MONTEREY — Sometimes, a sea of blue is just what the beach needs to be cleared of debris.
A sea of blue volunteers, that is.
On Monday, the Blue Zones Project of Monterey County alongside Sustainable Monterey and the city of Monterey Parks Division brought together 98 volunteers for a post-Fourth of July beach clean-up at Del Monte Beach.
“A lot of people had (July 5) off, so it was a great way to harness people’s power and leverage the celebratory weekend,” said Tonja Roos, community program manager for the Blue Zones Project of Monterey County. “People were feeling a sense of pride in being community members and channeling that into giving back in a tangible and meaningful way.”
After the holiday weekend, Roos and the Blue Zones Project anticipated trash on Del Monte Beach would be abundant. To their surprise, that was not the case.
Consequently, most of the day was spent retrieving smaller pieces of garbage known as microplastics from the beach, which are just as important to remove from the ecosystem, Roos explained.
“Even though (the beach) was cleaner than we thought it might have been, the work had a tremendous impact,” she said. “It’s still impressive to see what the teams found. They were pulling out all sorts of things like shoes, tiny microplastics, beach toys, and abandoned blankets.”
By the end of the two-hour event, the volunteers collected seven large trash bags worth of debris, as well as a bag of recyclables. The cleanup crew’s work extended past Del Monte Beach into El Estero Park across the road and even attracted the attention of Rep. Jimmy Panetta, who stopped by to lend a hand.
“The turnout was absolutely extraordinary,” said Roos. “There was so much enthusiasm from the local area to reconnect, give back to the community and tap into an overall sense of purpose.”
Monday’s beach cleanup was just a preview of the larger plans the Blue Zones Project has for Monterey County. Started in 2018, the well-being improvement initiative seeks to help the county residents eventually make healthier choices. This means implementing small, community-wide changes such as encouraging students to develop smarter eating habits or creating bike lanes where there are none.
While the Blue Zones Project is a nationwide organization, its work began locally in Salinas three years ago. The group has been expanding its impact throughout the Peninsula since then and especially in the last few months.
“It’s an exciting time to start doing work in the communities,” said Roos. “People are clearly interested in coming out and getting reengaged. The numbers (on Monday) are evidence of that.”
Roos believes there is no better time than now to give back.
“Volunteering is a great way to meet people in the community,” she said. “We encourage folks to give an elbow bump and make new friends. It goes such a long way given the last year and a half was a different world.
“Out working together toward a common goal for the betterment of the community gives a sense of connectedness and hope that people crave right now.”
Information on the Blue Zones Project of Monterey County’s upcoming events and volunteering opportunities can be found at https://info.bluezonesproject.com/montereycounty.
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Volunteers gather for Del Monte Beach clean-up - Monterey Herald
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