Volunteers Team With Surfrider Foundation for Beach Clean-Up

UC Irvine political science students Sam Figueroa, Brian Pickford and Evan Mahoney over the weekend found part of wet suit, a surf leash, "dog poop" and dozens of bottle caps on the beach in Newport.

The trio was among more than 40 volunteers who collected 101 pounds of trash from the sands off 54th Street during a two-hour beach clean-up organized by The Newport Beach Chapter of The Surfrider Foundation.

"The single most noticeable thing that has increased over the years I've been working here is the amount of plastic in and on the sand—bottles, bags and other containers. And you know that stuff just never goes away," said lifeguard Brian O'Rourke, who has been patrolling local beaches for 24 years.

"I think that Surfrider or anybody else picking up trash off of Newport Beach is awesome," he said.

Stephen Burns, a 17-year-old from Irvine, was on hand to help. He said that he's seen images of animals that died after eating discarded plastic.

"I just want to help," he said.

Burns' mother, Stephanie Burns, was at his side collecting garbage off the sand. 

"Stephen is so passionate about the environment," she said. "He got me into it. It made me so much more aware of how much waste we create. People are clueless about how much they put into landfills."

Girl Scout Troop 1126 also participated in the clean-up. 

"This is a community service project for the girls," Troop Leader Lisa Quezaba said. "They're working on a Girl Scout Journey. And my little one, Gabriella, is a Brownie. She's [picking up trash] to show that even though you're little, you can still make a difference."

Typically, beach clean-ups are scheduled for the first Saturday of each month from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 54th Street. For volunteering opportunities, contact Lee Anne Maki at volunteer@surfridernb.org or check out Surfrider on Facebook.

"Working with Surfrider is a great way to give back to the community," Maki said. "I love to clean up the beach and I love the volunteers."