On September 19, 2026, Surfrider Foundation Monterey Chapter will join communities throughout California for California Coastal Cleanup Day, the state's largest annual volunteer cleanup event.
In one recent Coastal Cleanup Day, Save Our Shores coordinated 50 cleanup sites across Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, where 1,297 volunteers removed 5,558 pounds of debris in just three hours.
The California Coastal Commission describes Coastal Cleanup Day as California's largest annual volunteer event. California Coastal Cleanup Day connects local action to a statewide movement. On September 19, volunteers across California will gather at beaches, rivers, creeks, lakes, and other waterways to remove trash before it can continue moving through the watershed toward the ocean.
This year's statewide event is organized by the California Coastal Commission in partnership with nonprofit organizations and local government partners throughout California. Save Our Shores has served as the Monterey Bay regional coordinator since the event's inception in 1984, coordinating cleanup efforts throughout Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.
For more than four decades, Coastal Cleanup Day has brought people together to remove debris before it can enter our waterways and ocean. This year, we're bringing that spirit to a part of the Sand City coastline that deserves greater attention.
The Sand City dunes aren't just sand.
The coastal sand dunes of Sand City, CA, part of the 18-mile Monterey Bay Dune Complex, are a living, dynamic ecological treasure. Formed over thousands of years by ocean waves, Salinas River sediment, and coastal winds, these sweeping dunes serve as a vital link between land and sea.
They provide habitat for the Western Snowy Plover, a small shorebird whose Pacific Coast population is federally listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species has been protected since 1993 because of habitat loss and disturbance.
Despite their harsh conditions, salty winds, shifting sands, and nutrient-poor soil, the dunes support an extraordinary biodiversity found almost nowhere else.
These cute little birds have become an iconic symbol of conservation along the dunes of the Monterey Bay, one of the few remaining nesting grounds in the world. They can’t nest on the Rocky Shore. “They can’t nest in grasslands, or agricultural fields. They require sand, invertebrates to eat, and to be left more-or-less alone from the intrusions of Homo sapiens…”
The Sand City, CA coastline is one of Monterey Bay's most visible and beautiful stretches of coast. But just beyond the public view, behind the dunes, is another story.
The coastal dune complex stretching from Sand City North to Marina faces continuous environmental pressures. Because this coastline experiences some of the highest coastal erosion rates in California, losing between 1.0 to 6.0 feet of shoreline per year in southern Monterey Bay, human development and recreational expansion create a phenomenon known as "coastal squeeze," where sensitive ecosystems are trapped between a rising ocean and human infrastructure.
Due to this explosion in use by humans in what has been considered fairly remote beach and dune areas, our community is seeing large amounts of accumulated debris, abandoned materials, and trash have collected along portions of the beach and dunes, much of it difficult for the public to see or reach.
Behind the Dunes is an effort to bring that hidden problem into the light, document what we find, and bring our community together to begin addressing it.
This isn't about blame.
It's about awareness, stewardship, and action.
The Dune Gooneys are a local Monterey Bay community of paragliders who use and appreciate the Sand City dunes and coastline. Their unique connection to this landscape gives them a perspective that most people never experience.
This is their home, too. And they see it all from a bird's eye view. Through Behind the Dunes Beach Cleanups with Surfrider Monterey, the Dune Gooneys are joining Surfrider as local participants and coastal stewards, helping bring attention to a part of our coastline that deserves care and community awareness.
For over four years these paragliders partnered with Surfrider Monterey twice a year in keeping the Sand City, CA dunes free from debris and garbage brought by the ever encroaching human invasion. Together, Surfrider Monterey, public volunteers, and the Dune Gooney’s removed over 600 pounds of debris from Sand City, Ca. Dunes in just 2 hours!
We're also excited about the potential to connect Behind the Dunes with Trash Turtles, a youth-founded environmental non-profit that recently relocated its headquarters from the beaches of Florida to the shores of Monterey Bay. founded in 2020 by a 10-year-old, named CO, who saw trash being pushed toward the ocean and decided to do something about it.
Trash Turtles operates on a simple yet transformative philosophy: ocean conservation doesn’t require massive gestures, just daily micro-habits. Built around their signature #LeaveWith3 challenge, which urges every beachgoer to pick up at least three pieces of litter whenever they visit the coast, the organization empowers individuals to directly safeguard vulnerable coastal ecosystems like the Sand City dunes.
