Volunteers do their part on Coastal Cleanup Day at Surfrider Beach in Malibu
Usa today news
On a warm and sunny morning in Malibu, volunteers from around the beach communities, San Fernando Valley, and greater Los Angeles, joined the California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, an annual effort to remove trash and debris from beaches, rivers and other waterways. Volunteers help prevent waste from polluting the ocean and harming marine life, while contributing to the global effort to safeguard coastal ecosystems.
The City of Malibu and Heal the Bay invited volunteers of all ages to take part in the Coastal Cleanup Day at the city’s popular Surfrider Beach on Saturday, September 20.
Joanne Zahorsky-Reeves of Woodland Hills, right, and her daughter Emily participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 at Surfrider Beach, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Barbara Gentile, owner of Malibu Divers, speaks with participating divers Chris Drottar and his son, Elliot, after they retrieved trash from the water near the Malibu Pier. Malibu Divers took part in California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 at Surfrider Beach, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Ashlyn Flesher of Tarzana shows a bucket of trash she collected while joining her Labcorp coworkers at Surfrider Beach for California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Ashlyn Flesher of Tarzana joins her Labcorp coworkers at Surfrider Beach for California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Malibu Divers participated in California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, retrieving trash from the water near the Malibu Pier during the event at Surfrider Beach, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Christy Rector, who works with the City of Malibu, came out to support her colleagues at Surfrider Beach during California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
Malibu Divers participated in California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, retrieving trash from the water near the Malibu Pier during the event at Surfrider Beach, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
From left, Janie Mielcarek of Heal the Bay, Valerie Pacheco of Heal the Bay, City of Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins, Fallon Rabin of Heal the Bay, Farah Stack of the City of Malibu, and Jeannie Rabin of Heal the Bay gather at Surfrider Beach to take part in California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Mayor Riggins commented that she was happy to see all the volunteers participating in the event and praised Heal the Bay for “teaching and reminding us we are part of something bigger.” (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
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Joanne Zahorsky-Reeves of Woodland Hills, right, and her daughter Emily participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day 2025 at Surfrider Beach, hosted by the City of Malibu and Heal the Bay, on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Savage, Contributing Photographer)
“Protecting our coast is at the heart of Malibu’s identity and values,” said Mayor Marianne Riggins, in a prepared statement. “Coastal Cleanup Day is a powerful way for our community to come together, take direct action, and show our shared commitment to preserving the beauty and health of our beaches and ocean for generations to come.”
According to Malibu city officials, California Coastal Cleanup Day is the state’s “largest annual volunteer event, and a cornerstone of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), the world’s largest volunteer effort to protect oceans and waterways.”
