When the sun set over the Upper Newport Bay last Saturday evening, the birds were chirping just a little louder, the mullet were jumping out of the water just a bit higher — for JOY as over 22,000 lbs of trash and recyclables were picked up by over 750 volunteers. In it’s 25th year, the partnership between Orange County Parks, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the City of Newport Beach, with Newport Bay Conservancy, hosted their annual Bay cleanup as part of California’s Coastal Cleanup Day this past Saturday, September 20th. Over 30 different groups ranging from scout troops, companies including the Fairmont Newport Beach, Kingston Technologies, high school students from Early College High School, Santa Ana and Century High, and Nordstrom’s Fashion Board volunteers, all embarked in the water on canoes and kayaks and on land armed with trash bags, pickers and gloves. As they picked up trash, it was tallied and given it’s rightful home in numerous dumpsters around the Bay. Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa fed volunteers from out of the Back Bay Science Center as they finished collecting trash while Beach Bus Bistro provided food at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center. Inside the Outdoors, Used Oil Recycling, and Rain Barrel Intl. were also at the Interpretive Center to provide avenues in reducing waste and conserving energy. Every one of the 750 volunteers went home with a commemorative Cleanup Day at the Bay t-shirt courtesy of Volcom and Aquasea Clothing Company. Other sponsors included Schneider Electric (who also brought a team to the cleanup), Alere Property Group, DISC Sports and Spine Center at Newport Beach and Newport Auto Center.
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