Since its inception, the youth-led movement has removed over 10 tons of marine debris and recycled tens of thousands of stray cigarette butts. Now based along the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Trash Turtles is rallying local West Coast communities, proving that small, collective actions can stem the tide of plastic pollution and preserve fragile coastal sanctuaries for generations to come.
Their simple philosophy - "Save the planet one piece of trash at a time" - has grown into a platform for youth environmental awareness, cleanups, and action.
Their presence in Monterey Bay represents something important: Environmental stewardship doesn't belong to one generation.
It belongs to all of us.
Meet Trash Turtles at Sand City, CA on September 19th, 2026.
Shoutout to our local partner, Pacific Flow Yoga! Ocean protection starts with community well-being. By combining intentional breathwork, movement, and a "come-as-you-are" environment where everyone belongs, Pacific Flow is helping our Surfrider volunteers recharge their spirits before we hit the sand to clear marine debris at Sand City. Stop by their mat to find your flow, then join us on the shores!
"This partnership allows the caring community that is Surfrider to first nourish and care for their own hearts, minds, and bodies, and then let that flow into the work we do together to care for the oceans." Rachelle Bellanger
We are so grateful to team up with Pacific Flow Yoga for our Sand City Beach Cleanup! Dedicated to mindfulness, belonging, and grounded community care, Pacific Flow brings the perfect restorative energy to our environmental stewardship. Come move, breathe, and protect what you love with us!
Clean beaches require clean gear! We want to share a massive shoutout and heartfelt thanks to Loni McCallum and the incredible team at Sudz Cyber Laundry in Pacific Grove. For years, Loni has generously donated fresh, eco-friendly laundry services for our beach cleanup collection bags and work gloves.
Known across the Peninsula for her big heart and relentless community support, Loni ensures our volunteers step onto the sand with sanitized, safe equipment every single time. Next time you’re in downtown Pacific Grove, stop by Sudz on Lighthouse Ave to say thank you and support a business that constantly gives back to Monterey Bay!
Shoutout to our long-time partner, Alta-Cal Roofing! A staple supporter of Sand City beach cleanups for a couple of years, their team brings a passion for the coast both on the ground and in the sky as avid "Dune Gooney" paragliders. Spotting debris from above gives them a unique perspective on why coastal stewardship matters, and their hard work helps keep Sand City’s dunes pristine.
"As paragliders, we see our beaches from a unique perspective, and protecting those dunes and shores is part of who we are." John Roach, owner
Huge thanks to Alta-Cal Roofing for the years of steadfast support at our Sand City cleanups! Combining local craftsmanship with a love for flight, this crew of avid "Dune Gooneys" consistently shows up to protect the very coastline and launches they fly over. We’re proud to team up with local businesses that care for Sand City from every angle!
We believe the Sand City dunes are more than a beach, more than piles of sand, and more than open space. They are a vital part of Monterey Bay's coastal ecosystem.
Through partnership, stewardship, education, and community action, Behind the Dunes seeks to restore this remarkable landscape while inspiring a lasting culture of care for the Blue Water that defines Monterey Bay.
This isn't simply another beach cleanup. It is an opportunity to help our community see what is happening beyond the visible beach, and to begin a conversation about how we can work together to care for this coastal landscape.
The goal is awareness, stewardship, and action.
That's where community begins.
Document what is actually there and help the public understand what lies behind the dunes.
Create a meaningful volunteer opportunity through Coastal Cleanup Day.
Give city leaders, agencies, environmental organizations, and residents a clear picture of the issue and an opportunity to work together.
Approach cleanup responsibly, recognizing the importance of the dunes and Western Snowy Plover habitat.
Use what we learn from this cleanup to explore future stewardship and community solutions such as partnering with local governments for support.
The Sand City dunes are part of Monterey Bay.
And for many of us, they are home.
Behind the Dunes Sand City, CA Beach Cleanup is an invitation to see what has been hidden, understand why it matters, and help take care of the place we all share.
Whether you live here, work here, surf here, walk here, or simply love Monterey Bay, let’s take care of it together. Click the link to our Volunteer Interest Form and join a local team dedicated to our ocean, beaches, and clean water.
Are you a local organization, school, business, environmental group, outdoor community, or service organization interested in helping?
We'd love to hear from you. Community partners can help with:
You can help simply by sharing and amplifying Surfrider’s work through social media channels and posts.
Tell your friends what is happening behind the dunes. The more people who understand the issue, the larger our community of stewards becomes.