1,300 Students to Create Aerial Beach Art for Kids Ocean Day
- Orange County Coastkeeper to host annual youth-led cleanup at Huntington Beach June
On Thursday, June 1, more than 1,300 students from inland and underserved schools will remove trash from Huntington State Beach for Kids Ocean Day, an annual statewide celebration to protect the world’s oceans. Following the cleanup, students will participate in a human aerial artwork display, organizing to form the message, “Come Together.”
Kids Ocean Day focuses on reaching children in underserved and inland schools who often don’t have access to the beach. By giving them the opportunity to interact with the coastal environment, the annual program educates the next generation of ocean advocates and empowers them to value and protect our shoreline.
“When these kids experience the beauty of our coast and realize their role in protecting it, they become environmental champions for life,” said Dyana Peña, Coastkeeper’s educational director. “We chose the message “Come Together” because together is the only way we are going to ensure a future for our environment.”
Orange County beaches collect trash that travels from inland communities through the county’s rivers and storm drains. Beach cleanups stand as a last line of defense to prevent this debris from polluting the ocean and its wildlife. This event is sponsored by the California Coastal Commission and is part of a series of Kids Adopt-A-Beach Cleanups, held at six beaches along the California coast. The 24th Annual Kids Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup encourage students and volunteers to leave the Golden State’s beaches sparkling.
“These students have been learning about the many ways humans depend on the ocean, and about the threats to ocean health,” said Dayna Bochco, Chair of the California Coastal Commission. “And now they are all coming together to do something positive for the ocean. Through their aerial art, they hope to inspire adults to do the same, because they understand a simple truth — it will take all of us joining forces to address global problems like plastic pollution, warming seas and overfishing.”
At Huntington State Beach, students will clean up the local shoreline at 9:30 a.m., and they will begin the aerial art project at 11 a.m. Following the giant human art exhibit, students will enjoy an afternoon in the sun and waves, connecting with the environment.
To register as a volunteer for Kids Ocean Day, please click here. To contribute supplies or e-gift cards to support the plastic-free event, contact Dyana Peña at dyana@coastkeeper.org.
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ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER: Orange County Coastkeeper is a member of the International Waterkeeper Alliance, which has 236 different independent programs across 29 countries. Founded in 1999, the mission of Coastkeeper is to protect and promote sustainable water resources that are swimmable, drinkable, and fishable. Coastkeeper is a nonprofit clean water organization that serves as a proactive steward of our fresh- and saltwater ecosystems. We work collaboratively with diverse groups in the public and private sectors to achieve healthy, accessible, and sustainable water resources for the region. We implement innovative, effective programs in education, advocacy, restoration, research, enforcement, and conservation. For more information, visit www.coastkeeper.org or call 714-850-1965.
