Clean Up the Park and Beach with Us!

If you haven’t heard about the Ocean Conservancy’s annual beach cleanups, you are in for a treat. Every year in September, thousands of volunteers work together to clean their local beaches. Within the past 30 years, 300 million pounds of trash have been collected.

Like the Ocean Conservancy, we would like to encourage AMC residents and their families to join us in keeping our local beaches and parks clean. While we can’t gather in-person to pick up trash due to COVID-19, we can all still play a small part in the cleanup.

We’re conducting a virtual beach and park cleanup event on July 25, and we want you to join! Here are the benefits of clean parks and beaches, tips for planning your cleanup, and advice on how to stay safe.

Reap the Benefits of Cleaning Our Parks and Beaches

There are a variety of benefits to keeping our beaches and parks clean, some of which include feeling satisfied once the cleanup is over and helping our wildlife and economy thrive.

According to Kara Lavendar Law , a research oceanography professor, people find satisfaction in saying that they removed 10 pounds of trash from their local beach. This could be because small efforts combined with other small efforts produce big results.

In addition to producing a feeling of satisfaction, cleaning beaches helps protect our wildlife. Local beaches are homes to thousands of critters, birds, and marine animals and plants. By picking up trash on the sand and in the water, we create a cleaner environment in which our wildlife can thrive.

Lastly, “ clean beaches provide economic benefit to local communities in the form of tourism dollars .” Researchers estimate that keeping our beaches in Orange County clean could translate to $46 million in just one summer.

Whether you head to a nearby beach or park , you’ll feel satisfaction in knowing that you are improving the environment and benefiting our economy.

Tips for Planning Your Beach Cleanup

If you can’t make it on July 25, find a day that works best with your schedule. Then gather the appropriate supplies. Here are a few that might come in handy:

Safety First!

All AMC residents should follow COVID-19 guidelines during their cleanup. We encourage you to involve your immediate family members or roommates. If you invite friends or family outside of your household, be sure to follow this CDC advice: “When guests arrive, minimize gestures that promote close contact. For example, don’t shake hands, do elbow bumps, or give hugs. Instead wave and verbally greet them.” In addition to limiting close contact, be sure to always remain six feet apart from others and to wear a mask .

If you are looking for a fun and memorable summer activity, clean up the local parks and beaches with us this July! Reap the benefits, prepare, and be safe—and take plenty of pictures! Tag the Stadium House Apartments in any social posts and use the hashtags #livehappy and #AMCcleanup so we can see. Happy cleaning!