About 835 volunteers had registered online by late last week for the Washington Coast Cleanup this Saturday.
And more are needed to clean beaches of trash and other debris, said Jon Schmidt of Sequim, Washington CoastSavers coordinator.
“We know that winter storms have brought in a lot of debris, particularly on the outer coast,” he said. “We have reports from multiple areas saying it looks pretty rough.
“We can use all the help we can get.”
Online registration
Volunteers can visit www.coastsavers.org to register, selecting from dozens of beaches from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Pacific Coast beaches down to the Long Beach Peninsula.
Volunteers don’t have to have preregister online to work.
All are welcome, Schmidt said.
Last April during the annual cleanup, some 1,500 volunteers picked up some 19 tons of trash from beaches.
Schmidt expects about 2,000 to work on the beaches “if the weather holds” Saturday.
That’s counting an expected 1,000 Long Beach Peninsula volunteers, who generally don’t register online, he said.
Many in Port Townsend
Eager volunteers in Port Townsend had filled up the online quota by Friday, but Schmidt planned to reopen area beaches to more workers.
“The online registration system has a default of 30 volunteers per beach,” he said.
“I think we could use more than 30 volunteers in Port Townsend because they are cleaning multiple beaches.”
In-store credit
The Port Townsend Food Co-op is offering $5 in-store credit for cleanup volunteers, Schmidt said.
The Food Co-op at 414 Kearney St. also will be the registration station for area volunteers.
Ediz Hook and Peabody Creek were nearly full by Friday, Schmidt said.
The western Strait beaches near Clallam Bay are most lacking in volunteers, he added.
Where help is needed
Registration is full for Dungeness Spit, Freshwater Bay and Lyre Conservation Area on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and on Point of the Arches, Cape Alava, Rialto Beach South, Oil City, Hoh Reservation, Ruby Beach, South Beach and Point Grenville on the Pacific Coast.
Several beaches with easy access need volunteers. They include Peabody Creek, Ediz Hook, Murdock Beach, East and West Twin Rivers, Deep Creek, Pillar Point, Clallam Bay, Hoko River, Sekiu River, Rays Grocery and Bullman Beach on the Strait.
Easy access beaches on the Pacific Coast that need volunteers include Hobuck Beach, Sooes Beach, Duk Point North, as well as First Beach, Second Beach and Third Beach at La Push and Beach 1, 2, 4 and 6 and Kalaloch Lodge near Kalaloch.
Challenging beaches in need of volunteers include Shi Shi Beach, Ozette River South, Sand Point North and South, Hole-in-the-Wall and Rialto Beach North.
Trash bags and garbage cans will be provided.
Registration stations
On Saturday, volunteers will report to registration stations at the Port Townsend Food Co-op, Dungeness Spit, Ediz Hook, Peabody Creek, Joyce Depot, Clallam Bay Visitors Center, Hobuck Beach, Three Rivers Fire Station and Kalaloch, Schmidt said.
Registration stations on the Strait will be open Saturday from about 9 a.m. to noon, he said, while those on the Pacific Coast open earlier, at about 7:30 a.m.
Entertainment
Volunteers can do more than clean beaches.
Not only is Saturday a free day at the national park, with entrance fees waived, but also barbecues and other entertainment are planned.
On Friday will be the Upcycle and Trashion Show at 7 p.m. at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave. in Forks.
Saturday barbecues are planned at Kalaloch Lodge from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Chito Beach Resort from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Surfriders will host barbecues at the Three Rivers Fire Station from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the Hobuck Beach Campground from noon to 2 p.m.
The Friends of Olympic National Park will provide refreshments at the Lake Ozette registration station and the Lost Resort at Ozette will serve up Rob’s Famous 15-Bean Soup from noon to 2 p.m.
At 7 p.m. Saturday at the Rainforest Arts Center in Forks, the River & Ocean Film Festival and Bake Sale will benefit CoastSavers.
For more information, go to www.coastsavers.org, which not only has information on how to register but also what beaches will be cleaned, where to camp and special offers for cleanup volunteers.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.
