San Rafael Clean and the San Rafael Volunteer Program coordinated 6 locations throughout San Rafael for the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Over 200 volunteers came out to clean up McInnis Creek, Pickleweed Park, 3 locations along Shoreline Path, and Mahon Creek. This was our biggest turnout ever and included 121 adults and 86 youth. In addition, volunteers collected 1,812 pounds of trash and recyclables – almost a ton of debris. Volunteers and community groups were stellar, worked with enthusiasm and contributed a great spirit to the event. Special thanks to the folks from Practical Martial Arts, Marin Montessori School, Harbor Rotary, Marin Conservation League, and Autodesk, who hosted cleanup sites and coordinated the bulk of volunteers. The most unusual items found were a plastic hot dog and a little red corvette (toy, that is).

If you liked this event, please come out to Make a Difference Day on October 18. We’ll be doing equal parts cleanup and park user surveys to get a bead on why the litter count is going up, and what we can do to stem the tide and keep the trash from clogging storm drains and impacting our environment in a negative way. More info, click here.