Bell High School Students Join Beach Cleanup Effort

PLAYA DEL REY (CBSLA.com) — As part of Coastal Cleanup Day, several hundred volunteers worked Saturday to collect trash at Dockweiler State Beach.

Among the volunteers CBS2's Joy Benedict spoke with were students from Bell High School, who gave up their morning to help clean up the beach.

"We've already collected three buckets of trash," said volunteer Natalie Armas."We know how much trash affects marine life and we want to help give our part."

The students turned small scraps into larger piles of trash, while other volunteers sifted the sand for plastic pellets.

LA Waterkeeper Liz Crossan said the annual cleanup activities are not confined to beaches.

"It's not actually just coastal anymore," said Crossan. "There are people doing river cleanups, there's folks in Ballona Creek today, in the LA River."

Others were in the Santa Monica Bay, picking up trash from the floor.

"We have our volunteer scuba divers out by the Hyperion pipe that goes into the bay," Crossan said.

The divers brought back bags of trash that had collected along the rocks.

The youngsters from Bell got a firsthand look at what trash can do to the beach, and learned lessons that they say will help them change their ways in the future, including making more of an effort to recycle.

Volunteer Hannah Gonzalez said she was happy to lend a hand "so we can help the community and help the beach be a cleaner place."