Cleanups To Date

Pitch In All-Santa Cruz Cleanup Day will be May 10th, 2025!

Click Here to Learn More

Opportunities to participate will be updated here on a regular basis.

Upcoming Cleanups

  • Boulder Creek Spring Town Sweep
  • Volunteer Center Clean Up (Special Event) @ Pogonip Open Space
    Volunteer to clean up Pogonip removing trash from trails.
    • Time: May 3rd, 2025 @ 9:45am - 12pm (clean up starts at 10am - but please arrive at 9:45 for parking and walking to meeting spot)
    • Meet: Park Entrance at the end of Golf Club Drive (Emma McCrary Trailhead). 501 Golf Club Drive, Santa Cruz CA 95060
    • Please wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes, layers for warm or cold weather and sunscreen. Volunteers will do lots of walking on the trails and some volunteers may use a wheelbarrow to remove larger items.
  • Volunteer Center Clean Up (Monthly) Volunteer to clean up Pogonip removing trash from trails.
    • Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
      May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15
    • Please arrive 15 minutes early to provide time for parking and a short walk to the meeting location.
    • For details and signup, Click Here.
  • Join Save Our Shores cleanups
    • River Cleanup @ San Lorenzo River Levee (April 19 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm)
      San Lorenzo River @ River St South 149 River St S, Santa Cruz, CA
      • Registration is required
      • Meet Up Location: Please meet us near the pedestrian bridge on River St South across from the San Lorenzo Park Plaza.
      • Facilities & Accessibility: There are no restrooms or drinking fountains on site. Paid parking lots and metered street parking available nearby, please note River St South is the temporary bus metro and there is limited parking available on this street.
    • Beach Cleanup @ Cowell Beach (April 26 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am)
      Cowell Beach 21 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, CA
      • Registration is required
      • Meet Up Location: Please meet us at the base of the stairs to Cowell Beach, on the right side of the wharf entrance.
      • Facilities & Accessibility: Restrooms and drinking fountains are available onsite. Metered lot and street parking may be limited, please plan accordingly.
    • Beach Cleanup @ Cowell Beach (May 10, 2025 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am)
      Cowell Beach 21 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, CA
      • Registration is required
      • Meet Up Location: Please meet us at the base of the stairs to Cowell Beach, on the right side of the wharf entrance.
      • Facilities & Accessibility: There are no restrooms available, and no drinking fountains on site. Parking is limited, so please plan accordingly.
  • Join Coastal Watershed Council!
    A fun, family friendly way to help clean and protect our San Lorenzo River.
    This applies to all River Walk Cleanups:
    Generally, we will meet on the east riverbank between the Laurel Street bridge and the Branciforte Creek pedestrian bridge. Please RSVP below to receive up-to-date location information. We recommend that all volunteers dress in comfortable gardening clothes, including long pants, socks and sturdy closed-toe shoes. Bring layers, sun protection and a reusable water bottle. Gloves, tools and light refreshments will be provided.
    All ages and abilities welcome. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
    Call (831) 464 9200 x104, or email CWC River Ecologist Kaiya Giuliano-Monroy with any questions before the event. RSVP
    • April 19 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am
      Earth Day Cleanup at the Tannery Arts Center
      Tannery Arts Center 1010 River St, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
    • April 26 @ 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
      San Lorenzo Park Neighbors Second Annual Day in the Park
      San Lorenzo Park 137 Dakota St, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
    • May 10 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
      Pitch In All-Santa Cruz Cleanup Day 2025
      River Health Day
    • June 14 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
      River Health Day
      Santa Cruz Riverwalk
    • July 12 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
      River Health Day
      Santa Cruz Riverwalk
    • September 13 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
      Volunteer to Beautify San Lorenzo Park
      San Lorenzo Park 137 Dakota St, Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Cleanups Accomplished

Murphy's Crossing Cleanup

July 29, 2022

On a sunny summer day, when kids could be surfing, or hanging out with friends, students from the Climate Corp Leadership Institute’s summer youth program volunteered to clean up one of the most notorious illegal dump sites in south County, Murphy’s Crossing. The volume of garbage left downstream from people living in or driving through the dry river corridor was disheartening at best, disgusting in measure.

There are migrating steelhead in the Pajaro River, as well as a broad diversity of other wildlife. The health of this vital corridor is being compromised by human negligence and debris. The student volunteer group coordinated by Wetlands Watch were joined by members of the community, Ramon Gomez from the 4th district, Filipe Hernandez, of the American Legion, Dick Solano from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s office and the Community action Board of Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz Public Works managed traffic. Justin Scurich, a partner of Creekside Farms, provided bathrooms and water. County superintendent Alexander was very helpful organizing a crew and trucks for heavier materials. Murphy’s Crossing will be monitored in the future.

In total 560 cubic feet of garbage and 2.5 truckloads of mattresses, plastic crates, tires, bottles, and trash were removed from the roadway and the river, helping to protect the sensitive natural habitat of the Pajaro River corridor.

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Climate Corp Leadership Student Volunteers clean up trash at Murphy’s Crossing.
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Murphy’s Crossing River Bed.
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Trash Talkers Cleanup of Murphy’s Crossing – Special Thanks to Ramon Gomez, Filipe Hernandez, and Wetlands Watch for coordination.
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