California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025

California Coastal Cleanup Day is an annual statewide volunteer effort dedicated to removing trash and plastic pollution from beaches, inland waterways, parks, and other open spaces. Plastic pollution is harmful to wildlife and marine ecosystems, endangering animals through entanglement, ingestion, and habitat disruption. Since plastic does not biodegrade, it gradually breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics, which are ingested and increasingly found in wildlife and human food sources.

Be part of the solution! This September, California Coastal Cleanup Day returns, and there are two ways volunteers can participate:

Option 1: Saturday, September 20, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Volunteer for a traditional single-day cleanup event. The City of Thousand Oaks is looking for volunteers to help collect litter along Arroyo Conejo Creek South and its tributaries. Volunteers should meet at Borchard Park picnic area C behind the tennis courts at 8:45 a.m. to receive collection supplies and instructions. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes and bring their own water bottle (refills available), face mask (optional), bucket (optional), and gloves (a limited supply of nitrile gloves will be available on-site). A hat and sunscreen are highly recommended. For alternative locations, volunteers can choose from a number of cleanup sites in Ventura County. Pre-registration is not required for participation; however, volunteers must complete a waiver to participate. This will be available on site or can be completed in advance.

Option 2: Self-guided Neighborhood Cleanups. Participate throughout the month of September by cleaning your neighborhoods, parks, and other local areas. The trash from inland areas flows downstream to the coast, so cleaning up neighborhood trash prevents it from reaching the ocean and harming marine life. Download the CleanSwell app and use it to track the litter you pick up (so it is counted in State totals), and clean on your own time throughout September while out hiking, biking, or walking your neighborhood. Statewide, over 46,000 Californians participated in Coastal Cleanup Day and neighborhood cleanup sites during September 2024 and together prevented almost 400,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from entering our stormwater systems and potentially polluting our waterways, coast, and ocean.

By participating in California Coastal Cleanup Day, you’re doing more than picking up litter; you’re protecting ecosystems, preventing plastics from entering the ocean, and preserving the natural beauty of our environment. However you choose to participate, every piece of trash you collect makes a difference. Thank you for keeping our beaches and waterways clean and healthy! For more information visit www.vccoastcleanup.org.

Show us your cleanup! Post your cleanup photos using the #ProtectYourHappyPlace hashtag and see how your community is participating!