Save Our Shores Marks 41 Years of Annual Coastal Cleanup Day With More than a Thousand Volunteers Protecting Monterey Bay

September 20, 2025

Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties — On September 20, Save Our Shores celebrated the 41st anniversary of its Annual Coastal Cleanup Day in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. The final statistics are in and show that 1,412 volunteers successfully cleaned up 58 sites from the most northern site of Waddell State Beach to the most southern site of Andrew Molera State Park preventing 6,801 pounds of pollution from entering Monterey Bay.

This event—part of a global initiative and the largest single-day volunteer effort on the planet—showcases the power of local action to protect and preserve the natural beauty that makes Monterey Bay so special. Since 1984, Save Our Shores has led this regional cleanup, mobilizing families, students, and community groups to prevent plastic, cigarette butts, and other debris from entering our ocean.

In just three hours, volunteers removed 6,229 pounds of trash and 572 pounds of recyclables. The most unusual items picked up included a check made out for $2,000 and a fake mustache! This year the new “Trashure Hunt” debuted—the world’s largest scavenger hunt. One treasure chest was hidden in each county, and the lucky volunteers who found them walked away with fun prizes.

As always, volunteers collected data on the types of litter picked up to help improve local policies and reduce future pollution.

‘Every year we’re amazed by the outpouring of support from our community. This year’s turnout shows how deeply people care about Monterey Bay, and the new Trashure Hunt gave volunteers a fun way to connect while protecting the places they love,’ said Krista Rogers, Program Manager at Save Our Shores

The success of this event underscores the power of community collaboration. A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all the volunteers, local nonprofits, businesses, government partners, and community members who made this day possible. Your dedication ensures that Monterey Bay’s habitats remain vibrant and that its wildlife thrives for generations to come.

Thank you to the following groups for making this day possible:

Sponsors: California Coastal Commission, City of Capitola, City of Santa Cruz, City of Watsonville, County of Santa Cruz, Ethos Low Waste Shop & Refillery, New Leaf, Nordic Naturals, MontereySEA, Tod & Cathy Spieker, Tortilla Shack

Site Captain Partner Businesses & Organizations: Aqua Safaris Scuba Center, Ben Lomond Village Alliance, Boy Scout Troop 134, California State Parks, Cal State Monterey Bay, City of Sand City, City of Watsonville, Dream Inn Santa Cruz, Follow the Sun Art, Giant Kelp Restoration Project, Habitat Stewardship Project, Healing is Giving, Keep California Green and Golden, Inc., Lompico Community Center, Monterey Audubon Society, Monterey Expeditions, Monterey High School Ocean Advocacy Club, Pacific Paw, Parkour Generations Santa Cruz , Patagonia, River Studio 116, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Save The Waves Coalition, Shimizu Jones Consulting, SLV Women’s Club, Spanky’s Café, Surfrider Monterey, Sustainable Seaside, The Local Beachcomber, The Youth Science Institute, Tobacco Education Coalition, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Santa Cruz County, Ventana Wilderness Alliance, Watsonville High School SAVE Club, Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Wilder Ranch State Park

For more information about Save Our Shores or to get involved in future events, visit saveourshores.org

Media Contact

Katie Thompson, Executive Director
Save Our Shores
katie@saveourshores.org