Spring is in full swing! Our May cleanups and habitat restorations brought volunteers from near and far to the coast. Plus, the Sharp Park crew got more than they bargained for while scouring for trash — a true testament to never knowing what you might find.

Check out the results from some of our May 2025 events.

Sharp Park Beach Cleanup

Highlights: A baby sea star, part of a whale baleen, a shell rattle, an enormous amount of landscape fabric, plastic film strips, and even a hat brim without the fabric were all found on Sharp Park beach this month. The south end of the beach had a huge collection of marine debris that had washed ashore, and volunteers brought in a vast collection of odd things, including dozens of broken, ocean-degraded aluminum can pieces. The neighborhood cleanup produced a weed whacker, most of the cigarette filters, and recyclables.

PBC Naturalist, Lauren Linsmayer, was on site to talk about pelicans, whale baleen, sea stars, and Velella velella — in addition to other environmental topics.

The largest group, St. Dunstan’s Green Team, made an outing of it and scoured the southern end of the beach before picnicking and playing a little volleyball. Folks from Stanford addressed West Sharp Park’s streets.

Special thanks to Mercy, Hillsdale, Silicon Valley International, Oceana, Woodside High Schools, Ohlone College, Azusa Pacific University, Bellarmine College Prep, St Catherine of Sienna, YMSL, and all of the volunteers and families who made this such a terrific day.

• 116 volunteers
• 77 pounds of landfill trash
• 16 pounds of recyclables
• 1,639 cigarette filters

Foster City Cleanup

Highlights: Another job well done by volunteers from St. Catherine of Sienna (Burlingame), Hillsdale High School, various other schools, and individuals. The groups addressed areas at and around 100 Grand Plaza near iHOP in Foster City.

• 71 volunteers
• 121 pounds of landfill trash
• 29 pounds of recyclables
• 44 pounds of green waste (weeds)
• 1,750 cigarette filters

Linda Mar Beach Cleanup

Another beautiful day at Linda Mar! We had groups from near and far this time: San Jose, Lafayette, Fremont and of course, our dedicated locals from Pacifica who come time and again! BSI Environmental, Woodside High School, Mercy High School, Kennedy Middle and so many more showed up on time, buckets and gloves in hand and were ready to get to it! Most said the beach looked very clean but still found almost 100 lbs of trash including wood with nails (so dangerous) and of course, towels and clothes. We never know exactly why, but we clean them up and donate! That’s what our volunteers do best- get that hidden, dangerous trash that can be so dangerous to our environment and sea creatures.

• 57 volunteers
• 60pounds of landfill trash
• 15 pounds of recyclables
• 5 pounds of green waste (weeds)
• 374 cigarette filters

Montara State Beach Cleanup

• 43 volunteers
• 134 pounds of landfill trash
• 5 pounds of recyclables
• 331 cigarette filters

Esplanade Beach Cleanup

• 38 volunteers
• 180 pounds of landfill trash
• 11 pounds of recyclables
• 1,831 cigarette filters

Linda Mar Habitat Restoration

• 37 volunteers
• 5 pounds of recyclables
• 1,000 pounds of green waste (weeds)

Mussel Rock Beach Cleanup

• 63 volunteers
• 136 pounds of landfill trash
• 16 pounds of recyclables
• 371 cigarette filters

Surfer’s/Harbor Beach Cleanup

• 49 volunteers
• 53 pounds of landfill trash
• 34 pounds of recyclables
• 550 cigarette filters

Summer volunteer opportunities await!

We welcome all ages and groups of all sizes. Check out our monthly calendar of events and sign up online. Plus, the humpback whales are starting to arrive. You might catch a glimpse of these majestic creatures or see a pelican flyby while you do your part to keep our beaches and streets clean.

Become a site captain and steward of the environment.

A few of our recurring monthly sites are in need of support. Do you love the coast and want to make a difference in your community? Site captains are truly the heartbeat of our organization and ensure each cleanup runs smoothly. Learn more about this awesome opportunity and reach out if you’re interested. You must be at least 18 years old to be a Site Captain. Not quite 18 yet? We have a Teen Site Captain program just for you.