With sun, sand, surf, and mountains, the West Coast state of California is known for its breathtaking locations that lure in travelers year-round. However, what’s often neglected is the amount of trash that inhabits these vacation destinations.

Pressing matters with ocean pollution burdens our world today, with plastic waste being 80% of marine debris found on our beaches and in our oceans today. To resolve this problem, students on PRHS’ campus have created The Beach Clean-up Club, originally founded in 2021, to clean up our local beaches.

The club’s president, junior Jordan Hammond, says that the inspiration for this club comes from “Knowing that what we do has a positive impact on our environment. Preservation of our planet’s natural state is very important to me. This club is a great way to do this and help others recognize the issue too. It’s always a great feeling knowing that you’re being part of something positive and this club does that.”

The 22 members that meet every other week organize monthly clean-ups to help reduce the amount of plastic and garbage littering the golden state coast line. According to KYMA News, the top 5 collected waste items are: plastic beverage bottles, metal bottle caps, plastic lids, wrappers, and cigarette butts being the #1 staple for waste on the shores. On average, at each cleanup, 3 full bags of trash were collected, aiding in reducing this local issue.

This year, there is a whole new team of ambitious people running the club. The founders, Kelsey Hammond and Devon Kinder, graduated in the spring of 2023 and are preceded by president Jordan Hammond, vice president Cassidy Heer, treasurer Jasmine Rosales, and secretary Faye Patchett. The advisors this year are Amanda Caffrey and Daniel Diaz, replacing Cora Karamitsos.

Diaz shared his favorite part of the club, “I enjoy going to the beach with the kids and actually making our beaches and where we live a more beautiful place to be.”

As of now, the club has hosted 1 clean-up. On Saturday, September 23, the club participated in a local creek clean-up, coming together with the Paso Robles community hoping to clear our riverbed of waste.

This proactive group of students creates an opportunity for growth here in our small town. These small acts of service by students add up and develop a new generation of people committed to helping our Earth shine.