Volunteers comb Goat Rock Beach on Sonoma Coast to pick up storm debris

About 250 volunteers combed the Sonoma Coast around Goat Rock Beach on Saturday morning, picking up everything from bottle caps and aluminum cans to large pieces of plywood that had been scattered across the landscape.

The cleanup was especially needed this year after record rainfall last month in some parts of Sonoma County caused flooding along the Russian River and brought all sorts of debris to the river’s mouth near Jenner.

“We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world: the confluence between the Russian River and the majestic Pacific Ocean,” said Jeremiah Kahmoson, one of the organizers. “To see this many people (helping out) … that’s empowering.”

After hefting a large strip of discarded wood into the back of a pickup, Julia Haarer of Occidental said she had primarily retrieved smaller pieces of litter along the beach.

“It’s mostly very small pieces of Styrofoam and things … lots of pieces of aluminum cans,” Haarer said.

The event was sponsored by the B-Rad Foundation, which promotes youth leadership programs and environmental stewardship on the Sonoma Coast and the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The nonprofit group was formed in memory of Brad Parker, a Sebastopol resident who died in 2014 after a fall while climbing in Yosemite National Park.

“A lot of people didn’t know (Brad) who are out here, but they get to know of his energy through the work we are doing,” said Kahmoson, executive director of the B-Rad Foundation.

The foundation was aided Saturday by the Russian Riverkeeper group and the Surfrider Foundation.

The event wasn’t the first coastal cleanup staged in the aftermath of January’s floods. Surfrider volunteers have been busy in recent weeks patrolling the beach and stacking up piles of storm-tossed garbage.

Still, plenty of litter remained Saturday at the popular Sonoma Coast State Park to keep volunteers busy.

Chantel Underwood of Occidental noted the harm that bits of plastic and foam could do to wildlife and ?the environment.

“The birds, sea lions and seals would possibly eat (this), which would hurt them and possibly even kill them,” Underwood said.

The B-Rad Foundation has held two previous cleanup days, Kahmoson said. A 2014 event attracted ?80 volunteers who collected about 1,000 pounds of trash and last year the group had about 150 workers who collected approximately 2,500 pounds of debris.

Many children took part in Saturday’s event. Scott Matsuura, the director of residential treatment for TLC Child and Family Services, which operates three local group homes for foster children, said he brought more than two dozen youths out to volunteer. Matsuura said the turnout honored what the B-Rad Foundation has provided to the children, including rock climbing classes, 20 donated bicycles and assistance with participating in the Levi’s GrandFondo charity ride.

“That’s part of their mission; for the students and the youths to learn how to give back, not only to the B-Rad Foundation, but for the greater community and also the environment that we are celebrating today,” Matsuura said.

You can reach Staff Writer Bill Swindell at 707-521-5223 or ?bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com. ?On Twitter @BillSwindell.