Every year, I really look forward to Carlsbad’s annual Beach Fest. As the North Coast Superintendent for State Parks’ San Diego Coast District, I participate in a variety of activities to preserve California’s beauty – but nobody throws a party quite like Carlsbad. Their Beach Fest is a great example of how to raise awareness and generate support for coastal preservation and stewardship.

In addition to an organized beach cleanup, the Beach Fest features live music, professional sand sculpting, art demonstrations, lifeguard rescue demonstration, a beach soccer demo, beach volleyball clinic and educational booths with hands-on activities for children. Residents come out and come together for a shared goal – to keep their waterways clean.

Litter affects the beauty of our state and can end up in our waterways. This is a shame, because some of it isn’t even trash. Recyclable materials like plastics shouldn’t end up as litter OR in landfills. That’s why we work with organizations like ACC to remind Californians of the importance of recycling, and how items like plastic bottles can have valuable second lives.

ACC, a two time event sponsor, has a long history of supporting litter abatement and recycling programs. They’ve also helped us to develop an environmental education program for young people in the San Diego area. Their efforts have gone a long way to help Californians understand their role in keeping our beautiful landscapes free of debris.

The Carlsbad Beach Fest is sponsored by California State Parks with support from the Friends of Cardiff, Carlsbad State Beaches, ACC and others.

The following is a guest post by Brian Ketterer, North Coast Superintendent for California State Parks’ San Diego Coast District.