Human-caused pollution, from motor oil and antifreeze to solid wastes like single-use plastics, cause substantial havoc to bio-organisms. Vegetation growth in riparian corridors – natural barriers for erosion and flooding comprised of native plants – are decimated by continued urban sprawl and callous human vandalism. By cleaning up waterways, California Water conservancy offers a proactive approach to combat waterway destruction and restore balance to Northern California’s natural aquatic ecosystems.
Our Current Focus
Creek Cleanups
One primary aspect of our cleanup efforts is focused on creek cleanups, especially at Coyote Creek in the heart of Silicon Valley. Creeks are home to hundreds of different species, from insects to marine life, and pollution is detrimental to this biodiversity. Specifically, litter provides a breeding ground for deadly bacteria that can decimate fish populations, and trash can modify entire habitats by blocking out sunlight and changing water patterns. By removing this trash we keep creeks clean and captivating.
Beach Cleanups
Another crucial part of our cleanup efforts is focused on beach cleanups, especially at beaches across Santa Cruz. Beaches are sanctuaries for various marine animals and are important barriers to often environmentally sensitive parts of the ocean – such as coral reefs. Pollution impairs the beach, both for humans and wildlife. Our objective is to keep beaches beautiful both for marine life and beachgoers by removing trash, recycling plastic, and ensuring proper beach usage for the future.
Creek Cleanups
Our work has focused on cleaning up various parts along Silicon Valley's Coyote Creek, picking up around 120 bags of trash each time along with shopping carts, bicycles, scooters, discarded furniture, and other various larger trash items. Coordinating and partnering with other local nonprofits as well as the city and county, we seek to make the largest impact possible by joining together with these like-minded organizations to accomplish our shared goal of cleaning up our local creeks. It is important now more than ever to practice good conservation techniques to protect our water resources, as they are projected to get scarcer in the future with the advent of anthropogenic climate change and dramatic population growth.
Photo Gallery
Beach Cleanups
Our beach cleanups focus on cleaning up numerous beaches along the coast of Northern California, especially in Santa Cruz, California. We pick up around 60 bags of trash each cleanup and pieces of wood, scooters, towels, and other large trash items. Working with and alongside various organizations in Santa Cruz, we collaborate with local beachgoers, residents, and volunteers to make the largest impact possible. It is crucial that we keep beaches clean now more than ever, as more marine animals are endangered than ever before and environmental challenges such as ocean acidification are straining oceanic water resources.
