MISSION BEACH – More than 800 elementary students from nine Title 1 schools across San Diego County made a statement for the environment on May 22 during Kids Ocean Day 2025, organized and led by I Love A Clean San Diego.
The event combined hands-on environmental stewardship with creative expression, culminating in a striking 180-foot-wide aerial art display featuring a leopard shark and spelling out the word “Restore” on the sand in Mission Beach.
“I will not be surprised if some of the children here today will be San Diego’s environmental leaders in the future,” said Jenny Barros, spokesperson for I Love A Clean San Diego.
The Kids’ Ocean Day Cleanup is part of a statewide effort led by the California Coastal Commission, which coordinates Kids’ Ocean Day with proceeds from the Whale Tail License Plate and voluntary donations on the California state tax return to the Protect Our Coast and Oceans Fund.
Whale Tail grants funds to organizations in San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco, Bakersfield, and Humboldt counties to enable events to take place at beaches along the coast, demonstrating a collective commitment to coastal stewardship.
“The students are sending a powerful message about the need to protect and preserve the California coast,” said Annie Kohut Frankel, public education program manager for the California Coastal Commission. “Their actions have shown us that we can restore our coast and ensure that it endures for future generations. Thank you to all of these incredible coastal stewards.”
Led into formation by organizers and volunteers, the students assembled to create an aerial artwork that was photographed from a helicopter overhead.
The hundreds of students who participated in the beach cleanup and art project ended up collecting more than a thousand pounds of litter.
Kids Ocean Day 2025 was made possible through the support of local school districts, environmental partners, volunteers, and the dedication of I Love A Clean San Diego’s education and outreach teams.
