California is about to transform environmental activism into an exciting community event this weekend. The annual Coastal Cleanup Day is returning with a thrilling twist – a statewide “Trashure Hunt” that promises to make environmental protection feel more like an adventure than a chore.

This September, over 700 cleanup sites across California will host volunteers ready to tackle pollution while competing for incredible prizes. From San Francisco Giants game tickets to e-bikes and cash rewards, participants have extra motivation to help preserve the state’s stunning coastlines and waterways.

The event, supported by the California Coastal Commission, California State Parks, and Ocean Conservancy, has already established itself as the world’s largest single-day volunteer event according to Guinness World Records. Last year, an impressive 47,000 volunteers participated, proving that Californians are deeply committed to environmental stewardship.

Kate Huckelbridge, the event’s executive director, emphasized the creative approach: “We’re celebrating Californians’ dedication to protecting our iconic shoreline by making cleanup both meaningful and fun”. The interactive map on the California Coastal Commission website allows volunteers to find nearby cleanup locations, making participation incredibly accessible.

Cleanup sites span the entire Bay Area and beyond, including stunning locations like Muir Beach in Marin County, the Oxbow of the Napa River, Carmel Sunset Beach, and numerous other coastal and inland waterways. Whether you’re near a beach, river, creek, or highway, there’s an opportunity to make a tangible difference in preserving California’s delicate ecosystems.

By transforming environmental protection into a community-driven, prize-winning event, Coastal Cleanup Day demonstrates that sustainability can be engaging, collaborative, and even exciting. This weekend, thousands of Californians will prove that small individual actions can create significant collective impact.

Ready to join the “Trashure Hunt”? Check the California Coastal Commission’s website for your nearest cleanup location and get ready to help protect our beautiful environment – with a chance to win some amazing prizes.