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Drains to Ocean is a grass roots, non-profit organization with a mission to keep pollution from flowing into rivers, lakes, and oceans. We believe that every drain matters. Our goal is to create awareness by educating the public and empowering local networks of active volunteers to participate in neighborhood, river and beach cleanups.

We’re devastated by the recent news of an oil spill off the coast of our local city, Huntington Beach and are communicating with local authorities to find out the best way we can help. Currently, the local authorities advise everyone to stay off the beaches, to NOT touch any animals harmed by the oil spill, and to call 877-823-6926 with questions. If you’d like to help when help is needed, please signup for our e-newsletter and we will be in contact with you.

But, with that said, we need to remember that even before this oil spill happened, the crew at D2O was already devastated by the ongoing and continuous litter flowing daily from our neighborhood streets into our oceans. During our cleanups, we often find litter that has been tossed out of car windows onto freeways, in city streets, litter that has blown out of neighborhood trash cans, and debris as large as a dumpster filling our river beds and washing ashore on our beaches. This horrible oil spill only reminds us that as humans we share the planet with many non-human species and the dire need to be more responsible about our consumption.
In order to create less trash, the first step is consuming less - the first R of "RRR" is "reduce." Then to "reuse" and mend things before tossing it in the trash. And lastly to "recycle" responsibly, by knowing where and how to recycle to ensure it gets to the right place.
For more information about how to consume and recycle more responsibly, reach out to our team at D2O at info@drainstoocean.org.

Drains to Ocean has a Virtual Cleanup on the 1st Saturday of each month or you can use our "It Takes A Village" Virtual Cleanup Guide on our Website to create a cleanup any day of the week, from anywhere in the nation, all by yourself. That's right, you can set up your own neighborhood, park or beach cleanup just by visiting our website www.drainstoocean.org and clicking on Get Started > Create a Virtual Cleanup. We offer easy steps to create your own virtual cleanup to help beautify your city and stop litter from washing down to the ocean.

If you want to help, but can only donate, we’ve listed a few ways you can help below local Huntington Beach non-profits:

Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center (do not show up, they are already overwhelmed at the current time):
https://www.wwccoc.org

Bolsa Chica Landtrust:
https://bclandtrust.org

Drains to Ocean:
www.drainstoocean.org

Photos: © 2021 Bill King @portsidesurvey

Huntington Beach Oil Spill -  October 2nd, 2011 Huntington Beach, California.

Note: Be advised, many counties have strict rules in place of where you can clean up, so please make sure that active use of the park, neighborhood and/or beach is allowed under applicable laws (e.g. walking included) where you live.

Drains to Ocean became an 501c3 non-profit in Huntington Beach, California in 2015. Drawing inspiration from local beach cleanups, Drains to Ocean focuses its attention back up to the land, where we believe is the source of litter in the ocean. We are animal lovers to the fullest, with a keen interest in protecting cetaceans and human life. Acting as a voice for the voiceless and improving the environment for all living beings to fully thrive in.