Local cleanup joins worldwide effort

The annual San Lorenzo Valley River and Road Cleanup has been combined with the worldwide Coastal Cleanup, set for Sept. 19.
The Valley Women’s Club has partnered with Santa Cruz-based Save Our Shores to help clean the San Lorenzo River during the worldwide Coastal Cleanup that day.
The partnership with Save Our Shores will replace the organization’s annual San Lorenzo Valley River and Road Cleanup, which has been in October the past 22 years.
The Valley Women’s Club will coordinate cleanup sites along the San Lorenzo River at Fillmore Street in Ben Lomond and at the Recycling Center, 12890 Highway 9, in Boulder Creek.
Another valley organization, SLV Citizens Organized for Responsible Ecology, will collaborate with Save Our Shores for a second year to remove trash from the riparian corridor at Felton’s Covered Bridge Park.
“It’s important to connect our watershed to the health of the ocean, because everything we do up here affects our oceans, as well,” said Beth Hollenbeck of SLV CORE. “We’re hoping our efforts will help people make the connection between how sick our rivers are and the quality of water in the ocean.”
The annual Coastal Cleanup draws hundreds of thousands of volunteers who weigh, bag and haul away millions of pounds of debris, such as cigarette butts, furniture, tires and plastic bags.
A year ago, volunteers collected 6.8 million pounds of debris in 100 countries — the largest single day of gloabl trash collection.
“The dirty underbelly of our communities is in the river,” said Emily Glanville, marine debris coordinator for Save Our Shores. “We’re very grateful that Valley Women’s Club and CORE, who have a vested interest in their community river sites, are helping us out.”
At a glance
To preregister for the Coastal Cleanup and for more information, visit www.saveour
shores.org
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