Clean Berkeley’s waterfront on Coastal Cleanup Day, Sept. 19

Join Berkeleyans, City staff, and neighbors to help clean up the waterfront and take part in one of California’s largest volunteer science projects: California Coastal Cleanup.

As you count picked up trash, you can also vie to win the prize of “most unusual item.” Past winners have included an old television, a shrimp in a bottle, and an antique, colorized photo of a Jack Russell Terrier.

Cleanup day will take place along various waterways of the Berkeley Waterfront and Brickyard Cove. Come on your own or as a group. Register online to help us plan.

At the Shorebird Nature Center, one of the two meeting locations, we’ll have a range of activities for all ages. We’ll have games, booths with staff, and displays explaining how everyday waste affects our water.  

Register online by 5:00 pm Friday, September 18. Or sign up in person on cleanup day by 10:00 am. 

Choose where to start your day, collect, then celebrate

If possible, please bring your own bucket, gloves, and water bottle. This reduces waste and saves supplies. If you can’t, we’ll have buckets, bags, and gloves available for you.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

• 9:00 am – 10:30 am: Check in at Shorebird Nature Center or Brickyard Cove to get supplies, paper card for tracking what you pick up, and a safety talk. Safety talks will take place every 20 minutes. All participants must fill out a waiver. Youths under 18 will need a waiver signed by their legal guardian. 
• 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Pick up trash for as long or short as you choose and drop off at one of the multiple points located around the waterfront.
• 9:00 am – 12:00 pm: On the Nature Center lawn, see a watershed model, take a photo, try a recycling game, and color pictures. Hosted by the Nature Center, ZeroWaste, and the Ecology Center.
• 12:00 pm: Return to Shorebird Park or Brickyard Cove staging area by noon to turn in your cleanup data card.
• 12:30 pm: Bring the weirdest item you found to check in at Shorebird Nature Center to enter the “most unusual item” contest. 

Track your collected trash and log it on a paper data card or the Clean Swell App on your phone. This will help compile data for one of the largest research efforts in the world. 

To request an accessibility accommodation, or ask other questions, please call (510) 981-6720 or email naturecenter@berkeleyca.gov.

Plan your transportation to the Waterfront

Please consider taking a car-free route to the waterfront. Ride your bike along the Bay Trail. Alternatively, use Shared Bikes and Scooters, AC Transit, or carpool with friends.

If you drive, parking will be available in the South Cove East (east of Cal Adventures) and the former Hs Lordships lots. Avoid parking in the nearby L and M lots, which require weekend permits.

One-day action, daily habits help clean the coast

Berkeley Coastal Cleanup Day is part of a statewide effort to protect and restore beaches, bays, and waterways, before winter rains carry trash out to sea.

In 2025, 41,867 volunteers across California removed 342,528 pounds of trash and recyclables in a single day. Volunteers in Berkeley last year combed three miles of our shoreline to remove 945 pounds of trash and 66 pounds of recyclables. 

Over three decades, more than 27 million pounds of debris have been cleared through this annual effort. That makes it one of the state’s largest volunteer events.

Your actions matter. Most trash collected comes from everyday single-use items like food wrappers and cigarette butts. To help year-round, join a Third Saturday Cleanup or adopt a storm drain in your neighborhood to keep it clear of debris.

This is one of many events put on by Berkeley’s Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department. Use our Online Recreation Portal and community calendar year-round to find camps, classes, and activities for all ages. 

To protect our waterways, register online for yourself or a group by 5:00 pm Friday, September 18. Or sign up in person on cleanup day by 10:00 am. 

Learn more about Coastal Cleanup Day 2026

• Register for Coastal Cleanup Day 2026
• 2026 Coastal Cleanup Event
• Clean Swell App
• California Coastal Commission
• Shorebird Nature Center (City of Berkeley)
• City Volunteer Opportunities; Adopt a Drain
• Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department