La Mesa Scouts Help Make Beach Look Cool on Sizzling Day

Yolanda Furrow, an adult leader of Girl Scout Troop 6081 in La Mesa and El Cajon, said it was their second year taking part.

“We have 11 girls, and I wanted them to be more aware of what happens at the coast,” Furrow said. “Some of them love animals, and I want them to see how they can help the environment.”

Den Leader Henry Moreno with Cub Scout Pack 326 of La Mesa said he brought eight boys to “teach them about being clean and picking up after themselves.”

The event: Coastal Cleanup Day.

The place: La Jolla Shores beach.

Susanne Hayase of La Jolla bagged more than 20 cigarette butts—along with bottle caps and candy wrappers—as part of Saturday’s annual beach cleanup in San Diego County.

“I live nearby and I love the beach, and what people don’t understand is that little things [like picking up after themselves] are important,” Hayase said.

But overall, she said, La Jolla Shores “is not really that bad.”

Organizers said more than 50 pounds of trash was collected Saturday morning at La Jolla Shores as part of the event—braving hotter than usual coastal temperatures.

More than 70 volunteers found cigarette butts, plastic water bottle caps, candy wrappers, plastic, balloon pieces and paper as they scoured the beach during the 28th annual cleanup between 9 a.m. and noon.

Cigarette debris was the number one item of trash found, volunteers and coordinators said.

Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, church members and volunteers from companies were among those who gave their time to spruce up the shoreline.

Windansea Beach was another La Jolla target for the cleanup among the 88 sites throughout the county that included parks and canyons. The local effort is run by I Love a Clean San Diego.

Volunteers were urged to bring their own gloves and buckets, and a Decorate Your Own Bucket contest was held.