The Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education is seeking adult volunteers to help with its annual “Kids Ocean Day” adopt-a-beach environmental activity to help clean up the sand and land area around Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles.
This year’s cleanup will take place on May 24.
Students from Valley area schools Vaughn Elementary (San Fernando), Hubbard Street Elementary (Sylmar), Academy for Enriched Sciences (Encino), Hesby Oaks (Encino), Langdon Elementary (North Hills), Madison Middle School (North Hollywood), Nestle Elementary (Tarzana), Newcastle Elemen-
tary (Reseda), Roy Romer Middle School (North Holly-wood) and Fenton STEM Academy (Sun Valley) are among the 4,500 youngsters expected to participate.
But they’re going to need the support of the really big kids.
“So far we have about 200 [adults] saying they will be there, but I can always use more,” said foundation founder and Executive Director Michael Klublock. “We have a huge parking team to manage the buses and traffic. But the big hit is getting enough volunteers to take the kids through the cleanup areas. I’m looking at them to be like teacher-assistants. Be there with a big smile and help manage the kids.”
Klubock said an estimated 90 buses will transport the students from their schools to the beach.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation’s Kids Ocean Day cleanup at Dockweiler Beach. The program was created to teach school kids about how litter flows from our neighborhoods to the ocean, thereby killing marine life and polluting food resources.
The one-day cleanup event, foundation officials state on their website, will motivate the students to care about their environment and involve them in community service,
After the clean-up, students have lunch and gather together to form a giant human wave on the sand. An aerial photo of the students and volunteers will be taken.
“The big lesson for the kids is they see all the bits and pieces of trash that get buried in the sand. And we’re still running at 13-14 percent of the kids having never been to the beach before. We bring them so they appreciate the resource,” Klubock said.
Those interested in volunteering can register on the foundation’s website (http://kidsoceanday.org/volunteer). Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and also be served lunch.
“And we’ll throw in a bagel and coffee in the morning when they first get there,” Klubock said. “they will have a great time.”
Kids Ocean Day is is sponsored by the L.A. Sanitation Water-
shed Protection Program; the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works; the California Coastal Commission; the California Coastal Conservancy; and Keep LA Beautiful.