Santa Cruz County Adopt-a-Beach Program

Do you frequently participate in beach cleanups? Would you like to be more intimately involved in protecting your favorite beach? Are you a business looking for an environmentally focused volunteer project for your employees? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the Adopt-A-Beach program is right for you!

Save Our Shores partners with the California Coastal Commission, California State Parks, Santa Cruz County Parks, and the cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola to bring you the Santa Cruz County Adopt-a-Beach Program.

Adopting a beach is rewarding, fun and easy. Adoptees commit to holding at least three beach cleanups on their adopted beach each year. Save Our Shores provides all cleanup materials and coordinates all cleanup permits and garbage collection details for your group. SOS also provides cleanup leaders and educational presentations at your first cleanup.

There is a once a year fee of $400 to participate in the program which covers program and advertising costs, including the installation of an Adopt-A-Beach sign with your company name posted on your respective beach. For neighborhood associations, school groups,clubs and other civic groups, there is an option to host a fundraiser in order to raise the fee. Groups do not have to raise the fee before participating in the program but can raise the funds over the course of a year.

To adopt a beach in Santa Cruz County contact Lauren Gilligan at the Save Our Shores office: or 831-462-5660 Ext. 6. She will provide you with a group registration form and individual beach cleanup waiver forms as well as schedule your individual group needs.