Joy in nature at annual Kids’ Ocean Day in Mission Beach

On May 26, I Love A Clean San Diego (ILACSD) engaged greater than 150 college students, mentors, volunteers, and employees to find pleasure in nature whereas defending what they love at Mission Beach for the twenty seventh annual Kids’ Ocean Day.

This yr was the primary time again to an in-person occasion since 2019 and everybody felt energized whereas connecting with one another and nature. With a litter cleanup alongside Mission Beach, college students and volunteers considerably improved the well being and great thing about San Diego’s pure setting, stopping particles from coming into the ocean, the place it may be mistaken for meals and ingested by marine wildlife.

After the cleanup, the group shaped an aerial artwork picture of the phrase “Joy” with the ILACSD coronary heart brand in lieu of the “O” to attach with this yr’s theme of “Discover Joy in Nature.”

In an try to empower greater than 800 youth whereas accommodating security restrictions, ILACSD held separate environmental schooling shows and college campus cleanups in the weeks main as much as Kids’ Ocean Day. These applications for particular person faculties sparked scholar engagement and their understanding of the influence their actions have on the setting.

The college students who participated in the college shows and campus cleanups attend Title 1 faculties all through San Diego County – Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School, Clay Elementary, Ericson Elementary, La Mirada Academy, Los Peñasquitos Elementary, and Mission Elementary.

Through further outreach and partnerships with different youth organizations, ILACSD employees introduced to youth from the Barrio Logan College Institute and Pro Kids – First Tee. Both applications mentor youth from a younger age to develop the required abilities, studying habits, targets, and sensible information in their education, future professions, and total lives.

The occasion on May 26 introduced out youth and adults from Barrio Logan College Institute and culminated with the creation of a bit of residing artwork – an aerial artwork picture that spelled out “JOY” alongside South Mission Beach. This highly effective picture is a name for San Diegans to take motion on behalf of the oceans and the delicate wildlife that calls it residence.

There are already greater than 5 trillion items of plastic floating in the oceans, and it’s estimated by 2050, just about each seabird species on the planet might be consuming plastic. The “Discover Joy in Nature” message serves as a reminder that when folks come collectively, there’s a pleasure to expertise the outside, and construct relationships with one another to make a distinction. This occasion additionally acted as a reminder that residence doesn’t finish at the doorstep – houses embrace the pure setting – and embodies ILACSD’s motto of “passion in action” to take care of Earth.

Kids’ Ocean Day was made attainable via the beneficiant help of many companions, together with California’s Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail grant program and the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund, County of San Diego District Attorney Community Grant Program, Kiwanis Club, TEGNA Foundation, Kaiser Foundation, Wells Fargo, Sony Electronics, and CBS News 8.

Kids’ Ocean Day is without doubt one of the a whole lot of cleanups hosted by ILACSD yearly. In 2021, ILACSD mobilized almost 8,400 volunteers who eliminated greater than 61,000 kilos of particles from San Diego County. Join ILACSD for his or her subsequent cleanup is Saturday, June 4 at Escondido Creek in Harmony Grove. For extra details about the right way to become involved, go to CleanSD.org.

Photo courtesy: I Love A Clean San Diego