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Coastal Cleanup Day Results: Single-Use Plastics are Chief Polluter and Cigarette Butts Remain Single Most Littered Item Countywide

Posted on by ILACSD

In just three hours today, more than 6,500 volunteers cleared nearly 145,000 pounds (72,500 tons) of waste and debris from streets, canyons, parks and the coastline in communities across San Diego County for the 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day, organized by the nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego. The day’s environmental protection effort took place at 107 sites around the region and prevented the equivalent of 5,500 garbage trucks emptying their contents into the ocean.

For the 35th year in row, since Coastal Cleanup Day’s inception, plastic in all its forms remains the chief polluter collected throughout San Diego County today. From food wrappers to cups and water bottles to fast-food containers, single-use plastics were found across parking lots, public parks, within canyons and around schools.

Cigarette butts remain the most littered individual item. Many cigarette butts were discovered within feet of the water along the coast, trapped in gutters that flow to the ocean, and tossed near waterways in the inland communities. Cigarette butt filters are made of plastic, do not biodegrade and are full of harmful toxins that pollute the environment when left behind.

Among the debris collected were several notable odd items, including a reclining chair, refrigerator, wheelchair, plastic Christmas tree, messages in a bottle at Swami’s State Beach, rice cooker, restaurant pager and a guitar case.

Conservation Tips

  1. Visit WasteFree.org to learn more about how to recycle effectively to reduce contaminated materials from the blue bin. And, see what waste goes to the landfill and use reusable items instead.
  2. Work to eliminate single-use plastics from your lifestyle and switch to reusable alternatives.
  3. Smokers: Please make sure your cigarette is disposed of properly and not discarded on the street. And, if you desire quitting, consult a physician to discuss a plan to stop smoking.

Volunteers included residents, corporate groups, and civic organizations who turned their appreciation for the region’s beauty into action by not only cleaning up waste, but also completing restoration projects such as painting, graffiti removal, non-native vegetation removal, mulching, trail restoration and weeding.

Coastal Cleanup Day was an opportunity for the community members to conserve in more ways than one. As part of the effort to boost zero-waste practices, I Love A Clean San Diego encouraged all volunteers to be more sustainable by choosing to bring reusable items to the cleanup such as reusable water bottles, work gloves and buckets. Volunteers had the opportunity to showcase their creativity and commitment to zero-waste practices by decorating reusable buckets to enter the Bling Your Bucket Contest for a chance to win prizes while celebrating sustainability.

Thank you Sponsors

I Love A Clean San Diego organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy. Top tier supporters of Coastal Cleanup Day include Think Blue San Diego, County of San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric, Wells Fargo, Qualcomm Foundation, Cox, SolarTech and Evans Hotels.

Creek to Bay is Next Major Cleanup

Coastal Cleanup Day is one of two annual countywide cleanups, which includes the Creek to Bay cleanup on April 25, 2020, hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego that engage thousands of local families, community groups and local businesses. Beyond countywide events, I Love A Clean San Diego continues to empower volunteers at hundreds of cleanups targeting specific neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces on an ongoing basis throughout the year. In 2018, the nonprofit mobilized over 34,000 volunteers who removed more than 357,000 pounds of trash and debris from the San Diego County landscape. For more information about upcoming cleanups, workshops, or zero-waste tips, please visit CleanSD.org.

The post Coastal Cleanup Day Results: Single-Use Plastics are Chief Polluter and Cigarette Butts Remain Single Most Littered Item Countywide appeared first on I Love A Clean San Diego.

Coastal Cleanup Day Results: Plastics and Cigarette Butts are Chief Polluters

Posted on by ILACSD

In just three hours today, more than 6,800 volunteers cleared nearly 145,000 pounds of waste and debris from streets, canyons, parks and the coastline in communities across San Diego County for the 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day, organized by the nonprofit I Love A Clean San Diego. The day’s environmental protection effort took place at 108 sites around the region and prevented the equivalent of six garbage trucks emptying their contents into the ocean.

For the 35th year in row, since Coastal Cleanup Day’s inception, plastic in all its forms remains the chief polluter collected throughout San Diego County today. From food wrappers to cups and water bottles to fast-food containers, single-use plastics were found across parking lots, public parks, within canyons and around schools.

Cigarette butts remain the most littered individual item. Many cigarette butts were discovered within feet of the water along the coast, trapped in gutters that flow to the ocean, and tossed near waterways in the inland communities. Cigarette butt filters are made of plastic, do not biodegrade and are full of harmful toxins that pollute the environment when left behind.

