Youth volunteers from the Watsonville Church of Latter-day Saints are helping remove sandbags, tarps and debris left over from flooding in the Interlaken area. (Contribution – Sally Christine Rogers)

SANTA CRUZ — Trash talk, commonly confined to athletes trying to sabotage their opponents, is now redefined in Santa Cruz County as a way to bring people together in the name of environmental health and natural beauty. ing.

A coalition of motivated community members, local governments and non-profit leaders, truly called “garbage talkers,” seeks to improve local communities through the acceptance of systematic garbage cleanup and garbage reduction as a shared ethic. are stepping up their efforts to protect wildlife and beautify their communities. Anyone can follow.

And no more technical fouls or social media fights. Organizers say the goal is simple: to make Santa Cruz the cleanest county in the state.

“It’s a beautiful place and we need to take care of it,” said longtime local resident Sally Christine Rogers, who spearheaded the Trash Talkers movement. “Reducing waste is hard work, but it is achievable and something we can all do.”

Rogers said the heart of the effort came from the idea of ​​harnessing the power of collective action in the county and bringing together various stakeholders who have worked hard to address the issue in their own ways.

“We love where we live,” said Rogers. “Everyone who lives here needs to participate responsibly and do their part.”

In 2022, county officials will have picked up 570 tonnes, or more than 1.1 million pounds, of illegally dumped trash and debris, according to Kent Edler, assistant director of Santa Cruz County Community Development and Infrastructure Special Services Division. Basketball courts are said to be up to about 23 feet high.

“The majority of people in this county are really concerned about environmental issues,” says Edler. “We want to tackle this problem head-on and work with a larger group to see how we can make significant improvements.”

The Coalition is endorsed by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, including Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, State Sen. John Laird, Speaker-Elect Robert Rivas, and many other state and local agencies. Contains offices of non-profit organizations.

Efforts to engage more trash talkers from the community include launching a new website to support this effort. pitchin santacruz.orgIt contains information on how to participate.

The campaign also launched a new logo to help create enthusiasm and a unified message as the initiative expands across the county. Rogers said the county and local cities are working to add logos to trash cans, trailheads, beaches and subway stations to raise awareness about the initiative.

Featuring iconic images of the region’s diverse landscapes, the logo Erica Rosendale, a local artist and muralistHe said the graphic went through at least 19 revisions before it was finalized and sent to the printer.

“We want every viewer to be able to relate to that image in some way,” says Rosendale. “Art can make a difference. Visuals can be used for good.”

Trashtalkers first started crowing about a year and a half ago, when a pilot effort focused primarily on South County was launched in partnership with a local nonprofit and the office of District 4 Superintendent Felipe Hernandez. promoted.

Hernandez analyst Ramón Gómez, who has played a key role in organizing cleanup efforts in the Watsonville area, said the long-standing problem of cleanup of roadside litter, abandoned campsites and illegal dumping should be addressed. He said he was mainly focused on

“The problems we see here are pervasive throughout the county, so it’s important to scale it up across the county,” Gomez said. “It will take time to educate the public and change community patterns.”

Gomez said continued collaborative efforts, such as a network of community resources and communication channels that proved critical when recent winter storms caused devastating flooding across much of the South County, have contributed to other unforeseen circumstances. He added that he made a profit.

The Watsonville Wetlands Watch provides education and restoration services to the Pajaro Valley wetlands and surrounding areas, and is a frequent participant in litter pick-ups. The nonprofit’s executive director, Jonathan Pilch, told The Sentinel that much of the trash is unnoticed and is entering local waterways, seriously impacting natural habitats.

“Having both government agencies and volunteers work together to clean up thoroughly has been really uplifting and impactful,” said Pilch. “This is an important undertaking, and all of these undertakings can have a transformative impact on our communities.”

According to the Trash Talkers website, a September cleanup effort removed two 30-yard and three 8-yard trash cans, as well as enough metal debris from the abandoned campsite to fill a long pickup truck bed. said to have been removed.

“There are many things in the world that I cannot control,” Rogers said. “But I can pick up the trash and not litter, and we can come together as a community to make this happen.”

way to participate

What: Trash Talkers picking up trash.

When: Anytime.

How: Visit Pitch in Santa Cruz.org.