica Bay Restoration Plan. As advocates for the Bay, TBF works collaboratively with a broad group of stakeholders, including government agencies, industry, environmental groups, and scientists, to implement innovative policies and projects that clean up the waterways, create green spaces and natural habitats in the Los Angeles region. TBF conducts research and mentors student intern and volunteers through its Center for Santa Monica Bay Studies at Loyola Marymount University. (www.santamonicabay.org)
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