Traditions stitch the years together. People gather to enjoy beloved places and activities. In the past year, many of our traditions looked different. Many of us created new ways to connect and celebrate. We are approaching one of my favorite traditions: Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC).

For more than 35 years, the ICC has galvanized communities worldwide to collect trash that pollutes our waterways, making our coasts cleaner and our ocean healthier. Together with partners, we’ve brought 16 million volunteers–like you–to help us collect more than 340 million pounds of trash. Volunteers have helped the ICC become a beacon of hope, inspiring action worldwide, and that support has never been more needed than now.

Together, we will turn our commitment to the ocean into action during the ICC season.

Celebrating this occasion may look different depending on where you live and the steps you need to take to stay safe: You can clean up with your family in your neighborhood, join a local coordinator at an event or advocate online at home.

We want the ICC to be an opportunity to gather with your loved ones and give back to the ocean, waterways and greenspaces that mean so much to everyone in our community.

Where safe, you can Connect and Collect with three easy steps:

1. Form Your Crew: Invite your friends and family to join you in cleaning up for the ocean.
2. Find a Spot: Clean up with your small pod around your neighborhood or join a cleanup organized by a local ICC partner.
3. Clean Up: Download Clean Swell® and record the trash you collect. Don’t forget to take photos and tag #ConnectandCollect!

Just as our waterways come together and join the ocean, those who care for them come together in action every year, creating a vast network that fuels a global movement to keep our ocean clean. Show your dev-ocean to our waterways by joining the ICC this year.

You can find everything you need to safely clean up, as well as ways to participate from home, on our website.