Dec 28, 2016 11:58 AM EST By Jane Reed, UniversityHerald Reporter

Western Washington University club Students for the Salish Sea are starting 2017 with a clean up by hosting a New Year's Day beach cleanup at Locust Beach.

These students are partnering with the North Sound Baykeepers at RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. Lee First, who is a member of the group said that because of the recent winter storms, there are tons of debris on the beach. He has even pointed out abandoned fishing nets which can trap wildlife, as reported by RE Sources

He explains that Locust Beach receives junk from everywhere and it also includes not just trash, but even small plastic from the city's own storm water discharges. Sarah Sasek who is a coordinator for Students for the Salish Sea group said that marine debris is a huge concern because it piles up in the ocean. For her and these volunteers, beach cleanups are a way to reduce trash that harshly impacts the ocean. It is also a means to decrease pollution and increase the awareness of how beautiful local beaches are.

While other people are probably going to spend New Year's Day staying indoors, nursing a hang over or relaxing in the remaining few days of winter break, the students from Western Washington University are going to spend it with trash bags, as reported by Bellingham Herald.

For those who are able to join and are willing to clean up Locust Beach, the clean up is happening on Sunday from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM. The clean up starts from the dead end of Locust Avenue, off Marine Drive.

For those who are coming in groups, parking is available in a public lot on the north side. The publication also announced that everyone is welcome, from kids to adults of all ages. Light snacks and cleaning equipment will be provided but cleanup volunteers are encouraged to bring their own work gloves and buckets.

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