On May 24th, I Love A Clean San Diego celebrated its 20th Kids’ Ocean Day, fostering the next wave of environmentally informed and engaged students. Kids’ Ocean Day is not just an excuse for students to hang out at the beach during the school day. It actually begins weeks before in the schools with ILACSD staff facilitating educational presentations for local elementary school students! These students then join ILACSD and a team of volunteers at the beach for a litter cleanup and the formation of an aerial art piece.
During the assemblies, ILACSD educators teach students about the importance of marine life, how their actions affect the ocean, and how they have the power to protect the health our environment. “It was absolutely fantastic. We had kids eager to go to other beaches to clean them up. I can’t say enough good things about how much the kids loved the assembly,” said one teacher from Los Peñasquitos Elementary. The teacher explained how they loved their students being able to see others come together to make a difference for their community during the beach cleanup. The teacher was thrilled to have their students participate in Kids’ Ocean Day, saying, “Thank you so much for this incredible experience. We can’t thank you enough for this opportunity.”
Over the 20 years that ILACSD has hosted Kids’ Ocean Day, we have engaged 20,816 participants and removed approximately 7,280 lbs. of debris from San Diego’s coastline.
Each year, the five participating California cities determine a statewide-theme for the artwork. The 2018 theme – “Waves of Change” – evokes images of our youngest generations propelling us forward towards a cleaner, safer, and more mindful future. It illustrates how our daily choices, including what we eat, wear, discard, and purchase, have far-reaching effects. This message is broadcast to the world through the art formation. It serves as a call to action for others to join the cause and be mindful of consumption and disposal habits. Check out the video below to see the final aerial art image being formed!
Students collected plastic debris on Mission Beach using re-purposed water jugs!
“Kids’ Ocean Day is my favorite day of the year,” said Emily Nelson, Education Manager at I Love A Clean San Diego. “This entire event, from the assembly to the cleanup and aerial artwork, showcases the power of the individual, no matter their age. I hope each child realizes just how important and powerful they are.”
We would not have been able to make “Waves of Change” without the help of our sponsors, our volunteers, teachers, and students!
Thank you to all of our Kid’s Ocean Day sponsor for investing in a cleaner San Diego!
Join ILACSD as we team up with the City of Carlsbad to bring you Seaside Sustainability: Ditching Disposables on Wednesday, June 20th from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM! We are excited to help spread the word about sustainable practices and make it easy for residents to implement these actions into their everyday lives by providing FREE a reusable 3-in-1 spork and a stainless steel straw! At three locations throughout Carlsbad, ILACSD will be talking with community members about minimizing consumption of single-use plastics, reducing food waste, and building sustainable habits. Communities member will then be able to put that knowledge into action by using the reusable items that will be handed out. Stroll through Carlsbad, enjoy a bite to eat, and take pride in the plastic utensils and straws that won’t end up in a landfill!
Stop by the ILACSD booth and grab your reusable utensils and straw at one of the following locations:
Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant | 2968 State Street
Las Olas Mexican Restaurant | 2939 Carlsbad Blvd
C’Est La Vie | 2805 Roosevelt Street
Did you know that 80% of coastal debris stems from inland sources? With your help, we can eliminate trash and waste before they pollute our ocean while preserving the canyon’s natural state!
Join I Love A Clean San Diego at the Clean Canyons for a Clean Coast cleanup on Saturday, June 30, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Volunteers will meet at the church located at 4195 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA 92116.
Share this event with your friends and family to help make an impact on San Diego communities. Join in our efforts to be zero waste by bringing your own reusable items such as a water bottle, work gloves, or a bucket!
All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form to participate and anyone under the age of 18 needs a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
Every year thousands of people flock to our beautiful beaches for the summer holidays, and every year tons of trash is left behind. Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the Surfrider Foundation San Diego for the annual Morning After Mess Cleanup. Last year, 280 volunteers collected 1,015 lbs.of debris in three short hours at our site – let’s see what we can find this year!
The litter cleanup will take place on Friday, July 5th from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Volunteers will meet at Mission Beach Park at Belmont Park located at 3000 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109. We will have cleanup supplies, snacks, and water. We also provide community service hours and Letters of Appreciation for volunteers.
As with all of our volunteer events, we encourage volunteers to bring their own reusable items such as water bottles, work gloves, and buckets to promote zero waste practices and help us in our mission to have a zero waste, litter free, and environmentally engaged San Diego region!
All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form to participate and anyone under the age of 18 needs a waiver signed by their parent or guardian. Waivers will be available on-site as well.
This event qualifies for the VOLUNTEER patch in our 65th Anniversary Commemorative Patch set! Order details will be available after the event, be sure to register for verification.
Join ILACSD and the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup on Saturday, June 23, 2018, from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM in Bonsall! Volunteers will meet at the Bonsall Community Center located at 31505 Old River Rd, Bonsall, CA 92003. We will pick up trash around the Bonsall Community Center and along the Bonsall Preserve to divert waste from the San Luis Rey watershed and maintain the natural beauty of the community!
We will have cleanup supplies, snacks, and water. We also provide community service hours and Letters of Appreciation for volunteers. This is a great opportunity for students and families to learn ways to protect our local environment!
