Matson Ohana Steps Out to Clean Oakland Shore

Matson Ohana Steps Out to Clean Oakland Shore

by Daisy Ruvalcaba, ISO & Terminal Compliance Manager

On Saturday, April 20, Matson family and friends turned out at Shoreline Park in Oakland to join groups from Port of Oakland, TraPac, and Tesla in cleaning up the shore in celebration of Earth Day.

The event was coordinated by Stepping Out Stepping In (SOSI), an Oakland organization that aims to make a positive difference in the lives of children and adults by providing opportunities to connect with nature through environmental education, exploration, and eco-therapy programs. SOSI offers environmental education programs to school groups at East Bay parks and eco-therapy groups for adolescents.

The group of approximately 65 youth and adults collected and removed an estimated two cubic yards of trash along a half-mile stretch of beach, coves, and rocky rip rap (a range of rocky material placed along shorelines to protect from erosion) at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. Among the most common items collected were small Styrofoam balls and bits of microplastic.

Volunteers stand on the Oakland shoreline with full bags of trash.
Team Matson