August is the finale of summer. It's that time when many say goodbye to the beach until next year. Summer vacations end as students head back to school, and moms and dads enjoy those final vacation pleasures before heading back to work.
San Diegans get the beach back all to themselves. Woo hoo! No disrespect to our visitors, but we SD locals have to admit we love it when it is less crowded and hopefully less trash.
In August, Over 14,800 PIECES OF TRASH were picked up in ONE MONTH, on ONE MILE of Mission Beach, by ONE PERSON. Of course, this does not include all the trash picked up by many Mission Beach locals, San Diego residents, and beach cleanup organizations who volunteer their time so that we all have a clean beach to relax on. We always appreciate your efforts.
Let's take a look at the rest of the numbers.
Sadly, there is more.
We had Five Jetty Jumps. People were locked in the jetty parking lot and, unfortunately, drove over sand, grass, and landscaping to get out. The Jetty parking lot closes at 10 p.m., but way too often, people either don't pay attention to the posted signs and the security announcements or just don't care. We even had someone break into the parking lot by driving over the sand just so they could spray graffiti on the restrooms, basketball court, and other places. Ugly graffiti at that. This isn't artistic expression; it's defiance. It's a dumb way to get people's attention.
Finds
Tools- 1
Knives-1
Trowel-1
Large Glass Bong-1
Cell phones-2 (one returned)
Car Keys= 1 (Returned
Reusable Bottles-8
Lighter (BBQ) Fluid- 5
Dishes- 6
Liquor-(unopened) 42
Money- $21
Wetsuit-1
Boxing Gloves-1
Soda-(unopened) 13
Illegal-fires-40
Laundry trips -4
Donations
Backpack =1
Sleeping Bag =1
Shoes = 185
Clothes = 187
Hats = 6
Towels = 76
Tablecloths = 11
Sheets = 28
Rug = 1
Personal- Hygiene = 16
Eyeglasses = 2
Toys = 476
Reusable Bottles = 5
Dishes =3
Misc = 10
Glass Bottles (688) Taken to Recycling Center and paid forward.
Here is a little bit of History. Don't be fooled by the lower August number this year. Our most productive volunteer was on vacation for a part of August.
August 2023 = 14,829
August 2022 = 21,396
August 2021 = 23,854
August 2020 = 9893
August 2019 + N/A
August 2018 = 5281
Trends
Far too many pet owners are lazy and NOT cleaning up after their pets. It's crazy we never see anyone doing it. It's just suddenly there. We are hoping to catch people in the act so we can help them trend on Social Media.
Illegal drinking on the beach is increasing. New boxed wine (that looks like coconut water) and wine in plastic bags (including straws) are becoming more popular. 98% of the trash cans on the beach and in the parks have liquor bottles and or packaging, with 90% of Firepits (16 in all) having liquor and glass.
Ways to help. There are several ways to help! + Donate to our GoFundme + Send a direct donation via Venmo @donttrashmissionbeach or scan this QR Code + Designate us as your charity of choice. + Sign up as a court steward and Adopt a Court + Join us as a volunteer, helping with everything from publicity to beach cleans + Tell your political representatives to work with us to keep the beach clean. + Tell everyone in your network about what we do. + Sign up for our news + Join the Mission Beach Town Council and get involved in your community!
You can follow, like, and view images on our Instagram and Facebook pages. https://www.instagram.com/donttrashmissionbeach/https://www.facebook.com/donttrashmissionbeach/