Politics & Government
Update: Genentech Employees Clean Pacifica Beaches
New Photos: This week the Pacifica Beach Coalition hosts 200 visitors to clean up trash and learn about how it ends up on our beaches.
Two hundred Genentech employees will visit Pacifica Wednesday and Friday to help clean local beaches. The clean-ups are part of the Genentech Gives Back annual community service week, and groups have come to Pacifica beaches annually for several years.
"It makes a big impact in Pacifica," said Pacifica Beach Coalition president, Lynn Adams.
The beach coalition will host 50 people in the mornings and afternoons on each day. After working for an hour and a half, the volunteers will hear a talk by either Adams or other coalition members Ana Garcia or Margo Meiman.
Find out what's happening in Pacificawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"We've found that some of our litter on beaches is often coming from somewhere else," Adams told Patch. "All our storm drains go straight to the ocean, and the storm drains on the Bay flow into the Bay."
Adams said that currents move from the San Francisco Bay north toward Point Reyes National Seashore, around the Farallon Islands, and then south to Pacifica, which means that trash from places like Burlingame or South San Francisco can end up at Rockaway or .
Find out what's happening in Pacificawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"Now we have flows of debris from Japan from the tsunami," Adams said. "A lot of it is broken apart in bits and pieces."
What trash and pollution from Northern California that does not come to Pacifica can travel to the Pacific gyre.
The beach coalition members will give talks Wednesday and Friday on how individuals can be more responsible with waste, in order to help keep beaches clean. In addition to doing the beach cleanup, volunteers will also help with restoration habitat at the Linda Mar dunes.
"We have fun and everyone learns a lot and feels good about what they accomplish," Adams said. "It's pretty magical."
Check back with Patch for photos of the events, and feel free to add your own to our Pics & Clips section.
Clean-up schedule:
Wednesday
9:00am shift - Sharp Park Beach
1:30pm shift - Rockaway Beach
Friday
9:00am shift - Linda Mar Beach
1:30pm shift - San Pedro Creek
Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook |Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us
