The "Morning After Mess" beach cleanup is an annual tradition held by the Surfrider Foundation.
“Every single year, the 4th of July is the highest attended day at the beach, and as a result, the 5th of July is the dirtiest day," said Alex Ferran, San Diego’s chapter manager for the Surfrider Foundation.
"So year after year, we have been showing up at the beach on the 5th of July, no matter what day of the week it is and finding quite a mess," she said.
Ferran said the pandemic didn't halt their clean up events and they were still able to organize volunteers. "Last year, our volunteers found 1,500 pounds of trash in just two hours of cleaning and that was I believe only four sites that year," she said, "so it's definitely a busy, dirty day."
This year, there are seven clean up sites from Oceanside to Ocean Beach where volunteers can come help clean up from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
But she said the work is only made possible with the help of volunteers, because the San Diego chapter only has two staff members. “Days like July 5th show us so well that our volunteership, really, really cares and they put their hands on the issue — they are boots on the ground and they help us move trash," she said.
Ferran said they always need more volunteers. “Many hands make really good work, so if you think that just one person can't make a huge difference that's just simply not the case and we could certainly use your help on the ground,” she said.
The Surfrider Foundation's cleanup events will be held at these beaches:
- Ocean Beach
- OB Dog Beach
- Mission Beach
- Fiesta Island
- Pacific Beach
- Encinitas
- Oceanside