We encourage volunteers to bring their own reusable items such as water bottles, work gloves, and buckets to promote zero waste practices and help us in our mission to have a zero waste, litter free and environmentally engaged San Diego region!
All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form to participate and anyone under the age of 18 needs a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
One of the best ways people choose to spend their holiday weekends is on the beach — especially in sunny San Diego. With Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day coming up, families and friends will flock to the coast to celebrate their long weekends. In response to the influx of locals and tourists, ILACSD and the San Diego Clean Beach Coalition (SDCBC) will place 200 temporary trash and recycling bins along some of the city’s busiest beaches to reduce the amount of beach and marine litter.
A Clean Beach Coalition recycling bins set out for the Fourth of July last summer!
Over the past decade, SDCBC has kept 3.5 million pounds of trash off the beach and out of the ocean. This past year, over 61,000 pounds of debris were collected during the summer holiday weekends. With the support of Think Blue San Diego, PB Shore Club, FreePB, and more, SDCBC aims to educate beachgoers about the benefits of swapping reusable alternatives for single-use products.
How can you make the most out of your holiday weekends while staying sustainable? SDCBC recommends that visitors bring hard plastic coolers, refillable water bottles, and food storage containers to reduce the amount of disposables items brought to the beach. Avoid bringing plastic straws and utensils! And make sure all recyclables are clean, dry, and empty. Spend less time worrying about your waste by visiting our zero waste database, WasteFreeSD.org, for everything you need to know about reusable options!
Summer can stay sustainable by simply packing reusable options when preparing to head to the beach!
In fact, your only worry while basking in the sun at the beach should be when to reapply sunscreen. That is why SDCBC’s goal is to ensure that the safety of the community and the ecosystem is not compromised by the impact of litter. With these easily accessible CBC bins, visitors are able to responsibly throw away and recycle their waste while still enjoying their vacations. Even at the most crowded beaches, people will still be able to enjoy the sun, sand, and the ocean in San Diego!
Not planning to hit the beach for the holidays? No worries! You can still party with a purpose while you celebrate this summer! A picture is all it takes to support ILACSD as the local Keep America Beautiful affiliate. With Absolut Vodka’s new Absolut America campaign, for every photo submitted through the site, $1 will be donated to Keep America Beautiful or another selected charity. After submitting your photo, you can share the decked out picture on social media to show how easy it is to support ILACSD and Keep America Beautiful all summer while you #PartyWithAPurpose with #AbsolutAmerica.
Support Keep America Beautiful and its affiliates by submitting a photo of how you party with a purpose to Absolut America!
With the Clean Beach Coalition and Absolut America, it is simple to #DoBeautifulThings. Just by recognizing the impact that waste has on water ecosystems, San Diegans are better prepared to act wisely when it comes to waste, especially during the summer holidays. For more information about the Clean Beach Coalition, make sure to visit CleanBeachCoalition.org.
Join I Love A Clean San Diego as we team up with the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup on Saturday, June 9, 2018, from 8:00 to 10:00 AM at Rainbow County Park located at 5157 Fifth Street, Rainbow, CA 92028! We will pick up trash around the park and surrounding neighborhood to divert waste from the Santa Margarita watershed and enhance the area’s natural beauty for the community!
We will have cleanup supplies, snacks, and water. We also provide community service hours and Letters of Appreciation for volunteers. This is a great opportunity for students and families to learn ways to protect our local environment!
We encourage volunteers to bring their own reusable items such as water bottles, work gloves, and buckets to promote zero waste practices and help us in our mission to have a zero waste, litter free and environmentally engaged San Diego region!
All volunteers are required to fill out a waiver form to participate and anyone under the age of 18 needs a waiver signed by their parent or guardian.
Join ILACSD as we team up with the City of Carlsbad to bring you a workshop focused on sustainable living! On Saturday, June 23, 2018, we will be hosting the Seaside Sustainability Workshop from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the Dove Library located at 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad, CA92011. The event is completely FREE and open to the public.
Come by and learn how to set yourself up for success in sustainability! Visit educational booths, participate in one of the hands-on activities, and bring in gently used items you were planning to donate and participate in the Swap ‘n’ Shop! Swap ‘n’ Shop participants can exchange or donate those items giving them a second life and keeping them out of the landfill. Make sure to stick around for our raffle where you have the opportunity to win sustainable prizes that will help with your eco-friendly journey!
Get registered today to reserve your spot! We hope to see you there!
Bike to Work Day is less than a week away! Are you ready to ride? Celebrated regionally in San Diego this year on Thursday, May 17, 2018, Bike to Work Day is a nationally recognized event that encourages everyone to GO by BIKE and supports biking as an everyday, environmentally friendly commute choice. However, if you’re not a regular rider, it’s important to think about a few things before you jump on two wheels. Here are a few things to review and prep to have a successful Bike to Work Day!
