Keeping the coast fresh and clean

Suzie Harrison

Main Beach should look a little prettier than normal Saturday

afternoon.

By then, it will have benefited from three hours of cleanup as

part of a “First Flush” adopt-a-beach program put on by Clean Water

Now! Coalition and the Laguna Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon.

It’s called “First Flush” because after heavy rains the storm

drains completely evacuate and all the debris is discharged into the

ocean.

Rick Wilson, president of the Laguna Beach Surfrider Chapter,

encourages everyone to come out and participate.

“Be a part of the solution instead of the problem,” Wilson said.

“We want people to take ownership of their beach.”

It’s Laguna Beach’s fifth year participating in the program, which

the California Costal Commission developed, along the annual Coastal

Cleanup Day.

Main Beach serves as the headquarters where volunteers can pick up

cleaning materials, bags and gloves.

“The Hearts of Montage,” the community outreach program led by the

associates of Montage Resort and Spa, will also clean up at the

resort.

Main Beach is not the only area that needs care, said Roger von

Butow, founder and president of Clean Water Now! Every beach and

strand in Laguna needs to be cleaned.

He encourages volunteers to pick their favorite spot.

“This is an Adopt-A-beach program,” Wilson said. “Who better to

adopt a beach than the people who live here?”

Von Butow estimates several hundred pounds of trash is picked up

at each Adopt-A-beach cleanup.

“On average about 500 pounds is picked up -- mostly cigarette

butts, foam packing pieces, tennis balls and empty plastic water

bottles,” von Butow said.

No organic debris is removed from the beach.

“We’re going to ask City Council on Feb. 1 to partner on these

programs,” von Butow said. “We want to expand it onto the business

community, and we need supplies from the city.”

Von Butow said the goal is more efficient public education.

The Laguna Beach Lifeguard Assn., Soul Surfing School and Aloha

School of Surfing are also partnering for Saturday’s event.

Free all-day parking certificates are given to volunteers with

Laguna Beach Police Department’s full cooperation.

For information, call Rick Wilson at (949) 492-8170 or Roger von Butow at (949) 497-4816.