Last week Motive teamed up with H2O Trash Patrol to clear marine debris from Mission Bay and learn about the pollution affecting San Diego’s waterways. This event combined our team’s love of outdoors with our commitment to partnering with local organizations each quarter to give back to the San Diego community.
Marine debris is a pervasive issue affecting the world’s oceans and waterways. Current statistics estimate that 80% of marine debris originates from sources on land. At least 267 species have been affected my marine debris pollution, including sea birds, turtles, seals and whales. H2O Trash Patrol, a nonprofit based in Encinitas, has collected 18 tons of trash from San Diego’s waterways since its founding in 2010. Unique to H2O Trash Patrol’s marine debris removal mission is its use of paddleboards during clean up events, which enable volunteers to clear areas not easily accessible by land.
Our team spent an afternoon paddling around Mission Bay, clearing trash floating in the water and caught in the rocks on the shorelines. Altogether, we collected a whopping 281 lbs of trash (typical clean up events collect an average of 200 lbs)! For more information about H2O Trash Patrol and to organize a clean up event with them, visit their website at http://h2otrashpatrol.com/.