17.3 Miles - 3,319 Pounds

This is a big thank-you for the 296 people who came out to help during the September Coastal Cleanup. As this year’s theme put it: You are bigger than you think!

And you were! You tidied up 17.3 miles of beach and waterways by standing tall (or bravely bending over, or proudly rolling along, or triumphantly tucked into a kayak) to clean up 3,319 pounds of trash.

Wow.

The news from some sites is that there was less garbage than last year, but alas, not in every location. Micro trash abounds, still, and one team’s notes had the comment: “For God’s sake, quit smoking!” Way, way, too many cigarette butts were found, and the risk they pose to wildlife is considerable.

In addition to the butts, there was the usual run of plastic, cans, and things left behind such as bicycle parts and lawn furniture. But then, there were the items that got the cleanup crews’ attention: a tube of candy called “toxic waste slime licker squeeze,” unused cans of whipped cream—maybe the party ended early, a set of acrylic nails, a tiny dancer doll, a spider man, and the grill off a Land Rover.

Talk about a mixed and messy bag.

Where did all this happen here in Mendo? There was a lot of love laid down on:

• Big River Beach - Mendo Parks & Mendocino Mermaids

• Caspar Beach - Coastal Mendocino Association of Realtors

• Glass Beach - City of Fort Bragg

• Hare Creek Beach - Mendocino Land Trust

• MacKerricher at Ward Avenue - SurfRiders

• Noyo Harbor Beach - Noyo Center for Marine Science

• Ten Mile Beach Dunes - Mendocino Coast Audubon Society

• Noyo River - Boating Cleanup - Liquid Fusion Kayak

• Point Arena Cove - City of Point Arena

• Pudding Creek Beach - Fort Bragg Middle School

• Russian River - Ukiah Valley - Mendocino County Resource Conservation District

• Seaside Beach - Mendocino Land Trust

• Van Damme Beach - Little River Environmental Action Group

• Virgin Creek Beach - North Coast Brewing Company

• Coastal Forest Inland, Jackson Demonstration Forest - Mendocino Trail Stewards

• Noyo Harbor Headlands Park - Latino Outdoors

Ouch. It makes me tired just to write all this down, never mind the work that went on out there!

So many of our groups above come out year-after-year, and we can’t thank them enough. You made these public spaces safer and more pleasant. We will think of you all the next time we visit these sites. If you weren’t able to be a part of the cleanup, then please thank those who did. They deserve it!

Cartober

Send Your Problem Car Down the Road

Is your car eating you alive?

Do you spend more time with your mechanic than with your friends?

Are you ready to release your ride into the wild?

With apologies to Paul Simon, there must be 50 ways to leave your flivver, but we’re hoping you choose to do so in a way that helps MLT. Be a part of Cartober, a nation-wide moment to easily donate your heap, get a tax-write-off, and help your favorite charity.

How do you do this? Check out the links below. How hard is it? Just reach out to the careasy.org link below or call their number, and they pretty much take over. If your vehicle qualifies, they will come and pick it up for free.

Imagine getting another space in your driveway or clearing out that project-car-that-never happened. It’s like getting a new garage. Almost…

What will they take? A lot, actually. All vehicles are considered (running or not) including cars, trucks, trailers, boats, RVs, motorcycles, campers, off-road vehicles, planes, heavy equipment, farm machinery, and most other motorized vehicles.

Sound good? We hope so, and we hope you’ll donate your car to MLT by completing the online form here or by reaching out to CARS directly at 855-500-7433.

Questions? Check out the donor FAQ's link.

Thanks for your support of MLT!