Volunteers have several opportunities to help clean up area beaches on Saturday.
The International Coast Cleanup is Saturday and several North Olympic Peninsula beaches are included in the Washington CoastSavers Initiative.
Thousands of volunteers help remove tons of marine debris from Washington’s Pacific Coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca each year with cleanups in September and April. In addition to picking up debris from beaches, volunteers can run registration check-in tables, take collected debris to dump sites or conduct after-cleanup barbecue celebrations.
Washington CoastSavers volunteers are asked to go to registration stations before removing debris from beaches.
Registration places and times are as follows:
• Western Strait Beaches: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Clallam Bay Sekiu Visitor Center. This station serves the Clallam Bay, Hoko River, Sekiu River, Chito, Shipwreck Point and Bullman beaches.
Working with CoastSavers on this are Lions Clubs International and Clallam Bay Sekiu Chamber of Commerce.
• Ediz Hook: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harborview Park.
Working with CoastSavers on this is Olympic Peninsula Chief Petty Officer Association.
• Fort Worden: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Fort Worden registration station will be located outside of the marine science center’s museum building underneath the red and white striped tent.
This station will include the Fort Worden State Park beaches, downtown Port Townsend public beach areas, Fort Townsend State Park beaches, Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend beach and North Beach. Participants will meet at Fort Worden, get their supplies and then head out to the local beaches for the marine debris and shoreline trash pickup.
Working with CoastSavers on this is Port Townsend Marine Science Center.
• Chimacum Corner Farmstand: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 9122 Rhody Drive.
This station for the greater Port Hadlock area will include beaches at Fort Townsend State Park; Oak Bay Park and Campground; Indian Island County Park beaches, including trails between beaches; and East Beach on Marrowstone Island; Mystery Bay State Park; and Irondale Beach County Park.
Participants will check in at the Chimacum Corner Farmstand before heading out to the local beaches for the marine debris and shoreline trash pickup. Debris will be collected for disposal at the Chimacum Corner Farmstand.
Cleanups off the North Olympic Peninsula in Washington state include Ocean Shores, Ocean City Beach Approach and Westport and Grayland.
Separate cleanups
Peninsula beaches not included in the CoastSavers initiative are those in Olympic National Park, which is hosting its own initiative with cleanups on Third Beach, Ruby Beach and Ozette beaches.
Online registration for ONP beaches has closed. However, walk-up registration is possible but not guaranteed on the day of the cleanup.
Registration tables will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Third Beach and Ruby Beach parking areas. The registration table at the Ozette trailhead will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Many of these areas are within the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Motor vehicles are prohibited at all park beaches, so volunteers must hike to the beach, walk along the shore and collect trash, and carry litter and debris back to the parking area. In some instances, this could be three or more miles.
Also not participating in the International Coastal Cleanup is the Makah Tribe. CoastSavers said it works with the tribe’s environmental division to conduct beach cleanups as needed.
Volunteers are asked to remove all materials collected from the beach and dispose of it properly.
They also can contribute data to a worldwide collection effort to better understand how much marine debris the initiative hauls in through using Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell App. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also hosts a database, the Marine Debris Tracker App. It can be used to report marine debris as well as shoreline and waterway debris.
For more information about Washington CoastSavers, visit coastsavers.org.
