On Saturday, Feb. 2, the Northcoast Environmental Center is officially kicking off its Tsunami Debris Monitoring and Cleanup program. Over the course of the next year, in collaboration with the California Coastal Commission, the NEC will be regularly monitoring beaches in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties for any possible debris that may have originated from the devastating tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. 

 This will be the first of three Humboldt County beach cleanups and monitoring events prior to Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 21, 2013. While scientists predict that the bulk of the estimated 1.5 million tons of tsunami debris adrift at sea will hit Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon as it did last winter, residents should be on the lookout for possible tsunami debris on California’s North Coast. 

• Tsunami Debris Monitoring and Samoa Beach Cleanup, Saturday, Feb. 2, 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the Samoa Beach parking lot on New Navy Base Road, directly across from the town of Samoa. Bring gloves, comfortable shoes and drinking water. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own reusable bucket or bag for debris removal. For more information call the Northcoast Environmental Center at (707) 822-6918 or e-mail dan@yournec.org.

More about what Californians can do here and here.

Tsunami Debris Field Guide: