I just returned from my annual High Sierra backpacking adventure. Our group, affectionately dubbed the Granite Ramblers, consists of four women all 55 and over. Our destination this year was Desolation Wilderness, west of Lake Tahoe. We saw a substantial sampling of wild flowers along streams and lakes. Along the way we were quite pleased with the absence of human trash considering these trails are constantly used by day hikers. We returned with two baseball caps, two bungee cords and a handful of plastic trash.

Back here at sea level, it is time to participate in our annual Coastal Cleanup event. Mark Saturday, September 15 on your calendar, then get out your work clothes and old shoes to join us for a three-hour cleanup. The California Coastal Commission reminds us that marine debris does harm wildlife. Since 1985, 4,281,104 cigarette butts, 16,028 tires and 706,531 plastic forks, knives and spoons have been picked up by volunteers.

Common items such as fishing line, balloons, and six-pack rings can hamper the mobility of marine animals. Once entangled, animals have trouble eating, breathing or swimming, all of which can be fatal. Up to 90 percent of floating marine debris is plastic that takes hundreds of years to break down and continues to trap and kill animals year after year.

Vallejo is an important watershed. Every little bit of trash that is dropped on the street can easily find its way down our storm drains that flow into the Napa River on its way to the San Pablo Bay, San Francisco Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Pacific Ocean. In 2006, 205 Vallejo volunteers collected 1500 pounds of recyclables, 57 tires, and 40,871 pounds of trash from 18 miles of Vallejo’s waterways.

Adults interested in signing on as beach captains should contact any of the coordinators listed below. If you are under the age of 18, you will need to get a parent or guardian to sign a waiver before participating. Cleanup supplies will be provided, but volunteers should wear sun screen, a hat, sturdy shoes, and gloves. When you check in at the cleanup location, you will be given trash bags, latex gloves, and a data card to tally collected items.

VALLEJO
Volunteers should come to the open field near the Vallejo Municipal Marina located at 42 Harbor Way at 8:30 a.m. where they will be assigned to a cleanup site. For early site registration, contact VALCORE at 707 645-8258 or cleanup@VALCORErecycling.org. You can also contact Jennifer Kaiser at 707 644-8949 x 292 or jkaiser@vsfcd.com.

This year’s sites include Blue Rock Springs/Lake Frisbee, Hanns Park, River Park, Glen Cove Marina, White Slough behind VALUE Centerand by the bicycle path off Sacramento, Lemon & Derr Street, Fairgrounds Drive between Coach and Six Flags, Catalina Circle at Meadows, and Sacramento Street Overpass.

BENICIA
Benicia volunteers can show up at 9 am at the following sites: Bottom of East Fifth, West H at West Third Cove, West 12th Street Beach, foot of First Street, West Ninth Street Beach, Bordoni Public Access at West Sixth and I street, Benicia State Recreation Area (BSRA ) at Dillion Point (enter at Columbus Parkway exit), and BSRA at the Military West exit. BSRA parking fees are waived for this event. For information, contact Sue Wickham at 747-5815 or swgeo@sbcglobal.net.

For other Solano County cleanups, log onto www.recycle-guide.com or use these contacts:

Fairfield / Suisun City / Travis AFB: 707 429-8930 or dontpollute@fssd.com
Rio Vista / Delta Protection Commission: 916 776-2290 or dpc@citlink.net
Vacaville: 707 469-6400 or fwilson@cityofvacaville.com
Dixon: 707 678-7051, ext 105 or mjensen@ci.dixon.ca.us
Davis / Winters in Yolo County: 530 795-3006, dawn@putahcreekcouncil.org

Our local cleanups are sponsored by the cities and counties of Solano and Yolo and the California Coastal Commission. For year round cleanup opportunities, log onto www.coastal.ca.gov or call (800) COAST-4U.