Why is the Adopt-a-Beach program so important?

There are many reasons why the Adopt-a-Beach members clean up San Clemente beaches. The reasons range from the protection of marine animals to pollution education for their children to a sense of fulfillment by giving back to our community. Whatever your reason(s) are, it's also important to remember to motivate ourselves to keep up with the task at hand. I too have had a hard time motivating myself this summer; however, the heat of summer and the inundation of tourists to our San Clemente beaches only give us more reason to get out there and pick up the trash!

Personally, I find motivation in the effects of pollution on our environment, one of which is the huge patch of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean, known as:

The "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"

Last month the Scripps Insitute of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, launched a three week investigation of the Garbage Patch. What they found was that it is roughly the size of Texas, and instead of being a solid island of plastic, it is composed of millions of tiny pieces of plastic that float just under the surface of the ocean! One nsource of the plastic is thought to be the west coast of the United States! To read more about the Garbage Patch and the Scripps Institute investigation, please click on the links below:

http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/

http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html

Sept. 18 Art Auction

SAVE THE DATE!!! The Sept. 18 Art Auction is our BIGGEST event of the year, and we expect all our teams to participate! Please check your email for your personal invite to this event!

Sept. 19 Coastal Cleanup Day

The perfect way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning in San Clemente! Please help out by either (1) cleaning up your section of San Clemente coastline or (2) come down to the pier and help the San Clemente Watershed Task Force by cleaning the beach, pier, or trail!

Monthly Reports: The monthly reports can now be found at: http://www.scwatersheds.com/reports.htm

Contact information update: I want to make sure that our members are getting the most up-to-date Adopt-a-Beach information! Please email me at colleenmcanfield@hotmail.com with your current phone number, email address, list of team members, and preferred beach section.

Personal Note: Please excuse my absence from the Sept. 3 party! I am currently on doctor ordered bed-rest, but I will be back in action as soon as possible! I am hoping I will be able to make it to the Art Auction!