Volunteers can pick up litter along Arroyo Conejo Creek in Newbury Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, as Thousand Oaks hosts its site for the 42nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day.
The city designated Borchard Park as the local cleanup location. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon, the City of Thousand Oaks said on X on Monday, Sept. 14.
No pre-registration is required.
All participants must sign a waiver before joining the cleanup. Waivers are available for download at toaks.gov/coastalcleanup. Volunteers under 18 need a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian, according to the Ventura County Coastal Cleanup website.
The statewide effort focuses on removing trash and plastic pollution from beaches, waterways, parks and open spaces. Plastic pollution harms wildlife and marine ecosystems, and trash from inland areas like Newbury Park flows downstream through creeks and eventually reaches the coast, according to the city's 2025 event page. Inland cleanups help prevent that pollution from reaching the ocean.
Last year's effort drew big numbers across the state. More than 46,000 Californians took part in Coastal Cleanup Day and neighborhood cleanup sites during September 2024, preventing almost 400,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from entering stormwater systems, the city said on its 2025 event page.
In 2025, volunteers at Borchard Park collected litter along Arroyo Conejo Creek South and its tributaries, meeting at picnic area C behind the tennis courts at 8:45 a.m. The city has not yet published detailed 2026 instructions for the exact meeting spot within the park. Volunteers can check toaks.gov/coastalcleanup for updates before Saturday.
The city first announced the 42nd annual event on Aug. 18, directing volunteers to sign the waiver online.
Upcoming community events
- Saturday, Sept. 19: California Coastal Cleanup Day at Borchard Park, Newbury Park, 9 a.m. to noon
- Tuesday, Sept. 22: Westlake Village open house on evacuation study
