The power of community action continues to inspire us!
Over 100 community volunteers came together for Litter Bugs Me week and Coastal Cleanup Day to help keep our West Marin roadsides clean! From September 16th to 20th, individual volunteers and community partner organizations removed trash from roadsides, riparian areas, and beaches to help protect human health, wildlife, and coastal ecosystems from pollution.

Each year since 2009, and in recent years biannually, EAC has coordinated this cleanup effort with individuals, businesses, community groups, and non-profit organizations. This year, 12 community groups partnered with us in this effort including Audubon Canyon Ranch, California Coastal Commission, Cleaner California Coast, East Shore Planning Group, Nicasio Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, Olema Village Association, Point Reyes Village Association, Tomales Bay Foundation, Tomales Bay State Parks, Turtle Island Restoration Network, West Marin School’s after school program, and West Marin Senior Services.

Cleanup locations included Marshall, Inverness, Inverness Park, Olema, Tocoloma, Nicasio, and Point Reyes Station, plus Heart's Desire Beach and parking lot, and Chicken Ranch Beach. This year’s effort removed over 940 lbs. of trash and 85 lbs. of recycling, plus additional large items, including 11 tires, old ceramic septic pipes and numerous Goo energy packs. Plus one couch, and a mattress were removed from Rt 1 roadside in Marshall, thanks to Jim at Audubon Canyon Ranch and Cal Trans who picked them up.

It’s incredibly satisfying to take part in this effort to remove trash from our roadways and beaches before the winter rains wash it into our creeks and Tomales Bay, and before it degrades into micropollution particles that become more dangerous to wildlife and human health. Collecting roadside trash is an immediate and tangible way to see and feel our own contributions toward making our neighborhoods and ecosystems cleaner and healthier.

Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers and partner groups! We appreciate collaborating with you, whether you are a longtime returning volunteer or new to the cleanup effort. One story that stood out this year was how the Eichstaedts found a functional bicycle computer on the roadside in Olema, found the owner’s name and a way to email them, and arranged to reunite the gadget with its owner. Another great example of our caring community in West Marin! We are also grateful to our event sponsors, including Marin County Department of Public Works, Recology Sonoma Marin, and individual donors. And thank you to KWMR for sharing information over the airwaves.

We hope you’ll join us and our partners in 2026 for Litter Bugs Me in the spring (late March) and next September. Please visit eacmarin.org/coastalcleanupefforts for more information.