OJAI : Beach Cleanup to Be Expanded Inland

An annual cleanup of beaches in Ventura County will be expanded this year to include a creek in Ojai and a portion of the Santa Clara River.

The inland waterways are being included in the Saturday event to illustrate how pollution from storm gutters, streams and the river often washes out to the ocean and ends up on beaches, said Kitty Dill, an organizer for this year’s cleanup.

“By adding inland cleanups, we show that individuals, wherever they are, can help stop this pollution before it starts,” said Dill, spokeswoman for the Ventura Regional Sanitation District.

The sanitation district is coordinating the cleanup in Ventura County for the ninth year, Dill said. Last year, more than 1,400 volunteers collected 14,000 pounds of trash, she said.

People who want to volunteer should show up at any beach along Ventura County’s coast at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dill said.

Volunteers are also needed to pick up trash at San Antonio Creek near the Camp Comfort entrance, and at the Santa Clara River near the south end of Palm Avenue in Santa Paula, she said.

Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy shoes, heavy gloves and a jacket. They should also bring a rake, if possible, and a sack lunch, Dill said.

Organizers, including the state Coastal Commission, will provide trash bags and T-shirts for site captains, she said. Other prizes, from discount coupons at fast-food eateries to a night’s free lodging at a local hotel, will also be distributed, Dill said.

Groups of 15 or more should call ahead to 658-4632. sites, she said.