Among the debris collected were several notable odd items, including a reclining chair, refrigerator, wheelchair, plastic Christmas tree, messages in a bottle at Swami’s State Beach, rice cooker, restaurant pager and a guitar case.

Conservation Tips

  1. Visit WasteFree.org to learn more about how to recycle effectively to reduce contaminated materials from the blue bin. And, see what waste goes to the landfill and use reusable items instead.
  2. Work to eliminate single-use plastics from your lifestyle and switch to reusable alternatives.
  3. Smokers: Please make sure your cigarette is disposed of properly and not discarded on the street. And, if you desire quitting, consult a physician to discuss a plan to stop smoking.

Volunteers included residents, corporate groups, and civic organizations who turned their appreciation for the region’s beauty into action by not only cleaning up waste, but also completing restoration projects such as painting, graffiti removal, non-native vegetation removal, mulching, trail restoration and weeding.

Coastal Cleanup Day was an opportunity for the community members to conserve in more ways than one. As part of the effort to boost zero-waste practices, I Love A Clean San Diego encouraged all volunteers to be more sustainable by choosing to bring reusable items to the cleanup such as reusable water bottles, work gloves and buckets. Volunteers had the opportunity to showcase their creativity and commitment to zero-waste practices by decorating reusable buckets to enter the Bling Your Bucket Contest for a chance to win prizes while celebrating sustainability.

Thank you Sponsors

I Love A Clean San Diego organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy. Top tier supporters of Coastal Cleanup Day include Think Blue San Diego, County of San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric, Wells Fargo, Qualcomm Foundation, Cox, SolarTech and Evans Hotels.

Creek to Bay is Next Major Cleanup

Coastal Cleanup Day is one of two annual countywide cleanups, which includes the Creek to Bay cleanup on April 25, 2020, hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego that engage thousands of local families, community groups and local businesses. Beyond countywide events, I Love A Clean San Diego continues to empower volunteers at hundreds of cleanups targeting specific neighborhoods, parks, and open spaces on an ongoing basis throughout the year. In 2018, the nonprofit mobilized over 34,000 volunteers who removed more than 357,000 pounds of trash and debris from the San Diego County landscape. For more information about upcoming cleanups, workshops, or zero-waste tips, please visit CleanSD.org.

The post Coastal Cleanup Day Results: Plastics and Cigarette Butts are Chief Polluters appeared first on I Love A Clean San Diego.

San Diego County Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup Day

Posted on by ILACSD

The 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day is nearly here. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) seeks 8,000 volunteers to help beautify more than 100 sites across San Diego County on Saturday,September 21, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ILACSD has coordinated this event regionally for the past 34 years, successfully mobilizing thousands of volunteers throughout the county. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up for a site in their neighborhood and help leave a positive impact on the entire region. Online registration is now open at CleanupDay.org.

Coastal Cleanup Day covers more than just the shoreline. ILACSD focuses the majority of its cleanup efforts along inland waterways and canyons. With 80 percent of marine debris coming from inland territories, volunteers learn first-hand the importance of keeping trash out of the region’s waterways, which carries trash and pollutants directly to the ocean through the storm drain system. In 2018, 9,174 volunteers removed over 148,000 pounds of trash, recyclables, and green waste from San Diego and Tijuana regions that otherwise would have polluted the beloved coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands by pledging to “Bring Your Own” reusable items when they register at CleanupDay.org. Each volunteer who brings a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and/or a bucket to collect litter significantly reduces the need for single-use bags and disposable gloves. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated buckets entered into this year’s Bling Your Bucket contest.

The CleanSwell app is another option for volunteers to help cut back on waste produced at this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers are encouraged to download the Clean Swell app to be used in place of paper data cards to track the debris collected on event day. The app is free and available to download for both iOS and Android devices.

Sony Electronics has returned to sponsor this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day Photo Contest where volunteers have the opportunity to win a Sony Cybershot Camera. Volunteers are encouraged to submit a photo of their Coastal Cleanup Day experience that best fits the theme, Blast From The Past. Photos for the Bling Your Bucket and Sony Photo Contests may be submitted to iloveacleansd@gmail.com.

ILACSD organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy. Top tier supporters of Coastal Cleanup Day include the County of San Diego, Think Blue San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Wells Fargo, Qualcomm Foundation, Evans Hotels, Port of San Diego, Cox Communications, SolarTech, Republic Waste Services, and KFMB-TV / CBS 8.  Several corporate supporters plan to mobilize employee volunteers and their families at cleanup sites across the county including SDG&E which has accounted for more than 8,000 corporate volunteers over the last 16 years.

The post San Diego County Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup Day appeared first on I Love A Clean San Diego.

