Clean Up the Sands of Time--Summertime

School has started, marking the unofficial end of summer for Orange County’s beaches. But though the crowds may be gone, their trash still litters the sands.

Now is when volunteers can help return the local coast to its preseason condition. As part of the 10th annual Adopt-a-Beach program, sponsored by the California Coastal Commission, volunteers will meet at 15 Orange County sites Saturday to collect trash and recyclables along beaches and waterways.

The cleanup, part of a statewide program (also been picked up nationally), will span the county from Seal Beach to San Clemente. Besides beach areas, the effort also targets the wetlands of Bolsa Chica and Upper Newport Bay.

Last year’s statistics tell a story: Cigarette butts led the pack, with more than 19,000 collected by 3,969 Orange County volunteers. In all, 47,870 pounds of debris were collected, more than half of it plastic (six-pack rings, food bags, cups and lids, straws and other utensils). Some of the debris is washed down in flood-control channels and rivers.

Collections in previous years have yielded water heaters, a car windshield, a Christmas tree and a kitchen sink. Last year’s finds in Orange County included a mailbox and a bicycle in Upper Newport Bay.

Throughout California, 50,405 volunteers pitched in and removed 512,537 pounds of trash found along beaches, parks, riverbanks, highways and inland waterways, according to the Coastal Commission.

Aesthetics aren’t the only reason for cleaning up the beaches. Wildlife can become tangled in six-pack rings--sometimes fatally--or may mistake plastic items for food.

“Help make the beach see worthy” is the theme for this year’s event, which is putting out the call for volunteers. Volunteers should call ahead to sign up for a specific location.

The cleanup starts at 9 a.m. and runs to 1 p.m. Volunteers will be given two bags--one for recyclables and one for non-recyclables--and are also asked to keep tabs on what they pick up on data card that will be handed out to participants (the state likes to keep detailed statistics on what is collected).

Some cleanup locations will sell T-shirts, and some will offer entertainment and refreshments. The county Department of Harbors, Beaches and Parks is coordinating the county’s efforts and has details on each location.

* What: Coastal cleanup.

* When: Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

* Where: 15 locations in Orange County.

* Whereabouts: Call for directions to specific locations.

* Wherewithal: No charge.

* Where to call: (714) 723-4511.