The city of San Diego’s Think Blue program, in collaboration with community partners, will host a series of events throughout April to celebrate Earth Month and encourage San Diegans to “Think Blue” by taking actions to make their neighborhood more vibrant and healthy.

In addition to a number of community events throughout the month, the annual Creek to Bay Cleanup signature event will be celebrating its 20th year on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to noon. Hosted by Think Blue San Diego and I Love a Clean San Diego, Creek to Bay Cleanup is one of the largest annual cleanup events in the region and has collected approximately 2.7 million pounds of trash and litter since its inception.

Think Blue San Diego — the public education and outreach arm of the City’s Stormwater Department — is sponsoring the following events for Earth Month:

Virtual Green Infrastructure Workshop – April 7, 1-2 p.m. – San Diego Coastkeeper will host a virtual workshop focused on Green Infrastructure projects and the City’s Capital Improvement Program process. Register here.

Spring Cleaning Workshop – April 21, 5-6 p.m. – This in-person workshop hosted by I Love a Clean San Diego focuses on green cleaning, options for donating or recycling hard-to-dispose items and waste-sorting guidelines. Register here. 

Earth Day – April 22 – San Diegans are encouraged to take 15 minutes of their day to clean up trash and debris from their neighborhood. 

20th Anniversary Creek to Bay Cleanup – April 23, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – San Diegans can register for one of region’s largest annual cleanups at CreektoBay.org.

Earth Fair – April 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Think Blue will join Project Clean Water as one of more than 200 exhibitors for the 31st annual Earth Fair in Balboa Park. Event includes three international food courts, beer gardens, a children’s activity area, entertainment stages, a parade and more.

Paradise Canyon Cleanup – April 28, 3-5 p.m. – Cleanup hosted by I Love A Clean San Diego to divert trash in the San Diego Bay Watershed. Register here.

Additional cleanups are occurring throughout Earth Month, and San Diegans are encouraged to also check out the event calendars for Think Blue partners — I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper and The San Diego River Park Foundation — to register and participate.

The goal of Think Blue’s Earth Month activities is to raise public awareness of the importance of pollution prevention to improve water quality and bolster San Diego’s quality of life.

“Preserving and protecting what makes San Diego special is why we are seeking community commitment to our mission and a Think Blue mindset,” said Bethany Bezak, deputy director of the Stormwater Department. “There are countless ways to get involved during Earth Month, from cleanups to workshops to everyday actions like picking up pet waste and not pouring grease down the drain. Those are just a few of the daily habits we can all do that will benefit all San Diegans, our waterways and marine life.”

Most of the pollution in the ocean and on our beaches originates inland. Any trash and debris left out in the open can be carried by stormwater into the City’s storm drain system and then flows untreated into local waterways and, eventually, the ocean.

San Diego is defined by the natural beauty of its beaches and coastal waters, and keeping those precious resources clean, safe and healthy is the Stormwater Department’s mission. That mission gets more difficult each year as costs continue to rise to upgrade and modernize the City’s massive storm drain system.

While much of that system is hidden underground, obscured from public view, it is essential to the health, safety and quality of life of San Diegans. This complex network of pipes, drains and other critical infrastructure work together to help protect our environment and communities from pollution and flooding.

To learn more about Think Blue San Diego and how to implement a Think Blue mindset, go to thinkblue.org.

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