The Great Global Cleanup
Cleaning up the Coast of Berkeley, California
September 26, 2025
Date: September 20th, 2025
Weather: Sunny and warm with a light breeze
Mood: Ecstatic and excited
September 20th marked World Cleanup Day, but for The Golden State, it also marked California Coastal Cleanup Day: one of the nation’s largest annual volunteer events uniting communities each September to clear trash from beaches, rivers, and shorelines. For over four decades, this powerful movement has mobilized people across California, removing countless tons of debris and generating data that has shaped significant environmental policies, such as state-wide plastic bans, limits on single-use plastics, and stronger stormwater regulations.
The town of Berkeley, located in northern Alameda County, California, on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, has played a notable role in this movement. The Berkeley Shoreline Cleanup was added to the statewide effort in 1988 thanks to longtime coordinator Patty Donald, who helped grow the program from a small class outing to Strawberry Cove, an area of natural beauty near the town, into a major community tradition. Under her leadership, the city became a hub for monthly cleanups, student field trips, and hands-on environmental education at the Shorebird Park Nature Center.
This past Saturday, September 20th, I was able to experience this movement firsthand at the annual California Coastal Cleanup Day Shorebird Park event, organized by the City of Berkeley. This day of cleaning up trash rekindled my deep appreciation for Berkeley’s heartening community.
Every UC Berkeley student is familiar with the AC Transit 51B bus line, known as the University – College – Rockridge route; it runs between Rockridge BART station in Oakland and Berkeley Amtrak station (Berkeley Marina area), serving many stops along the way. Thankfully this classic mode of transportation brought me directly to the Berkeley Marina, the location of the cleanup. The weather couldn’t have been better, as the sun was shining in a clear sky with a light breeze near the water. I packed my tote bag with necessary supplies to tackle the day: a water bottle (not in a single use bottle btw), hand sanitizer, granola bar, sunglasses, and my San Francisco Giants hoodie (obviously).
I walked up to the park around 10:00 am to see many different groups of people already beginning to fill up their trash bags. Eager to get started, I checked in at the tent and grabbed some gloves, a trash bag, and a trash picker. I then headed toward the walking paths along the San Francisco Bay and began my cleanup journey.
I was instantly greeted by kind volunteers of all ages, making conversation as we searched for trash. This is what I love most about Berkeley: how welcoming and friendly the community is, no matter if I’m on campus or in town.
It’s also easy to feel the Bay Area’s strong environmental values in the enthusiasm people bring to cleanups. There is truly no other place with this energy and dedication, and meeting the lovely, like-minded locals at this event made me appreciate my college town even more. Experiences like this illustrate how when individual communities come together, their collective efforts have the power to drive real change and shape a sustainable, just future.
A moment to highlight was getting to share all about EARTHDAY.ORG and how the Great Global Cleanup initiative works with other volunteers. One of them told me that she travels often and is always looking for ways to give back to the communities she visits. When I showed her the cleanup map, she absolutely loved the idea because it meant she could easily find opportunities to join cleanups wherever she goes in the world!
Many pieces of styrofoam, candy wrappers, plastic, bottle caps, and glass filled up my trash bag as I continued along my way. The park stretches about 2 miles, and I was sure to cover as much land as I could while also enjoying the view of San Francisco and chatting with other volunteers. The cleanup concluded around noon, and at the end, a whole truck’s bed was stuffed to the brim with trash bags, successfully cleaning up the coast.
As I left the marina, I couldn’t help but notice how the shoreline looked just a little bit better, definitely cleaner than when we had arrived, and how the community spirit felt even brighter. Although small, this cleanup still has long-term impacts, it helps create a safer park for the community and wildlife, contributes to important data collection, and sets a precedent for future environmental stewardship because the community bonds demonstrate how real change starts at the local level.
I ended World Cleanup Day/California Coastal Cleanup Day feeling eternally grateful for the wonderful community that UC Berkeley has brought me to, which also left me a bit sentimental as I begin my senior year.
Thank you to everyone who celebrated World Cleanup Day this year, no matter where you were in the world. If you’re looking for more ways to get involved, visit The Great Global Cleanup to partner with us, find a cleanup near you, or register your own cleanup.
