Coastal Cleanup Set for Saturday

A volunteer plucks what looks like the torso of a woman from a river and calls out, “Mannequin!” A few steps away, someone jots the word down.

It is among the many weird discoveries made statewide each year on Coastal Cleanup Day. This year’s event, to be held Saturday, includes 15 sites throughout Ventura County.

According to cleanup organizers, it takes a lot of volunteers to make a difference. More than 45,000 of them collected 644,801 pounds of trash and 57,262 pounds of recyclables during last year’s statewide cleanup.

Some strange things get tossed away, including wigs, clothing, a voodoo doll and a pet rat’s coffin, said John Brand, coordinator of Saturday’s litter patrol.

Brand expects about 1,000 volunteers in Ventura County for Saturday’s event, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon.

Beyond filling trash bags and picking up recyclables, Brand, a senior management analyst with the city of Moorpark, said the cleanup raises awareness about where trash goes.

“We educate people about litter control programs,” he said. “We let them know that what’s dumped in the Arroyo Simi could wind up in the ocean.”

For more information, call (800) CLEANUP.