San Diego County Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup Day

Posted on by ILACSD

The 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day is nearly here. I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) seeks 8,000 volunteers to help beautify more than 100 sites across San Diego County on Saturday,September 21, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ILACSD has coordinated this event regionally for the past 34 years, successfully mobilizing thousands of volunteers throughout the county. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are encouraged to sign up for a site in their neighborhood and help leave a positive impact on the entire region. Online registration is now open at CleanupDay.org.

Coastal Cleanup Day covers more than just the shoreline. ILACSD focuses the majority of its cleanup efforts along inland waterways and canyons. With 80 percent of marine debris coming from inland territories, volunteers learn first-hand the importance of keeping trash out of the region’s waterways, which carries trash and pollutants directly to the ocean through the storm drain system. In 2018, 9,174 volunteers removed over 148,000 pounds of trash, recyclables, and green waste from San Diego and Tijuana regions that otherwise would have polluted the beloved coastline and the Pacific Ocean.

ILACSD invites volunteers to take waste reduction into their own hands by pledging to “Bring Your Own” reusable items when they register at CleanupDay.org. Each volunteer who brings a reusable water bottle, work gloves, and/or a bucket to collect litter significantly reduces the need for single-use bags and disposable gloves. Prizes will be awarded to the best decorated buckets entered into this year’s Bling Your Bucket contest.

The CleanSwell app is another option for volunteers to help cut back on waste produced at this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day. Volunteers are encouraged to download the Clean Swell app to be used in place of paper data cards to track the debris collected on event day. The app is free and available to download for both iOS and Android devices.

Sony Electronics has returned to sponsor this year’s Coastal Cleanup Day Photo Contest where volunteers have the opportunity to win a Sony Cybershot Camera. Volunteers are encouraged to submit a photo of their Coastal Cleanup Day experience that best fits the theme, Blast From The Past. Photos for the Bling Your Bucket and Sony Photo Contests may be submitted to iloveacleansd@gmail.com.

ILACSD organizes Coastal Cleanup Day in San Diego County in partnership with the California Coastal Commission as part of a global international event led by the Ocean Conservancy. Top tier supporters of Coastal Cleanup Day include the County of San Diego, Think Blue San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Wells Fargo, Qualcomm Foundation, Evans Hotels, Port of San Diego, Cox Communications, SolarTech, Republic Waste Services, and KFMB-TV / CBS 8.  Several corporate supporters plan to mobilize employee volunteers and their families at cleanup sites across the county including SDG&E which has accounted for more than 8,000 corporate volunteers over the last 16 years.

The post San Diego County Volunteers Needed for Coastal Cleanup Day appeared first on I Love A Clean San Diego.

Calling All SDMYCO Citizen Scientists! Join us in the FIRST-EVER Continental Mycoblitz this week!

Posted on by SD Myco

Calling All SDMYCO Citizen Scientists! Join us as we participate in the FIRST-EVER Continental Mycoblitz this week – August 12-19, 2019!

A mycoblitz, similar to a ‘bioblitz’, is an intense and time-limited survey, completed by ordinary citizens (like you!) of all the organisms living in a given geographic area. This one will be the first ever in North America focused solely on fungi! 

This event, a collaboration between NAMA (North American Mycological Association), NAMP (North American Mycoflora Project), iNaturalist, and The National Geographic Society, is an effort to increase documentation and knowledge of fungi across North America. 

 

How to Participate

Before Foray Week

  1. Visit the Event Page – The Mycoflora Mycoblitz page will give you an overview and answers to FAQs
  2. Register HERE
  3. Review the online training documents – Become familiar with the process to submit collections to this project: Collecting Mushrooms for Science and iNaturalist Mycoblitz Protocols.
  4. Download Field Data Slips – Download and print BOTH field data slips so that the collections you make can be used for the Mycoblitz AND for storage at The San Diego Natural History Museum as part of the San Diego Barcoding Project. These field data slips are individually numbered and should be filled out for each collection you make. 
  5. Download the iNaturalist Mobile App – Both Android and IOS versions are available. Check your preferred app store for the download. If you do not have a mobile device, you can participate by utilizing the web interface to report your observations.
  6. Join the “Continental Mycoblitz 2019” project in iNaturalist – You can join from the mobile app or now from your favorite web browser. You can join this project at any time.

