Volunteer for the county's largest single-day environmental cleanup! Protecting our coast starts at your front door

FAQ

• Q: How do I register?

  You can create a profile on our Community Hub to prepare for Coastal Cleanup Day 2022 and stay up to date with other volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

• Q: Can I register as a family or household group?

  Yes! As you register for the cleanup on the Community Hub, you can (1) create a new group or (2) select an existing group (from a past event). 

  You can register on behalf of your group and list the # of volunteers you expect; this makes you the point of communication and you can relay information you get from us to your group members. This option is great for smaller groups with an advisor like scout troops and student clubs.

  You can also register your group for the cleanup and list the # of “invites” you would like; this creates a unique URL for your group sign-up that you can send to your group members to sign themselves up under your group “umbrella”. This option is great for larger groups where everyone can be responsible for receiving information from us, like a church congregation or a corporate team.

• Q: How old do I have to be to volunteer?

  Coastal Cleanup Day is a great event for the whole family. Kids are welcome to participate; volunteering at a young age can instill community stewardship for life! 

  If kids want to register but do not have an email, a guardian can register as a group and include them as a member count (a “group” is a general term that can include a family, a team, or any type of group you can think of at any size – including just 2 people).

• Q: How do I prepare?

  To make this as sustainable as possible, try to use your own reusable supplies from around the house – items like litter buckets, litter grabbers, gardening gloves, face masks, and reusable water bottles. 

  You may want to bring snacks, hand sanitizer, and cleanup-ready clothing like closed-toed shoes and a big hat. Check out this Supply Guide to repurpose what you have around your house.

• Q: What do I wear?

  You can feel prepared with gloves, closed-toed shoes, a hat, and sunscreen. We strongly encourage face masks if you are with a group or working in a tight space. If you live close to a canyon, we recommend long pants and long-sleeved shirts (but keep in mind it is September in San Diego!).

• Q: Where should I do my cleanup?

  We host Cleanup Sites that identify commonly trashed areas around the County that can use your help! You can also volunteer in your neighborhood, in a nearby park or canyon you enjoy, or in an area you know can use some extra help. 

• Q: How can I stay safe?

  Follow CDC Guidance on vaccinated and unvaccinated requirements throughout the County. For cleanup-related safety, please read the safety guidelines you’ll receive via email when you register!

• Q: How will we know our impact?

  YOU submit your cleanup data! Participating volunteers will be able to contribute to real time, crowd-sourced data by reporting your volunteer impact. Once registered, volunteers will receive a link to a detailed form to report back their cleanup stats, which can be accessed on mobile or desktop. Paper data cards will also be available for those that need them. As part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, this community-based science will contribute to a global database. 

  After you submit your litter report, check out our Volunteer Impact Map to see the stats grow and the map get filled in with cleanups from around the County!

• Q: Does this count for community service? What about court ordered service?

  This event does qualify for Community Service Hours but it does not qualify for Court Ordered hours. Since this is not an in-person gathering, we are unable to verify Court Ordered Hours for this cleanup.

  In order to receive volunteer hours, service forms and Letters of Appreciation – volunteers will need to be:

  1. 1. Registered for the event through I Love A Clean San Diego’s Community Hub
     2. Participate in the cleanup
     3. Capture a photo of your active participation in the cleanup
     4. Log your volunteer hours post cleanup through your profile on the Community Hub.

  Volunteers who are registered for the cleanup are eligible to request community service verification and Letters of Appreciation. To request volunteer hours verification – follow this guide to Log Your hours and complete the logbook survey to request community service forms.

• Q: Can my troop get patches for participating?

  We’re out of our official patch for Coastal Cleanup Day 2021. Stay tuned to participate in Creek to Bay April 2022, where we will have a new patch to thank volunteers.