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Lake Tahoe, straddling the border of California and Nevada, is an example of a community offer- ing tourists ways to leave their vacation destina- tion better than how they found it. The League to Save Lake Tahoe organizes cleanups and larger ecosystem restoration projects. Photo credit: League to Save Lake Tahoe
The California Central Coast community
of Avila Beach gives vacationers a way to give back on their own schedule. Lodging and attraction partners offer a free beach cleanup kit that includes a collection bag, a glove, a marine debris checklist and a tote bag as an appreciation gift. Photo credit: Highway 1 Road Trip
clearing vegetation from trails on national public lands on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yosemite and the population centers of Mariposa County. Farther west, just off Highway 101 in Morgan Hill, California, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority offers volunteers projects such as trail maintenance, habitat restoration, fencing and cleanups regularly on Saturday mornings nearly year-round. They are posted at openspaceauthority.org. No training or prior experience is required, and volunteers can be as young as 14 with an accompanied adult.
Beach Cleanup
Similarly to trails, most beach communities rely on volunteers to keep the beach clean and safe. Search online for the city, county or region you’re traveling
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to and the words “beach cleanup” to find events and efforts to join.
Vacationers along California’s Central Coast can ask for a cleanup kit available at most Avila Beach and Cambria Beach lodging properties as well as some attractions. The free kit includes a collection bag, a glove, a marine debris checklist and a tote bag as an appreciation gift. The idea is that you’ll spend an hour or two enjoying the beach while picking up plastics that can be harmful to marine life and litter on the sand. These do-it-yourself kits are one element of the larger Travel for Good stewardship program coordinated by Highway 1 Road Trip, a destination marketing organization. Check out highway1roadtrip. com/stewardship-travel for more information, from wildlife viewing tips that promote safe engagement to other stewardship activities for you and your family.
MARCH 2024