Thank you all for the many stories you shared with us about your discoveries, your cleanups, your environmental successes, your Earth Day Magic! 

Earth Day magic is very special. Something is right in the universe and while all the news surrounding us is negative, we are part of what is right and good things, special things happen.  Little Things Matter my friends… we know this in our hearts and being able to contribute little thing after little thing is currently what is changing Pacifica for the better.  You are a part of this and it is important that we do not take it for granted.  Keep the momentum going my friends the Snowy Plovers, sharks, turtles, whales are counting on us.

Cedric Collett Unsung Hero Award

Kathy Kellerman was honored with the first Pacific Beach Coalition Cedric Collett Unsung Hero Award and a California State Senate Excellence Award from Jerry Hill. Kellerman is known for her steadfast long-standing devotion to preserving the native habitats and biodiversity of our coastal landscape to protect wildlife, our ocean and our beaches through her tireless collection, propagation and nurturing of native coastal plants from ‘seed to sand and land’ during hands-on habitat restoration events throughout Pacifica at Linda Mar Beach, Pedro Point Headlands, and Rockaway’s switchbacks.  She’s also recognized for her on-going contributions to educating youth at Ocean Shore School, and to the beautification of Pacifica’s Community Center planter boxes. “Thanks so much for this award,” said Kellerman.  “I was truly honored and touched to receive Cedric’s memorial award. When I think of Cedric I picture a quiet man who spoke when he had something to say, but mostly accomplished what he set out to do with a humorous twinkle in his eye – I couldn’t ask to be in finer company than to be with him and all the rest of you who make caring for our community (both the people and the wild lands) part of your life. My beautiful engraved rock is nestled among the California poppies in my front yard.” 
Cedric Collett, who received the California State Senate Recognition award posthumously, is the namesake of the PBC’s first inaugural Unsung Earth Hero Award. Collett is known for an unwavering dedication to the preservation of Pacifica’s coastal habitat.  He is missed by PBC, Pedro Point Headlands and all who knew and worked with him.

Earth Day of Action & EcoFest Highlights

Earth Day is a labor of love for the Pacific Beach Coalition members as well as the sponsors, volunteers, groups, and businesses who find a way to participate and make a difference. This year, the event resulted in over 7,000 volunteers, 4,500 students who became Earth Heroes by cleaning their school yards and received Snowy Plover assemblies, 14 schools, 135 businesses and 150 community groups, 45 ecobooths, and one united community who took action to help the environment!

Lynn Lead the VIP Tour

“I had the pleasure of taking 20 VIP’s on a tour of multiple sites and sharing our Earth Day story with them. We started at LMSB and Jim Fithian shared how improved LM Beach is now from when he started 16 years ago.  We waved to Michael Ayala’s LM Habitat Restoration team and then we hiked the Rockaway Switchbacks to visit the Good Shepherd confirmation class as they removed invasive wild mustard and radish from the top of Rockaway beach.  We talked about the native plants and habitat and enjoyed the spectacular view of the Pacific from the peak!  Our next stop was Sharp Park.  There we got to see the IBL students and Sharp Park team in action.  Pauline Taini and Cole Westbrook talked about the beach, pier, promenade and street cleanup.  But the highlight was everyone, VIP’s and students, saying the Snowy Plover Earth Hero Pledge together outside by the beach!  We finished our tour at Deirdre’s Dump site and she bubbled onto the bus to share how exciting it was there.  From here we joined the EcoFest in time to catch the Sardine Family Circus, the bands, and the speakers.  It was such an amazing line up of booths for us all.  I believe that everyone left impressed and happy to be a part of the special day!” 

THANK YOU Earth Day Sponsors & Contributors!

Bay Area Cox Conserves Heroes/Cox Foundation, California Coastal Commission, Castle Kitchen & Bath, City of Pacifica, County of San Mateo,  Mazzetti’s Bakery, North Coast County Water District, Our Children’s Earth Foundation, Pacific Manor Ace Hardware, Pacifica’s Environmental Family, Pacifica Tribune, Pedro Point Surf Club of Northern California, QFM 89.3/103.3 & QFMRocks.com, Recology of the Coast,  Safeway,  Starbucks  and Taco Bell!

Thank you sponsors and supporters for partnering with PBC to bring this event to our community.

What some participants had to say about this year’s successful event:

“It was tons of fun and a wonderful opportunity to engage the youth and their parents.” – Mary K. Bier, Consultant, North County Prevention Partnership.

