Earth Day is Everyday
Find out how to keep our shorelines clean every time you're at the beach or on the water.
For 15 or more years I’ve been picking up plastic, rope, broken glass, bead foam and shotgun wads on Salish Sea beaches and offshore in kelp beds.
Beach trash, also called beach debris can affect sea life and marine birds as well as the beauty of the shorelines.
While there are large organized beach clean-up events such as the Washington Coast Savers event Saturday April 19th, few are dedicated to cleaning debris on a regular basis.
In my experience with cleaning beaches, every flood tide brings in new debris and large storms uncover debris previously covered by sand. It’s constantly coming in (or being uncovered) and needs removal.
That’s where we can help.
I do frequent beach walks and often carry an old day sack with me to store found items. I carry and sometimes drag out larger items such as crab pot buoys and ropes or large plastic dock sections.
Paddlers, especially those of us with hatches or other storage areas have the benefit of carrying out larger amounts of beach trash, also referred to as beach debris.
From the water, we can also spot beach debris not seen by beachgoers on offshore rocks or reefs, rugged cliff areas or in kelp beds.
After I carry or haul my debris to shore, I try to reuse or recycle what I can. Much of it goes to the trash being too dirty or degraded to be recycled. Companies like RidWell can take specific items regular recyclers won’t. Right now there’s no bottle recycler in the NW.
I’ll be posting more on this topic soon detailing how I remove beach debris via my kayak or paddle board.
Original Ways to Get the Message Across
I’ve been a photographer for years and in the late 1990’s started shooting still life images. Around 2010 I started documenting my beach debris by arranging the items to be photographed from above or what’s called knolling.
This image was used in the We Are Puget Sound book by Mountaineers Books which was displayed at the Burke Museum in Seattle. See more of my conservation work here.
Do you know of other artists who are finding creative ways to get the word out?
Removal of Large Beach Debris
Often I come across large things that won’t fit my day sack or kayak. If its a relatively flat beach with good vehicle access, I’ll bring in a beach cart and car rack straps to secure loads or contact a friend with a boat.
If the debris is too large, unwieldly or difficult to access, I’ll go the next level by contacting organizations or government agencies which remove debris. Here’s two I’ve contacted:
NW Straits Foundation - This is a great org working to remove invasive species and educate folks about the Salish Sea. Derelict marine removal is another benefit!
MyCoast app - U send a photo, description and gps info and they contact an agency to remove it. Note removals are only done if they’re doing other pick-ups nearby. A few of my posted items have been removed. There’s a large tire I’ve been trying to remove off Seattle’s Discovery Park and have posted it a few times, no luck thus far.
2025 Earth Day Clean-ups to Join:
Surrounding Earth Day there’s a few beach and river clean-ups in the Pacific Northwest you should join. If you can’t join these, visit your favorite beach and keep your eyes peeled for beach debris to remove.
WA Coast Savers
The largest event is put on by the Washington Coast Savers called the Washington Coast Clean-up. This event gathers hundreds of volunteers who for years have hauled large volumes of beach debris from beaches on the outer coast as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca and inner waterways near Port Townsend and Marrowstone Island. Sign up for the area you want to clean here: WA Coast Savers
The next events for WA Coast Savers are their July 5th clean-up and International Coast Clean-up on September 20th.
Spokane RiverKeeper
If you’re in eastern Washington, Spokane RiverKeeper is doing great work regularly cleaning up the Spokane River. Watch their progress on social media, it’s inspiring.
Their Earth Day cleanup on Saturday starts at 10am and is open to anyone to volunteer. Spokane RiverKeeper.
Puget SoundKeeper
If you’re in the Seattle area, Puget SoundKeeper does incredible work for that region. They regularly have kayak clean-ups on Lake Union working with NW Outdoor Center for gear rentals.
Their Earth Day event is a Duwamish River Clean-up. April 23 and beyond they have a few more clean-up events. Check them out here: Puget SoundKeeper
Seattle Surfrider
The Seattle chapter of Surfrider has an event coming up on April 26 at Golden Gardens Park. Check it out here: Seattle Surfrider
Order my book Paddling the Salish Sea 80 Trips - Paid members get a discount. Founding members receive a signed complimentary copy.
I provide custom surfski and SUP coaching.
Through my business Salmon Bay Paddle I offer 1-1 and 2 person personalized paddling lessons for sups and surf skis in the Seattle area and beyond for all skill levels.
Whether starting as a total beginner or as an advanced paddler seeking to refine your skills I can help you reach your goals whether it be touring, learning about tides and currents or trip planning, paddling safely in Deception Pass or surfing freighter waves in Seattle.
Contact me to chat. / Follow me on IG: @salmonbaypaddle
Book Me - I'm available to present my book and related paddling topics. Contact me