Coastal Cleanup at Santa Monica Pier
Contributor | 10-4-2010 | Comments |
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By Desiree Lanz
More than 700 children packed the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium recently for Coastal Cleanup Education Day, a program that teaches kids from low-income schools about protecting marine life. Randi Parent, Public Outreach Specialist, shared her thoughts on the program. How do you hope today will affect these kids?
We hope that they are learning the importance of keeping the beaches and their neighborhoods clean because all trash and litter ends up in the water and is unhealthy for the animals and for them and their families when they want to go swimming at the beach.
How did Coastal Cleanup Education Day come about?
Coastal Cleanup Day has been going on for just about 20 years. About 10 years ago we got the idea to separate out a day that was specifically for the education of the children because it gave us a chance to spend more time with them and give them more activities that bring home the idea of taking care of the ocean and teaching them about the animals.
Did you start with the same number of schools that you’re now serving?
I think it’s been pretty much the same. They come from nine different schools; most are LAUSD but we also have schools from Compton and other parts of the district. They’re all low-income schools that are not otherwise able to come on field trips.
What kinds of activities do the kids participate in on Education Day and who leads them?
It’s an all-out effort for almost everyone who works at Heal the Bay, which is close to 50 people at this point. It’s a huge coordination effort that starts with greeting them at their buses, putting them into groups, and sending them through a group of stations out on the beach and here at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium as well. They do games and activities on the beach that help drive home the point that litter is bad for the animals and then we bring them into the aquarium so that they actually get to see and interact with lots of healthy animals that are also found in this bay.
Do teachers and parents take part in the program and have you seen some of the kids return with their families?
We do find that on the weekends kids will come up and tell the members of the staff that they’ve been here on a field trip before and they’re already really knowledgeable about the animals. One of our teachers who has brought her school here every year and has participated in Coastal Cleanup Education Day retired last year and immediately enrolled in our volunteer program. We see that kind of continuity, which is really rewarding.
Has Coastal Cleanup Day grown since you’ve implemented these education programs?
I don’t know the exact figures but it’s definitely grown over the 20 years that it’s been in practice. Last year in LA County alone they picked up over 1 million pounds of garbage.
What do you think has been the response of the kids and the schools to this program?
The kids are so excited; they have such a good time. I think they really enjoy the pace of it, racing from one center to another and they just are so joyous. One came in and grabbed my hand the minute she walked in the door and said, “I wanna see plankton,” and she just had an agenda right away. They’re all little sponges waiting to be taught.
What drives you to do your job? What excites you the most about it?
It first started with my passion for the ocean. I always grew up going to the ocean, the Atlantic first--I moved here 10 years ago so the Pacific is fairly new to me-- but I’ve always been very connected to marine life and that drives me. The mission definitely drives me, because if we don’t take care of the ocean its not going to be there for us and it’s just not one of those infinite resources even though I think a lot of people still believe that. And the people I work with, because most everyone in this field is very passionate about what they do, and that just makes for a wonderful work environment.