Join Return of the Natives on Sept. 20 at Upper Carr Lake

The annual worldwide Coastal Cleanup Day is the largest volunteer event on the planet. Hundreds of thousands of people in more than 100 countries clean up beaches, lakes and waterways. If you’d like to help with the effort, join CSU Monterey Bay’s Return of the Natives (RON) on Sept. 20 to celebrate the day and contribute to a better environment. RON is working in partnership with Save Our Shores on the annual event. This year’s event will include more than two dozen sites in Monterey County, including Upper Carr Lake in Salinas. RON is recruiting volunteers to help clean up trash and remove invasive weeds at the lake from 9 a.m. to noon. Last year, volunteers worked to clean up Natividad Creek and prevented approximately 1,200 lbs. of debris from entering the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, protecting the ocean and keeping flood channels open. More than 80 percent of the plastics and other litter that pollutes the oceans comes from land sources. That means the debris that’s picked up during the cleanup will make a difference. Upper Carr Lake is located off East Laurel Drive between Constitution Boulevard and Sanborn Road. Snacks, water and tools will be provided. Return of the Natives is dedicated to bringing people closer to nature and nature closer to people through hands-on participation in restoring habitats. It is the education and outreach arm of the Watershed Institute at CSUMB. RON events are a great way to learn more about where you live, meet new people and help protect our water supply and natural habitat.??

More information is available here or by calling 582-3686