For us law school kids, free times to go play at the beach are few and far between. BUT, we will not pass up any “worthy” excuse to get to a beach. This was evidenced in the dozens of law students who showed up last Saturday (in the middle of midterms) to pick up trash at South Sunset Cliffs.
The event was organized by four California Western School of Law student organizations who realized that law students, who are not motivated by much indoors, might be motivated by an event far away from the library. SUCCESS! The cleanup was a chance to spend productive time outdoors—and not feel guilty about neglected homework—PLUS an opportunity to note the considerable amount of trash on the beach and reflect on what law students can do about this problem. Walking around together, we brainstormed ways to prevent trash on the beach, make sure more trash is picked up, and how we can use our legal knowledge and careers to further these goals. We not only left the beach in a better condition than when we arrived, but we gained ideas and motivation to make changes!
What to take from this? A beach cleanup is more than just picking up trash. It is the opportunity to become part of the solution to a serious problem.
Thankfully, Coastkeeper and Surfrider have many opportunities to hit the beach. Check out the events calendar to plan ahead. And if you can’t make it, organizing your own beach cleanup with Coastkeeper is easy, too.
