> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Thousands of local volunteers turn out - URL: https://www.smdp.com/thousands-of-local-volunteers-turn-out/ - Published: 2006-09-19T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T21:24:58.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Environment, Pier, #archive-import *Thousands of local volunteers turn out* *By AMY KAUFMAN Special to the Daily Press* THE BEACH — A 5-foot-long mountain lion carcass, a handgun and a sewing loom. Not things one might envision lying next to while sunbathing at a local beach. However, that was the reality at Leo Carrillo State Beach in Malibu, Topanga State Beach and Redondo Beach Pier on Saturday when volunteers spent three hours collecting trash during the 22nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Other bizarre items found included a Mongolian fire pot cooker at Topanga State Trippett Ranch, a breast pump located in the LA River in the Sepulveda Basin and a steel-jaw bear trap at Harbor Park. The state Coastal Commission will award cash prizes to those who located the more unusual items. The most common trash pieces collected again this year included cigarette butts, small pieces of Styrofoam and plastic straws. In all, 66,014 pounds of trash and 3,298 pounds of recy-clables were collected, according to Coastal Cleanup Day coordinator Leila Hamdan. While recyclables piled up in higher volume than last year, total trash collection decreased by nearly 20,000 pounds. The decrease in trash volume was not due to lessened volunteer efforts but rather to an increase in public awareness and education about pollution, Hamdan said. Nearly 10,000 volunteers ages 8 to 80 showed up to the cleanup effort, helping to make the event the largest volunteer day on the planet. California was only one of the 50 states to help the international effort, which is now held in 88 countries. Turn-out numbers remained consistent from last year. The Coastal Cleanup Day was organized by Heal the Bay, one of the largest nonprofit environmental organizations in Los Angeles County. Founded 21 years ago, Heal the Bay is dedicated to its mission to make Santa Monica Bay and Southern California coastal waters healthy and safe for residents as well as marine life. The state hosted cleanup efforts at 58 sites this year in Los Angeles County. Santa Monica Pier was one of the most popular locations, with just more than 1,000 volunteers helping to clean two miles of beach and gathering 678 pounds of trash and 233 pounds of recyclables. The turn-out was high at the Redondo, Westward and Will Rogers beaches as well, with each beach drawing approximately 300 volunteers. “Coastal Cleanup Day isn’t just about one day at one beach, but about raising awareness of how each individual can make a positive environmental impact every single day of the year,” said Dr. Mark Gold, the executive director of Heal the Bay. “Maintaining clean inland creeks, rivers and watersheds is an essential part of keeping our oceans healthy.” Among the volunteers were a handful of California public officials. State Representative Jane Harman made a speech to kick off the events at the Venice Beach Pier, while Santa Monica City Councilman Bobby Shriver and State Assembly member Paul Koretz (West Hollywood) visited the Rose Avenue site at Venice. Divers from Culver City’s Eco Dive Center helped out Santa Monica Beach site efforts by gathering trash below the water. One dive cleanup team even located a discarded handgun in the waters off the Redondo Beach Pier. “It would take over 300 divers and industrial equipment to make a large impact in removing the amount of trash located near the pier,” said Philippe Besson, an instructor with the Eco Dive Center. Besson added that despite poor visibility, he believes the day’s volunteers truly made a difference considering the volume of trash they collected. “Just seeing all of the cigarette butts piling up is a tremendous experience,” Hamdan said. “You can just imagine what it would be like if all of that had ended up in the ocean.” Companies such as 1-800-GOT-JUNK and GI Rubbish donated trash bins to temporarily store the waste, which was later sent to landfills. Residents interested in cleaning the beaches year-round can participate in Heal the Bay’s “Nothin’ But Sand Cleanups,” held on the third Saturday of every month. The cleanups are held at various rotating locations at beaches throughout Los Angeles county. The next cleanup will be held on Oct. 21 at a location that has yet to be determined. Visit www.healthebay.org for updated information on volunteer efforts. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/091906.pdf?ref=smdp.com)