It’s Time for Summer Cleaning! Join Us for Our Beach and Park Cleanup

Each year, about 14 billion pounds of trash makes its way to our oceans ! That’s a lot of trash! Wondering what you can personally do to help? Keep reading!

Every summer, AMC hosts a beach and park cleanup in Costa Mesa and cities throughout California. With COVID-19’s social distancing requirements, we won’t be able to gather together at the park or beach. But here’s what we can do:

On July 25 (or another July day that works best for you), let’s all head to a nearby park or the beach with members of our households to conduct our own park or beach cleanup! Even though we’ll be apart, we’ll be together in spirit as we work to beautify the lands that we love! Here’s how cleaning helps and how to prepare.

How Cleaning Up Helps

Cleaning up beaches and parks is satisfying, helps wildlife and the economy, and is a good activity for a healthy lifestyle.

“There is satisfaction to say, ‘I removed ten pounds of trash from my beach,’” says Kara Lavender Law, a research oceanography professor. “Even if it’s only ten pounds, that’s ten pounds that isn’t going to go into the open ocean.”

In addition to protecting wildlife, “clean beaches provide economic benefit to local communities in the form of tourism dollars,” says Laura Parker at National Geographic . “In southern California, researchers calculated that in Orange County alone that potential could translate into $46 million in just one summer.”

Whether you head to Fairview or Canyon Parks or take a trip to Newport or Huntington Beaches, you’ll make a difference in making the world a more beautiful place. As an added bonus, you’ll definitely burn a few additional calories with this activity!

What You’ll Need to Begin

After you’ve scheduled your cleanup day—July 25 or otherwise—it’s time to get yo u r supplies ready. Here’s what you’ll need:

Maintaining Distance

Since COVID-19 guidelines are still in place, it may be wise to stick to a household-only crew. However, if you do decide to extend an invitation to those living in other households, be sure to keep this advice from the CDC in mind: “When guests arrive, minimize gestures that promote close contact. For example, don’t shake hands, do elbow bumps, or give hugs. Instead wave and verbally greet them.” And in keeping with California’s mask mandate , wear your mask “when maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet from persons who are not members of the same household or residence is not feasible.”

Conducting a beach and park cleanup in Costa Mesa and surrounding areas will make a difference to our community and add some variety to your summer! We hope you join us in these efforts on July 25 or another day during the month of July! Tag The Parsons Apartment Homes in your photos and use the hashtags #AMCcleanup and #livehappy. We can’t wait to see the difference you are making!