Third-grader Lilikoi Blake, 8, of Lord Baden-Powell Elementary School in Anaheim shifts through the sand for small pieces of trash. This was one of six beaches along the California coast chosen for the 23rd annual Kids Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup event. Kids Ocean Day educates kids from underserved areas by facilitating trips to the beach to interact with the environment. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The 23rd annual kids Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup event. Kids Ocean Day educates kids from underserved areas by facilitating trips to the beach to interact with the environment. (Photo by Ana Venegas, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Lauren Smith, second from right, of Coastkeeper accepts a bag of trash collected by a young volunteer at the California Coastal Cleanup Day at Huntington State Beach on Saturday, September 16, 2017. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Lauren Smith of Coastkeeper weighs a bag of trash during California Coastal Cleanup Day at Huntington State Beach on Saturday, September 16, 2017. The Coastkeeper group collected over 400 lbs of trash. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)



It’s a dirty task, but someone has to do it.

Orange County Coastkeeper is expecting to hit a major milestone this weekend: an estimated 20,000 pounds of trash collected by volunteers on local beaches since 2011.

Hundreds of volunteers will be coming to the sand at Huntington State Beach on Saturday, Dec. 9 to pluck away cigarette butts, plastic straws and other debris.

“It’s bittersweet — we’re getting more volunteers, but there’s also more trash on the beach as well,” said Lauren Smith, volunteer and communications coordinator.

In its first four years, Coastkeeper collected 10,000 pounds of trash. With more hands helping, the next 10,000 will likely be collected in half that time.

Smith said last winter’s heavy storms helped push an unprecedented amount of trash onto the beach. In February, volunteers picked up the most trash they’ve ever collected at one time, when 200 volunteers disposed of about 1,200 pounds.

“It definitely kind of paints the picture for some of the issues we’re having inland. It’s a good place to start thinking about where this trash is coming from and the best ways to resolve this issue,” Smith said.

“Most of the beach trash isn’t from the beachgoers themselves, rather people who are upstream, with trash from the streets and channels and creeks.”

Orange County Coastkeeper is currently at 19,700 pounds of trash, so the 20,000 milestone should be easy to attain, Smith said.

Saturday’s gathering also marks sponsor Coastal Playground’s 100th beach cleanup. Coastal Playground is a for-profit company that uses a portion of funds to help organize and host beach clean-ups.

“We could not have done all that work we’ve done without their help,” Smith said. “It’s really exciting to see a local business have the same passions as us.”

The nonprofit Orange County Coastkeeper was founded in 1999 as a way to “protect and promote sustainable water resources,” by hosting beach clean-ups, creating educational tools and doing research and conservation for the coast.

As volunteers pick up trash Saturday, they will use it to build a one-day art installation in the sand to show the impact of coastal pollution.

Volunteers will meet at Huntington State Beach, at Tower 2, entering through the Magnolia Street entrance. Clean up begins at 9 a.m.; the art installation will be complete by 11:30 a.m.