Coastal Clean-Up Day is an annual event where communities across the world come together to protect our coasts by cleaning up neighborhoods or natural areas. The City of Goleta partners with the County of Santa Barbara, Explore Ecology, and other local jurisdictions to clean up our favorite beaches and open spaces.

Marine debris and microplastics harm our ocean and marine life. How can we combat this problem? One solution is to clean our beaches before plastic litter has a chance to make its way to the ocean. Join the thousands of volunteers around the world who make a stand for cleaner oceans and waterways and sign up for Coastal Cleanup Day!

Join us on Saturday, September 18, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Community members are encouraged to clean up their favorite beach. City of Goleta staff are Beach Captains at Haskell’s Beach this year– stop by, say hi, and become part of the solution to ocean pollution. Pre-registration is not required but is encouraged. To register, click here.

Each site will have a captain on hand to provide necessary instructions and supplies. We encourage volunteers to bring their own gloves, buckets, and other reusable cleanup supplies to lessen the plastic footprint of this event. If you can’t make the cleanup on the 18th, we encourage you to cleanup any time during the month of September and your cleanup data will be included as part of Coastal Cleanup Day!

There is a great app that can help us track how well we are doing as a community, and globally. Use the Clean Swell App to report the different kinds and amounts of trash you find. 

To find out more about what to bring, tips for the cleanup, how to use the Clean Swell app, different ways to report your data, where to park, how to receive community service hours, and more, visit the Explore Ecology website.

Send us Photos of Yourself in Action!

Show us your cleanup! Please send us your best pictures of you participating in a Coastal Clean-Up activity:

• Tag the City of Goleta and Explore Ecology: @CityofGoleta and @SBCoast (Facebook) and @CityofGoleta and @ExploreEcology (Instagram), in your posts! Please also tag us while you’re out and about, or after you complete your cleanup. Use the hashtags: #coastalcleanup, #protectyourhappyplace, and #cityofgoleta.
• Email us your best pictures for a chance to be on Goleta’s Facebook page and Environmental Services web page! Send you pictures, along with a short caption, to PIO@cityofgoleta.org.

Have fun and remember, safety first!

Pictured: City of Goleta Environmental Services Coordinator Melissa Nelson participating in Coastal Clean Up Day in 2020