Message From the Pacifica Beach Coalition About MLK Day of Service

Pacifica Beach Coalition president Lynn Adams sums up Saturday's 17th Annual Volunteer Beach Planting and Restoration Day in honor of Martin Luther King Day as "simply amazing!"

"It was so wonderful to see so many kids and mom and dads with kids pitch in to help with the planting, restoration, and cleanup efforts," said Adams. "I have just one question: what can't we do together?"

Here's what else Adams has to say about the event at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica:

"Volunteers came out to Linda Mar State Beach in groups on Saturday to honor Martin Luther King and give back to the environment. Eighty volunteers kicked things off by cleaning up the beach (and parking areas) successfully removing more than 150 pounds of trash and recycles. 

"One lucky volunteer from Terra Nova High school, who stayed longer at the cleanup than most, picked up a piece of trash and discovered it was a $50 bill. Needless to say, he skipped all the way home a happy guy!

"After an hour of cleaning the beach, most volunteers made their way north on the beach to plant natives on the dunes and remove weeds near the bike path. Another team of volunteers arrived much earlier here to stage several planting sites and prepare for invasive weed removal.  

"Together young, middle, and older generations meandered to the site of their choosing to install and water in the plants at their new home or to remove iceplant, wild ox tongue, wild geranium, cape ivy and other invasive plants along the bike path. In the end, several thousand plants were planted and watered. Many placed in spots to hold the dunes, shelter the Snowy Plovers, and to minimize the social trails which will help the Snowy Plovers even more.  
"Oh my gosh! Do you know what you did yesterday? Simply amazing!  
Thank you to each and everyone of you for making yesterday an amazing success. I can not believe how many plants found a new home, how much of the bike path was cleared from the nasty Ox Tongue and other invasives, and how that big patch of crazy ivy was eradicated. How the cleanup crew collected over 90 pounds of trash and 30 pounds of recycles! We haven't had that much trash collected from Linda Mar State Beach in such a long time.

"Mostly, I can not believe the spirit of service and community that shone as bright as the sun did Saturday. This was a true team effort and each of you contributed greatly to the whole success. 

"Special thanks to Kathy Kellerman for growing all of those plants from seeds she collected and nurtured for months if not years; Dave Sands for providing the space/pots/support and transportation for the huge load of plants; Mary Petrilli, who thinks and rethinks and then creates the plan for the planting, the plants, and the way to create the most diversity and habitat for the Snowy Plover and other beach critters. 

"Thanks also to our quiet hero, Clark Natwick who started this whole thing 17 years ago. Continued thanks to Ray Biagini and the PW staff (Glenn and Chido) for the water, the tools, tables and chairs and the support dating back all 17 years too I believe; and to the PBC members who find a way to serve, and serve, and serve some more always bringing a smile, a helping hand, and an attitude of "can do"!; to Claudia for the awesome signs and unbelievable cake from Mazzetti's even though she couldn't join us! Thanks to Perrin, Jane, Marlene and the students from Terra Nova who showed up enforce along with students from Mills High School, IBL, and Oceana High School."  

Here are more details per Margo Meiman (cleanup site captain):

93 lbs of garbage

29 lbs of recyclables

Other items not weighed: 8-ft steel pipe, two large pieces of wood, cardboard, pillow, broom, shopping cart

79 volunteers signed up at the clean up - an additional 50 volunteers signed in at the planting and most of the clean up volunteers joined the HR/Planting as well. It was a teriffic day!

38 from Terra Nova High School

8 from Mills High School

1 from Oceana High School

27 other volunteers

Clean up find of the day was a $50 bill!