During Foray Week

  1. Choose your foray location. Many areas have local regulations that may prohibit the collection of mushrooms on specific properties. This includes many state and local parks across the country, and all national parks. Specimens may not be collected or submitted from prohibited areas as a part of this project. Any specimen submitted from an area with limitations on collecting must have a collecting or scientific research permit sent with the collections in order for the specimens to be accepted. So where can you collect? Private property is ideal and public areas without any restrictions. 
  2. Create new observations of mushrooms you encounter. This can be done through the iNaturalist mobile app in the field (with cell service) or the web interface at home. With each new observation, be sure to select the project for your event and whether you collected the specimen. The mobile app uploads the photos to the reports online.
    • Take multiple photos of the mushrooms with your cell phone or camera in the field. Your photos are most valuable to science if they include GPS location data: make sure it is turned on! Take a nice image near ground level from the side, as well as an image of the top, the stem, and the spore bearing surface (gills or pores on the underside of the cap).
    • If you think you might submit the specimen, take an image of a field data slip with the specimen. This will help to ensure you can associate the images with the correct specimens.
    • Enter the field data slip number into the “Voucher number(s)” field in the mobile app.
  3. Collect the specimen. Store your field slip (or the portion with the number) with the specimen. Back at home, dry the specimens with a dehydrator or fan – Use the duplicate number at the bottom portion of the voucher slip to organize collections as they are being dried. Once they are cracker dry (usually 1-2 days) put the voucher slip and the specimen in a ziplock bag. Please put the iNaturalist number (in the URL of your observations) and the species name on the voucher slips. This will save us a huge amount of time once we receive the collections
  4. Deliver your dried specimens – We will be collecting all San Diego County samples locally before sending to the national collection processing facility. The top specimens that are selected as a part of this event will have their DNA “sequenced” or examined. We are likely to find multiple species that are new to science during this event. Your collections could be part of this. Deliver your samples two ways:
    • In Person: Email sdmycomich@gmail.com to arrange a time for in-person drop-off
    • Mail to: 
    • SDMycoblitz

      ℅ Michelle Jachimowicz

      4483 Winona Ave, #4

      San Diego, CA 92115

  5.  As a reminder, we are looking for:
  • Specimens with complete metadata – color images from multiple angles (including the spore bearing surface), a filled out field data slip, and fully dried specimens.
  • Locally uncommon, rare, or otherwise interesting species.
  • Try to make a few of your specimens from one of the following groups for this event: Cortinarius, Inocybe, Amanita sect. Vaginatae, and/or the Marasmiaceae.

 

Happy Hunting!

 

A World of Lichens! This Saturday, July 6th with Les Braund

Posted on by SD Myco

Join Les Braund this coming Saturday, July 6, 2019 from 10am – 2pm  in Rancho Peñasquitos.  He will be speaking and teaching you about the wonderful, yet not very well known, World of Lichens.

Due to microscope availability, this class is only offered to 6 people!! We will be using both compound and dissecting scopes. Please bring your own lichens to ID. Hand outs, chemical and other supplies will be provided.

Space is limited to 6 people ONLY! Get your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lichen-identification-class-tickets-64341064857

The address of the Preserve is 12020 Black Mountain Rd. The Preserve is located between Mira Mesa and Rancho Peñasquitos, West of Black Mountain Rd.

Member Dinner – Tickets almost sold out!!

Posted on by SD Myco

Hello fellow mycophagists!

We have just 4 tickets left for our members mushroom dinner.

It promises to be a delicious evening. See the menu at the bottom.

$25 per person. Tickets available HERE.

Mushroom Dinner

Monday, June 17th

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Longship Brewery

10320 Camino Santa Fe C, San Diego, CA 92121

Tickets can be found here: https://sdmycomushroomdinner.eventbrite.com

Non-members want to join? They can become a member here: www.sdmyco.org/membership

We hope to see you there to celebrate a bountiful mushroom season!

Member Mushroom Dinner: Monday June 17th

Posted on by SD Myco

Member Mushroom Dinner

Feast on Fungus. Munch on Mushies. Join us for this members only, special event prepared by Chef Sarah Restivo of Rancho Valencia to be held at Longship Brewery. This four course meal will include many of our favorite edibles including: Porcini, Truffle, Candy caps, Portobello, Shiitake, Beech, Enoki, King Trumpet and Wood Ear.

This is a members only event. Non-members can join here.

$25 per person. Tickets available HERE.

Mushroom Dinner

Monday, June 17th

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Longship Brewery

10320 Camino Santa Fe C, San Diego, CA 92121

Member Foray this Sunday, June 9th!

Posted on by SD Myco

This is a members only foray. Non-members can join here.

 

This Sunday, June 9th

9am-12pm

San Luis Rey Picnic Area

CA-76, Santa Ysabel, CA 92070

 

Be Prepared

  1. If you haven’t already, register all attendees as members here. Families only need to register once
  2. Print out, complete and bring a signed Liability Waiver
  3. Bring a basket and collecting tools
  4. Bring a dish to share along with your own beverage, plate and utensils