Before the Big Day
What You Need:
Well, first and foremost, you need a bike. According to iCommuteSD, “Participating in Bike to Work Day means using pedal power. Beach cruisers, mountain bikes, road bikes, elliptical bikes, electric bikes, and bikeshare bikes are all great ways to GO by BIKE.” You’ll want to make sure the type of bike you have is suitable for your ride (maybe avoid a beach cruiser if you’ll hit a lot of hills on your route). You’ll want to make sure your bike is in good condition before you go. Check the brakes, tires, and chain to make sure they are properly maintained. Make sure your bike fits you comfortably. Check your seat height and handlebars.
If it’s been a little while since you’ve been on your bike, chances are it needs a little maintenance.
If you don’t have a bike of your own, you might want to make sure you have a plan for utilizing a bikeshare bike on a day they will likely be very busy! Luckily, a few bikeshare programs will be running a Bike to Work Day special! Discover Bike, LimeBike, Mobike, and Ofo will all offer free bike rides for up to one hour on Thursday, May 17 to the first 100 people from 6 – 9 AM. Just use the following promo codes: Discover Bike (33844), LimeBike (LIME2WORK), Mobike (sandiegobtw), or Ofo (SDBTWD2018).
Break out your bike lock and helmet!
Outside of a bike, you’ll want to make sure you have a helmet! Safety is key on a bike.If you take a spill, you’ll want to make sure you have a helmet on and any other protective gear you prefer. California law requires everyone younger than 18 to wear a helmet. On top of a helmet, you’ll want to make sure you have a way to lock your bike up (unless you use a bikeshare bike). You can protect your bike with a lock (make sure you lock up your bike properly if you have any quick release tires) or utilize one of many bike parking or bike locker options.
Does your bike have a basket or spot to store a few things? If not, make sure you have a backpack or something to carry any items you might need to take to and from the office. If you have a long ride ahead of you, consider leaving a change of clothes and shoes in your office a day before. Make it easier on yourself and carry less by having anything you need to freshen up after your ride already at the office.
Depending on when you ride, you might need to consider lights for your bike as well. Being seen is vitally important! If the sun will be down for any portion of your ride, come prepared with lights. For longer trips, you might consider a patch kit and tire pump, but luckily, there will be plenty of pit stops on Bike to Work Day. Don’t forget your manners! Know all the hand signals for riding and always keep bike etiquette in mind!
Read up on the rules of the road before you bike if you are unfamiliar!
Plan Your Route:
Know where you want to go! It’s important to be safe when you share the road with motorists. Be prepared by knowing the best route to your office for when on two wheels! The best route to work in your car may not work so well on your bike. Use the iCommuteSD interactive Bike Map to help figure out the best way to GO by BIKE.
Get Registered:
Register for Bike to Work Day to get all of the information on pit stop locations and be a part of the thousands of commuters throughout the San Diego region participating in Bike to Work Day on Thursday, May 17. When you register for Bike to Work Day, you can pick up a free t-shirt at one of 100 pit stops throughout San Diego County from 6 to 9 AM (participants must show proof of registration to claim their free t-shirt).
While You Ride
People riding bikes have the same rights and responsibilities as people driving cars. You can use a rack or backpack to keep your hands free. Hand signals should always be used to indicate your turns. Avoid using headphones or a cell phone. Be aware of traffic laws just like you would in a car! Use bike lanes when available, but know your rights on the road when sharing with other vehicles!
Stay safe and feel free to take a break while you ride!
Need a Break? Hit a Pit Stop
A total of 100 Bike to Work Day pit stops are planned across San Diego County, which will be open from 6 to 9 AM on Thursday, May 17 for anyone who registers.Pit stops offer fun breaks for bike riders to rest and pick up a free t-shirt, snacks, and encouragement. Some stops may even be able to assist with minor maintenance if you run into an issue. For a list of the Bike to Work 2018 pit stop locations and to see what is offered at pit stops along your route, check out the pit stop map.
Go Beyond Bike to Work Day
GO by BIKE All Year Long
The fun doesn’t stop after Bike to Work Day! San Diego has over 1,570 miles of bikeways in the San Diego region, you can get almost anywhere by riding a bike. You can participate in the City of San Diego’s Transit Tuesdays every week on your bike. iCommute is always a helpful resource to get started with riding tips, information about taking your bike on transit, bike safety tips, and more.
We’re excited about your biking adventure and would love to see how it goes! Share your Bike to Work Day story with us by tagging I Love A Clean San Diego in your Bike to Work Day photos on social! PEDAL ON!
Enjoy a family-friendly evening of delicious pancakes, breakfast cocktails, games, an exciting raffle, and more at Snooze Hillcrest for Toast the Coast, this year’s Summer Social! We invite you to kick off I Love A Clean San Diego’s 65th year at this fun-filled event! Proceeds from Toast the Coast support environmental education, community beautification, and zero waste resources throughout San Diego County.
Tickets are $25 per person for folks 21 years old and up and $15 for guests 20 and under. All tickets include Snooze’s signature pancakes, breakfast tacos, and other tasty menu options, as well as non-alcoholic drinks; adult tickets also include one drink token for select cocktails. A cash bar is available for any additional alcohol purchases.
Special thanks to Snooze, the presenting sponsor of this year’s event, for their generous support and incredible commitment to our environment!
Tickets are on sale now. We look forward to seeing you there!
