In celebration of Earth Month, STV’s team in Los Angeles volunteered with Heal the Bay at its Earth Month Nothin’ But the Sand event. Our team joined approximately 900 volunteers from across the region to help remove over 270 pounds of debris from Santa Monica Beach as part of the organization’s focus on improving the health and resiliency of the region’s waterways.

Heal the Bay is a Los Angeles-based organization that protects the coastline in Los Angeles and restores local beaches, rivers, and waterways. Since forming over 30 years ago, Heal the Bay has, on average, hosted three beach cleanups a day in Los Angeles and removed over four million pieces of trash and debris with the help of volunteers.

“Given the recent Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires, many of our beaches across Los Angeles have seen increased debris from burn areas and stormwater runoff and its effects on the marine habitats and wildlife,” said Jesse Budlong, AICP, planner at STV. “This added another layer of significance to our cleanup efforts. Seeing how many volunteers came out to help, it reminded me of how much we can do to ensure everyone can enjoy LA’s beaches.”

STV has volunteered at organizations across the U.S. that are centered around sustainable water infrastructure and resiliency, including removing invasive plant species along the Los Angeles River and, most recently, improving stormwater runoff in the Gowanus watershed with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.