I Heart Oakland-Alameda Estuary

A Grand-Garbage-Go-Getting-Adventure

Join Us

We invite you on a Grand-Garbage-Go-Getting-Adventure, connect with nature, protect and clean your waterways, and love your land while having FUN with your community. We have cleanup teams working “On the Water” via kayak and stand-up paddle board and "On the Land" via foot. We gather up to 6,000 pounds of garbage from the parks and shores of the Oakland Estuary annually. We host large and small community clean ups with 50 to 200 volunteers per clean up.

Estuary Stewardship

Garbage on the Oakland-Alameda Estuary shorelines degrades wildlife habitat, water quality, and ecological health. Our mission; is to make a difference to the Estuary’s ecological and wildlife health by removing, with the support of our volunteer community, up to 6,000 pounds of garbage annually from Jack London Aquatic Center, Estuary Park and the shores and beaches of the Oakland Estuary.

Our first clean up was in 2016 when a group of "On the Water" athletes left from the Grand Boat Ramp in Alameda to clear garbage from the shores of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary. We pulled out so much trash, and we barely made a dent.

The good news is that the areas we consistently clean, are less trash strewn and are healthier and more habitable. Making the bay better for the harbor seals, bat rays, leopard sharks, ducks, fish of all kinds, the great blue herons, snowy egrets, and the people of Oakland and Alameda.

Events

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Coming SOON: MLK Day of Service Monday - January 15, 2025

Corporate Cleanup Events
School Kayak Stewardship Program
Need Info Contact hello@iheartoaklandalamedaestuary.com
Sign up for our newsletter for event notification + more.

Dolphins, Porpoises, and Whales in Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley.

Learn about cetacean sleep, food, history and how they thrive just off the East Bay shores. We'll dive deep with Bill Keener, a research biologist at The Marine Mammal Center's Cetacean Field Research team who monitors the living wild populations of cetaceans – whales, dolphins, and porpoises – in the San Francisco Bay area.

Learn about Cetaceans in the East Bay!

Volunteer - A Few Good Hours

We need your support to GROW. We believe in the power of you and want you to be a part of making the parks and beaches of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary shine. Our events are opportunities for the local community to connect and work together to solve garbage issues onsite.

Event Logistic + Elder at Table

Event Logistics: Big events mean lots of pre-organization and details/logistics. If you have a knack for that we'd love to meet you - please connect.

Elder at Table: If you don't have the capacity to move big garbage not to worry - we need social detailed elders or people that like to sit and be social to help at event check-in. Multi-Tasking magic.

Water Guide & Dock Worker

Water Guide: If you have "On the Water" experience and are comfortable guiding teams connect. We'll take you out before the event and support you to be a water guide.

Dock worker: You'll need big gloves and strong arms. You'll be moving heavy bags from place to place. Must be in good physical shape.

Land Guide

Land Guide: We have big clean ups and different areas to explore. If you'd like to guide an "On the Land" team connect. We'll give you a heads up before the big event.

Land Worker: You'll be moving all over the grounds to get larger pieces of garbage. Must be in good physical shape.

Sort & Weigh

Sort: If you have a mind for details we'll need you to sort a few bags of garbage. Think of this job as an archaeologist on a mission.

Weigh Garbage: We have the scales, we need your brains. This is a team effort so if you have a few friends and like problem solving this is the job for you. We'll have a system for you to follow - but we're really into adaptation and on the spot solutions.

These are specific jobs for clean-ups. You can also join us to come and clean. Sign up for our newsletter for clean up event notifications.

Estuary Garbage-Go-Getting

California Canoe & Kayak
Celebrates 50 Years on the Oakland Estuary Cleanup

CCK celebrated 50 years with 50 kayaks on the water gathering shoreline garbage. CCK is a tried and true local treasure, and generously provide SUPER discounted watercraft rentals to our public Oakland Estuary paddle cleanups and have for 6 years. They have 2 locations on the Oakland Estuary at Jack London and their SUPER cool new store at Brooklyn Basin.

Clorox Employee Cleanup

The Clorox Brita clean water team came cleaning the Jack London Shoreline. Interested in a company cleanup? Please contact IHEART for corporate cleanup details.

The Long Haul I - Earth Day

Deepest thanks to all who came out and truly stepped up. You all worked so hard and solved big garbage problems together and literally made the parks and the shores of the estuary shine.

Halibut Fish + I ❤️ Fundraiser

The kayak fishing community competed at the Alameda Rockwall Tournament. The Lost Anchovy, sponsors and kayak fishing competitors pooled their resources and raised funds to support our large public land and water cleanups. Read I Heart's interview with Lost Anchovy's founder Kieth and why protecting the environment is a priority. CLICK HERE.

The Long Haul II - California Coastal

High School students of Oakland - thank You - 3080 pounds. You worked really hard, your grit, determination and dedication is appreciated.

Estuary Stewardship Pilot Program

Marine urban garbage beware our garbage-go-getting adventure was a great opportunity to learn about marine garbage, plastics, local wildlife and have fun paddling a kayak.

Donate

Your 100% tax-deductible donations support our GROWTH. We have much garbage to get and more locations we'd like to clean. We'd like to purchase marine radios, clean up and event supplies and spend more time expanding our efforts. I Heart is fiscally sponsored by the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation - the donation will show up on your ledger this way.

For event information, community news and positive actions.

Clean-Up Partners

CALIFORNIA CANOE & KAYAK
www.calkayak.com
California Canoe & Kayak has been getting folks out paddling on the Bay since 1972! They're a tried and true local treasure, and generously support this clean up and provide SUPER discounted watercraft rentals to our Estuary Paddle Cleanups and have for almost 5 years. They have 2 locations on the Oakland Estuary at Jack London and their new SUPER cool store at Brooklyn Basin.

EAST BAY ROWING CLUB
www.eastbayrowingclub.org
The East Bay Rowing Club is dedicated to making rowing accessible to all. We believe in creating enduring relationships among our rowers as we serve our diverse community. We are proud of sponsoring and encouraging scholastic rowing programs in Oakland schools. We are honored to work with EBRC - they bring their positive can do attitudes, unchallenged skiff skippering skills and super BOAT power to our cleanups.

CITY OF OAKLAND
www2.oaklandnet.com
We're proud to be part of the City of Oakland's cleanup efforts. The City encourages stewardship of Oakland year-round, providing supplies and services (including the trash-pick-up) for our volunteer events.

OAKLAND PARKS AND RECREATION FOUNDATION
www.oaklandparks.org
We believe that parks change lives by empowering communities to play, celebrate, recharge and engage. Every Oaklander and every Oakland community should have access to these transformative experiences.