About Creek to Bay
Founded in 2002 by I Love A Clean San Diego, the Creek to Bay Cleanup shares the honor with Coastal Cleanup Day as the largest single-day environmental action event in San Diego County.
19th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup
Virtually Hosted in Your Neighborhood!
Join the largest environmental cleanup in San Diego County during Earth Week! Volunteer for 19th Annual Creek to Bay Cleanup on April 24th and help remove polluting litter from your community. Last year, volunteers self-reported 15,682 total pounds of litter removed in one day! Our goal this year is to remove 30,000 pounds of litter in a single day.
Event Details
Saturday, April 24 2021
Starting at 9 AM
Join an army of socially-distanced Environmental Champions by cleaning up litter and pollution in your neighborhood. Thousands of small efforts across the county will help prevent TONS of litter from entering our creeks, bays and the ocean!
- 1. Register on our Community Hub and help us track participation countywide.
- 2. Like I Love A Clean San Diego’s Facebook for more on how to get involved leading up to the event.
- 3. Target your community - choose a block, a park, beach, canyon or neighborhood near you.
- 4. Prepare for the day with reusable buckets, work gloves, litter grabbers, reusable water bottles and sturdy shoes.
- 5. Wear face masks and gloves & practice social distancing.
- 6. Share your experience on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ILoveACleanSD #CreektoBay
2.7
million
Pounds of litter blocked from entering the ocean
83
THOUSAND
Volunteers making a difference over 19 years
350
Communities cleaned up and beautified
Why Volunteer?
80% of all coastal pollution begins inland
By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish by weight in the world’s oceans if we don’t defend our waterways from litter
Because we LOVE
where we live
Get Involved
Anyone can do it! Volunteer as an individual, with friends and family or as a corporate team. All ages welcome. You can also help Creek to Bay by donating directly.
Volunteer
Become a Sponsor
Patches
Volunteer Impact Map
Sign up to volunteer now, report your totals, and then check back throughout the day on April 24th to see a countywide visualization of locations and impacts – including yours!
Report Your Data
An important part of this event is collecting litter totals and weight estimates from all volunteers who participate in the remote cleanup! Your cleanup location and litter totals will be shared on our Volunteer Impact Map to track collective cleanup totals, all day long, countywide! Thank you for being citizen scientists!
Thank You to Our Partners
I Love A Clean San Diego would like to thank the 2021 Creek to Bay Cleanup supporters.
Presenting
Green
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Interested in sponsoring the 2022 Creek to Bay Cleanup or
an upcoming I Love A Clean San Diego event? Please
contact us.
Contact Us
5797 Chesapeake Court
Suite 200
San Diego, CA, 92123
FAQ
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Q: Can I register as a family or household group?
Yes! As you register, you have the option to Sign Up as a Group to keep your team members together through our Community Hub (where you register for this event). Group Leaders will be able to track who has joined their group through your unique Group URL link (you will receive this link upon group registration) or register on behalf of your group.
*Attention all Groups – Due to COVID-19, I Love A Clean San Diego is not recommending any gathering outside of your household. Groups formed for this cleanup are meant to keep you virtually together while cleaning up independently to ensure safety for all volunteers. Please maintain 6 feet distance from other participating neighbors.
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Q: How old do I have to be to volunteer?
Creek to Bay is a great event for the whole family. Kids are more than welcome to participate; volunteering at a young age can instill community stewardship for life! Kids can earn a Creek to Bay 2021 Patch after they participate in the clean and successfully log their hours on their profile in the Community Hub. Need help logging hours after the cleanup? Click here for a Guide!
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Q: How do I prepare?
While I Love A Clean San Diego is not currently providing disposable cleanup supplies due to COVID-19 restrictions, we do have an option to get your very own Upcycled Cleanup Kit for the big day! We are hosting a Bucket Drive on Saturday, 4/10 from 10am-2pm at our office in Kearny Mesa for any volunteers who are interested in an upcycled and branded bucket and grabber kit for all your future cleanups. Stay tuned for more information!
We also have resources available to help you make the most of what you have at home. Click here for our Virtual Cleanup Resources Guide! You may want to bring snacks, hand sanitizer, and should wear sturdy closed toed shoes and clothing appropriate for a cleanup. Hats and sunscreen are highly recommended.
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Q: Does this count for community service? What about court-ordered service?
This event does qualify for Community Service Hours but it does not qualify for Court Ordered hours. Since this is not an in-person gathering, we are unable to verify Court Ordered Hours for this cleanup.
In order to receive volunteer hours, service forms and Letters of Appreciation – volunteers will need to be:
- Registered for the event through I Love A Clean San Diego’s Community Hub
- Participate in the cleanup
- Capture a photo of your active participation in the cleanup
- Log your volunteer hours post cleanup through your profile on the Community Hub.
Volunteers who are registered for the cleanup are eligible to request community service verification and Letters of Appreciation. To request volunteer hours verification – follow this guide to Log Your hours and complete the logbook survey to request community service forms.
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Q: Can my Troop get patches for participating?
Yes, this is one of two opportunities in 2021 for which your Troop may receive a patch! The categories are: Creek to Bay (4/24) and Coastal Cleanup Day (9/18). These events and opportunities will be available virtually or in smaller groups! Patches will be available for request starting on 4/24. To request patches, head to your profile on our Community Hub and Log Your hours after your cleanup! Follow this guide to log your hours – complete the logbook survey to request patches. Our staff will confirm your order as soon as possible. Patches are available to be ordered until 5/7/2021 so get them while you can!
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Q: How can I stay safe?
By staying in your neighborhood, using face masks and gloves, and limiting groups to household members or maintaining social distancing guidelines, we can stay safe and prevent tons of litter from entering our creeks, bays and the ocean. Click here for additional safety information or take a few minutes to watch our fantastic safety video brought to you by our very own staff!
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Q: Where will sites be located?
There will not be any hosted sites for this cleanup. Due to COVID-19 we are unable to host any in-person gatherings. Please participate in the event by cleaning up around your local neighborhood and removing litter from the streets around your house. Don’t forget to report your litter debris and cleanup location after your cleanup so we can see your passion in action! Please remember to form groups from the same household only, and maintain 6 feet distance from other participating neighbors.
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Q: How will we know our impact?
After your cleanup, weigh the debris you collected (trash and recycling) and share it with I Love A Clean San Diego by taking a short survey after your cleanup. The litter data and cleanup location you enter in the survey will automatically populate on our county-wide Volunteer Impact Map! This participatory map shows a quantitative measurement of the day’s cleanup efforts. Participants will contribute to real time, crowd-sourced metrics and impact for the event. Once registered, volunteers will be sent a link and QR code to a simple survey to report back on their cleanup stats, which can be accessed on mobile device or computer.