Kids send message in the sand with human artwork for Kids Ocean Day

The artwork in the sand sent a clear message: The coast is for all.

More than 1,000 Orange County elementary school students transformed Huntington State Beach into a massive piece of living artwork on Tuesday, May 19, forming the image of a kid in a wheelchair enjoying the shore.

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The aerial art installation on the sand for Kids Ocean Day OC was a nod to the California Coastal Act, which is celebrating 50 years, a message that California’s beaches should be accessible to everyone.

The Orange County Coastkeeper event drew students from Title 1 schools across Garden Grove, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Orange, Huntington Beach and Westminster for a field trip where the kids spent the morning scooping up more than 150 pounds of trash.

“This year’s theme was about reminding the world that the coast belongs to everyone,” said Genesee Ouyang, education director at Orange County Coastkeeper. “The coast is for all, not just one type of person or demographic.”

While the California Coastal Act has helped protect public access to beaches 50 years ago, many communities still face barriers to accessing the coast today, Ouyang said.

“We wanted students to see themselves reflected in this message and understand that they have a place in protecting and shaping the future of our environment,” she said.

For an estimated 20% of participating students, the event marked their first-ever visit to the beach, despite living just miles from the shore, according to Coastkeeper leaders.

“For many students, this day becomes a defining memory,” said Dyana Peña, associate director of programs at Orange County Coastkeeper. “Some are seeing the ocean for the first time, participating in their first cleanup, or realizing for the first time that they can play a role in protecting the environment. Those experiences can stay with young people for years and shape how they see both their community and themselves.”

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In the weeks leading up to the event, Orange County Coastkeeper educators visited participating schools to lead interactive presentations on marine debris, ocean pollution, watersheds, and environmental stewardship.

Sixth grader Lizdaly Bedolla said the best part of the day was interacting with friends and helping to clean the Earth. She helped pick up everything from Styrofoam to paper to plastics, she said.

Her favorite part about the beach? Seeing the waves, she said.

Students learned how trash and pollution from inland neighborhoods can eventually flow to the ocean through storm drains and waterways, as well as practical ways they can help protect local beaches and ecosystems in their daily lives.

“It’s fantastic, we feel so fortunate to be invited to do this each year,” said teacher Laura Lockwood, from Lord Baden-Powell Elementary School in Anaheim. “The kids are glad to be of service, be in nature and see the impact they can make.”

The biggest message is the connection between their communities and the coast, she said.

“They realize that even doing a litter pickup at school is doing an ocean cleanup,” she said. “Making that connection, that no matter where we are, we are taking care of the Earth.”

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