California’s largest annual volunteer event, Coastal Cleanup Day, took place on Saturday, Sept. 20 across the state — most locally at Sleeper Park in Mountain View from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Organized by the California Coastal Commission as well as other local organizations, the event serves as an opportunity for people to clean creeks, lakes, rivers and coasts to rehabilitate the environment.
Local community group Friends of Steven’s Creek Trail aided in the planning and organizing, leading event attendees through the trail and providing food after the cleanup was completed. FOSCT Vice President Jim Meyerson says this year’s clean-up was one of the most successful at this site and expresses the importance of using local trails rather than other modes of transportation.
“I support non-automobile traffic travel here in the Bay Area,” Meyerson said. “I mean, we have lots of highways, but we have fewer bike-ways and pathways. I believe really strongly in Stevens Creek Trail, so because of that, I want to do whatever I can to help promote it as well as to keep it clean and safe. And this is just one of the many events during the year where we can do that.”
FOSCT board member Ross Heitkamp first joined Coastal Cleanup Day through his passion for the environment and local trails. A significant moment for Heitkamp was when the volunteers got to the remains of an encampment, and the sheer amount of trash made him lose hope that they would be able to fully clean the area. However, despite Heitkamp’s initial doubts, the group persevered, picking up one thing at a time until the piles of garbage slowly receded and left Heitkamp feeling impressed and proud.
“We’re always happy to let people contribute,” Heitkamp said. “I think people really enjoy feeling like they’re a part of a trail that they use all the time, and having a way to participate in that is why I enjoy coming out and doing these events too. When I participate, I feel like it’s part of my trail.”
Despite encountering large amounts of trash while traversing through the trail, the volunteers continued to keep a positive attitude while piling garbage into trash bags. Attendee Krishna Patel has previously taken part in various park cleanup events in order to contribute back to the environment around her, and hopes to see more people doing the same at future events.
“I think Mother Nature is the best place to give back,” Patel said. “We wouldn’t be here without it, and it means a lot to me to do Earth-related activities. So the best thing for me is doing these cleanups because I get to be in nature, spending time away from my devices and from other internet distractions.”
Getting to actively contribute to the health of the local environment continues to be a big contributing factor to Heitkamp’s involvement with FOSCT. He and Meyerson both believe that the Stevens Creek trail is a great resource for the community, but still needs a lot of help remedying man-impacts — like litter and obstructions — on the trail before it is fully functional for both people and wildlife.
“It takes almost no skill to come and help clean up, and it’s really beneficial for everybody involved,” Meyerson said. “My recommendation to somebody who doesn’t know how to get involved and wants to is to go find out where there’s a spot. There are 56 spots here in the Bay Area and several 100 around all of California, it’s easy enough to find one in your neighborhood.”
