September 21, The Coastal Clean Day took place all over the  country as well as in Albany, Berkeley, and Orinda. Miramonte students showed up with gloves ready to gather trash from the San Pablo Creek in Orinda. The goal of the clean up day is to prevent trash flowing into the bay. 

The International Coastal Cleanup started more than thirty years ago with cities around the world working together to pick up trash around their communities. According to The Ocean Conservancy website, on this day people from all around the world rally together to save the oceans and marine life from harmful trash. 

Along with Miramonte students, young students, teachers, and other adults came to make their community a better place. Sophomore Rebecca Libby participated in The Coastal Cleanup with the Orinda Creeks Organization. “I chose to participate in the Coastal Cleanup event because I want to make a difference in my community and help clean up the planet. I volunteered at a creek cleanup event run by Orinda Creeks near the Orinda library. The other volunteers and I walked down to the creek, and the area surrounding it, to pick up trash that blew from the street into the creek,” Libby said. 

Orinda Creeks is an organization with a mission to protect the creeks in Orinda and educate people on the importance of restoration and safety of Orinda Creeks. According to the Friends of Orinda Creeks website, the organization “encourages composting, removal of exotic invasive plants, planting of low maintenance native plants, and reducing of chemical fertilizers and pesticides,” and “works with Boy and Girl Scouts to fulfill their community service projects.” 

“The event made me feel grateful because it created an opportunity to make a difference in our community. However, it also made me sad to see how littered our communities are of trash,” Libby said. 

“It is important to clean up the environment best we can so there’s less waste to harm wildlife. It’s a great way to educate people on the big trash issue, and students can see where their waste goes; it’s an eye-opening experience,” Miramonte science teacher Jyllian Smith said.