Clean Beach Poster Contest Launches For LA County Beaches

VENICE, CA — The Department of Beaches and Harbors Monday encouraged third- through fifth-grade students to learn about ocean pollution and send in entries for a "Can The Trash!" poster to appear on beach trash barrels across Los Angeles County.

As part of Coastal Cleanup month, the department is urging children to learn how ocean pollution begins in their neighborhood. Whether they live in the South Bay, San Fernando Valley, the Gateway Cities or East L.A., trash travels through the watershed in their community and ends up on beaches like Dockweiler, Venice and Zuma and in the ocean.

More information about the county's educational campaign — which includes the animated "Clean and Blue" music video and the Ocean Heroes activity guide — can be found at beaches.lacounty.gov/postercontest. The campaign, in its third year, was developed in partnership with Heal the Bay and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.

Students in third through fifth grade can submit original artwork with environmental messages about keeping the beaches and ocean clean. Five winners from each grade will have their artwork wrapped around beach trash barrels on some of Southern California's most popular beaches. The contest is ongoing and the deadline for entries is Jan. 10.

DBH crews maintain 25 miles of LA County beaches and Marina del Rey, including several iconic beaches along the LA coastline, including Dockweiler State Beach, Hermosa Beach, Malibu Surfrider Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marina Beach, Nicholas Canyon Beach, Point Dume Beach, Redondo Beach, Topanga Beach, Torrance Beach, White Point and Royal Palms Beaches, Will Rogers State Beach, Venice Beach and Zuma Beach.

Crews have removed an estimated 84,000 tons of trash and debris over the last 20 years, raking the sand, cleaning the bathrooms and emptying trash barrels daily.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to the report.

See more:

• Venice Among Most Expensive ZIP Codes During Pandemic
• Venice Family Clinic Receives Grant To Expand Health Care Access
• Judge Blocks Culver City Gymnastics School's Indoor Sessions