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Beachy Keen

October 23, 2014

On Saturday, September 20, the San Diego County Bar Association partnered with I Love a Clean San Diego and collected trash at La Jolla Shores beach. Among the volunteers were of members of the bar, law students, junior ROTC members, and the UCSD men’s basketball game.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law students, including myself, Chalsie Keller, Andy Umana, Ivana Duarte, Morgan Karalash, Dennis David, who are members of the Environmental Law Society, joined in the effort.

“I participate in the SDCBA beach cleanup every year because I think it’s important to leave the world at least a little better than you found it and this event brings together such like minded legal professionals,” Chalsie Keller said. Keller, a third year, has been involved in ELS since her first year.

Ivana Duarte, a second year student, attended the beach clean up as a member of the executive board of the ELS, and has “always cared about the environment and keeping it clean.”

“ELS decided to participate in SDCBA’s beach cleanup in an effort to both do our part for the environment and network with the San
Diego County Bar,” Morgan Karalash said.

“I particularly wanted to participate with the event because I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to get out and get to the beach while having a positive impact on the environment and our community,” Karalash
said.

Karalash is this year’s ELS president and a second year student. “There were a few other groups participating in beach cleanups of their own that day so the beach looked spotless,” Karalash said.

I brought my daughter to the Shores to participate because it’s our home beach. While I think it’s important to take care of the world at large, it’s almost more important to take care of the community around us.
Each team had the task of trying to find the most interesting item on the beach. “This year, the most interesting thing we found was a rubber fish with a missing head,” Keller said. “It was no rubber chicken that was found last year, but still interesting.”

“The grossest thing I found during the clean up what the dead bird,” Durante said, and Karalash reported that her group found a jellyfish.

I think the grossest things we found had to do with things that looked like medical supplies, e.g. bandages. But the most interesting thing to me was a frayed rope tied in a knot. This year marked the 30th Coastal Clean Up and in honor of the 60th anniversary of “I Love a Clean San Diego.”

According to Lori Mendez, the SDCBA’s volunteer coordinator, there were 118 total volunteers who covered 2 miles at the Shores. The volunteers removed 83 pounds of trash and 18 pounds of recycling.

“We found enough clothes, men’s jockey underwear, a t-shirt, pants and several mismatched sandals to put together an outfit or two,” Mendez said.

For more information and to participate in future beach clean ups check out http:// www.cleansd.org. There are generally four beach clean up days a year.