Inside the Outdoors, a program administered by the Orange County Department of Education, is aiming to make waves on World Ocean Day with a free volunteer event to clean up microplastics at Salt Creek Beach Park.
The event, taking place at 33333 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point, coincides with World Ocean Day, which was founded in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The day seeks to inspire people to be stewards of the environment, educate the public about the vital role oceans play in our ecosystem and protect marine life.
Representatives from Inside the Outdoors — in partnership with the Municipal Water District of Orange County — and staff from OC Parks will guide participants through Salt Creek Beach Park, a popular surfing location with a protected tide pool. They will provide gloves, bags and tools necessary to help remove microplastics from the beach. Volunteers are asked to register via this link.
Microplastics, often invisible to the naked eye, result from the breakdown of larger plastic items and can be ingested by marine animals, leading to harmful effects on their health and the broader ecosystem.
The event is open to individuals and families with children over the age of 5. Participants are encouraged to use sun protection, bring drinking water and wear close-toed shoes.
The cleanup effort will be canceled in the event of rain. To learn more about Inside the outdoors or about this specific event, contact insidetheoutdoors@ocde.us or 714-708-3885.