“Yea to our amazing Cub Scouts pack 296 in a beach clean up with the pack’s new friend (and in-house scientist) “dr. J” — much collecting, observing, much discussion and much scout power!” – Wallace Nichols

“I’d just like to say that working with PBC has been really inspiring. Everyone leaves their ego at the door and is cooperative, friendly, and goal-oriented. For such a huge event, everything went very smoothly. Everyone pulled their weight, followed up with their tasks and just went with the flow if an obstacle popped up.” – Karen Gorman

“Thank YOU for all your work. The logistics went very smoothly for us.” – Pat Kremer, Pacifica Historical Society

“Once again I got a crew together to join Team Dig It clean up Roberts Road. I was surprised to find so many large bottles of alcohol. But not surprised to find smoking pipes, lots of McDonalds cups, tops, bags, and wrappers,  and lots, and lots of cigarette butts. I think we almost totaled
1,000 pounds of recycle and garbage. As we were cleaning up, we met a gentleman that said his name was Mic, like in Jagger, but without the moves, and he was a rogue pampas grass remover. I would especially like to mention and thank my wife Sharon and daughter Adriana for helping again. They do the sorting, weighing, and calculating, and I couldn’t do it without them.” – David Martinez, Dig It Landscape & Gardening Service

“Our Earth Hero team mulched, pruned, built a compost pile and potato bed, and planted lettuce for the Pacifica Resource Center.”  – Sanchez Library Garden

“It was a beautiful day to help the earth. We gathered 40 pounds of trash and 8 pounds of recycling around Ocean Yoga’s adjacent streets, and we were so glad to have that removed from the gutters.” – Christina, Ocean Yoga

“Edgemar Park saw some action! Way to go Earth Heroes! Dallas and Dennis plant an Oak tree which they’d grown from an acorn! Dennis pulls out the biggest of the weeds! Sylvia & Caroline dig in to plant!” – Marcella

“I just want to send out a gigantic THANK YOU for your time and energy this past Saturday at our Waste Collection Site. The Pacific Beach Coalition and the city are so fortunate to have each and every one of you caring for our community and our Earth on this day and every day. The dignitaries that drove through in the city shuttle said that visiting our site was one of the highlights of their Earth Day of Action tour.  It really is a sight to see all our volunteers converging on a vehicle to lift and separate debris coming from all parts of the city. It is the not-so-glamorous part of our cleanups, but in my opinion, the most rewarding.” – Deirdre H. T. Finnegan

“Pacifica Playschool had a great time for their second year in a row participating in the Earth Day Clean Up!! We can’t wait until next year!!” – Pacifica Playschool

“Our pick up even though it felt a lot less was close to 25 pounds. Area definitely looks better over the years.” – Steve and Susan Gillis, Hickey/Inverness

“Our Girl Scout Junior Troop 32126 will be doing our garbage pick up at Guerrero’s and Gorilla BBQ today, Monday, at 6:30. The girls are looking forward to cleaning up our spot.” – Laura Vuskovic

“We had 10 great Terra Nova High School students show up for the cleanup.  They scoured the entire mall area as well as the bike area adjacent to the mall and the area be hid the library. Most of them were very enthusiastic and all of them contributed to a very nice haul of trash. One of the large red DHL bags full of trash weighing 40 pounds and one of the large, white CalTrans bags full of recycles weighing 10 pounds. It was a very satisfying day.” – Tom Whitaker

“EcoFest was awesome! I was sooo relieved it was sunny,for a minute there on Friday I thought we might get rained out after all, but no, purrrfect day!  Ate some yummy food, saw the circus, saw the awards being given out.” – Misha Flores, Crespi Drive cleanup

“Thanks to the Pacific Beach Coalition and all the volunteers for organizing an excellent 10th anniversary of Action & EcoFest!” – Sabrina Brennan, SMC Harbor Commissioner

“We had at least 60 Terra Nova High School students out there on Earth Day. I like the way our relationship with the PBC has become part of our school culture over the past 3 years.” – Jane Gerughty, San Pedro Creek at Pedro Point Shopping Center

“We had a great weather day Saturday and picked up an amazing 38 POUNDS of trash, 4 lbs recyclables, and 1 full bag of compost.” – Cindy Skinner, Sunset Ridge School

“Great work and thank you so much for having us! I love Pacifica!” – David McGuire, Shark Stewards

Happy Earth Day to you again, thank you for making it a great one for Pacifica, for the Ocean and our World!