January 2026 Site Reports

Jana

Each new year offers an opportunity to align our intentions with action. Our January 2026 site reports prove that volunteerism is strong on the coast. While many are still settling into their resolutions, our community is already rolling up its sleeves and getting to work, including at our 29th annual Beach Cleanup & Planting at Linda Mar to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whether it’s removing debris from our beaches, neighborhoods, and waterways or restoring native habitats, the first Pacific Beach Coalition events of the year are about more than just aesthetics — they’re essential, proactive steps in protecting and preserving our vital coastal ecosystems.

There’s no better way to kick off 2026 than by turning “good intentions” into tangible change.

Check out the site reports from some of our January 2026 events.

Rockaway Beach Cleanup

The morning started with an impressive king tide at Rockaway Beach this morning, cresting at 9:45AM at 6.9 feet, along with pouring rain and strong enough wind to throw pretty much everything around, including the buckets. But that didn’t stop our amazing volunteers.

Of note was the assortment of holiday ornaments, presumably blown off someone’s house or the Rockaway tree, a weird fishing thing, and more than the usual assortment of discarded clothing.

Those who stuck it out until 11 were rewarded with lovely views of the crashing surf and a rainbow and sunshine for the last 30 minutes or so.

23 volunteers
38 pounds of landfill trash
8 pounds of recyclables
525 cigarette filters

Surfer’s/Harbor Beach Cleanup

Our first Surfer’s Beach cleanup of 2026! If today was any indication, we are in for a Steller (sea lion) year!

Laurel, Jack, Charlotte, Lily, and Jan, the Naturalist, welcomed eager volunteers who were ready to do their part to protect this beautiful area. The group was positive, lively, and friendly — all enjoying the beautiful morning and the king tides. High tide actually peaked at the start of the cleanup and it was quite impressive.

One thing that made this morning especially great was that our own Greg Finkelstein hung out with us and offered his plethora of knowledge to our volunteers. Plus, a member of the Half Moon Bay city council, Patric Jonsson, was riding his bike past our tables and stopped to inquire about our operation. We all bonded with Patric over ridding the beach of microplastics.