Volunteers Invited to Plant Natives and Restore Habitat at Pacifica State Beach in Honor of Martin Luther King Day

Once again the Pacifica Beach Coalition and Pacifica’s Environmental Family will hold their annual beach cleanup, planting and habitat restoration day on Pacifica State Beach in honor of Martin Luther King Day of Service.  

This year’s event is expected to attract 100 or more volunteers who wish to give back and help the beach, snowy plovers, and ocean inhabitants.  

Volunteers are invited to start by cleaning Linda Mar Beach and the surrounding area on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 9 to 10 a.m.  The cleanup meeting location is in the main parking lot against the seawall just north of Taco Bell.  

For the beach planting and habitat restoration join us from 10 a.m. to noon near the bike path north of the Crespi stoplight. Volunteers are needed for some planting but mostly to remove invasive weeds along the bike path.  The restoration and planting are key to increasing biodiversity and protecting the wintering habitat of the threatened Western snowy plover and other wildlife.  It is believed that native plants host up to 400 percent more insects by mass than non native plants.   

In the past 16 years, volunteers have planted over 17,000 native dune plants, creating a more biologically sustainable and beautiful beach.  Pacifica stewards Mary Petrilli, Kathy Kellerman, Lynn Adams, Michael Ayala and other volunteers will lead the planting and restoration projects in a number of sites on Linda Mar State Beach. 

“Come and make this your tradition too.  Every year we have a wonderful mix of people who have been coming for years and those who are first timers for getting their hands into the sand.  Because of the early drought conditions we may not be planting as many plants but everyone is welcome to enjoy this great community experience and to learn and truly make a difference, “said Petrilli.

Are you are a leader or habitat restoration champion who would like to do more?  Please contact the Pacifica Beach Coalition in advance at 650-355-1668.  Help leading small teams is needed.

“This year we will have a number of work sites including the "Giveback Patch", a stretch of foredunes formerly occupied by iceplant until volunteers from Earth Day, monthly beach restoration workdays, schools, Genentech, Life Technologies, Target Stores, SalesForce,  and VMware employees who “Gave Back” and heroically removed it, making it ready for a diversity of native plants that will bring life back into the land, “ added Pacifica Beach Coalition President Lynn Adams.  

While walking is recommended, parking is available at the Linda Mar State Beach parking lot and at the Pacifica Community Center parking lot at Crespi Drive and Highway 1.  A parking fee of $3.00 (4 hours) or $6.00 (all day) applies at both parking locations and will help with beach maintenance and care.  A free parking pass may be obtained from a designated site captain if you prefer.   

Tools, gloves, water (bring a cup) and snacks will be provided, although volunteers are welcome to bring their own gloves and favorite shovel/digging tools too!  Sturdy shoes, sunscreen, water bottle and warm layers are advised.  

This event is a long standing commitment on the part of both the Pacifica Beach Coalition and Pacifica’s Environmental Family to preserve Pacifica’s natural environment through volunteer events throughout the year.  

The Pacifica Beach Coalition’s ongoing Linda Mar clean-ups are held on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and the beach restorations are every 4thSunday of each month at 10a.m.  Since 1996 thousands of volunteers have joined the site captains at Linda Mar to remove tens of thousands of pounds of debris and weeds and save countless numbers of fish, birds and wildlife.  A cleaner beach is safer for the Snowy Plovers and all wildlife.  Thank you for joining the efforts to clean the beach, restore the habitat, and reduce litter in the first place and honor Martin Luther King at this special beach cleanup, planting, and restoration day!  

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please email Mary Petrilli at mary355@comcast.net or go towww.pacificabeachcoalition.org.