Santa Barbara County community members came together last week for the 41st Annual Coastal Cleanup Day, collecting more than 3,600 pounds of trash from local beaches, creeks, and parks in just three hours.

Organized locally by Explore Ecology and the Santa Barbara County Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, this year’s cleanup had 1,038 volunteers at dozens of sites from Jalama to Rincon.

Preliminary reports (with data from one site still outstanding) show participants removed 3,611 pounds of litter while covering an impressive 61 miles of coastline and inland waterways.

“We’re thrilled that so many community members showed up last Saturday and took a stand for clean beaches and creeks,” said Jill Cloutier of Explore Ecology.

“This year included the first ever ‘trashure hunt,’ where a small treasure chest was hidden at sites across the state,” she said. “In Santa Barbara, with minutes to spare, volunteer Madison Heffentrager discovered the treasure chest at Arroyo Burro Beach. Her prize was a two-night stay at the Cuyama Buckhorn Boutique Resort.

“Special thanks to the California Coastal Commission for coordinating this fun statewide scavenger hunt.”

While common trash like plastic pieces, cigarette butts, and food wrappers topped the list of items collected, volunteers also made some surprising discoveries, including a curling iron, a pink butterfly stiletto, and even a rattlesnake hiding beneath a pile of debris.

One site alone yielded 53 pounds of golf balls — 530 in total. The winner of the 2025 Most Unusual Item contest was a volunteer in Sonoma County who found an “emotional support pickle.” 

Across California, tens of thousands of volunteers participated. With 40% of sites reporting, 19,987 volunteers statewide removed more than 178,000 pounds of debris, including 38,646 pounds of recyclables.

Cleanups took place in all 58 counties, from the coast to far inland sites like Lake Tahoe.

Volunteers who participated in the cleanup are invited to fill out a short Coastal Cleanup Survey to be entered into a drawing for a $250 Visa gift card and a Coast Lover’s Prize Package. 

Coastal Cleanup Day is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, and locally led in Santa Barbara County by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division, with support from the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta and Solvang.

For more, visit ExploreEcology.org.