This month, Sally-Christine Rodgers, founder and lead organizer of Trash Talkers, a new environmental coalition focusing on litter and illegal dumping in Santa Cruz County, presented to the VWC Environmental Committee at our May meeting. The following short article from Trash Talkers introduces her important work and the many agencies, organizations, and individuals supporting it.

“Our Santa Cruz County communities spend tens of thousands of dollars a year in labor costs cleaning up litter. Litter has a negative impact on residents, visitors, and our human psyche. Trash is an environmental and human health hazard, adversely affecting our economies. Discarded items, litter, and illegal dumping wash into our watersheds, degrade irreplaceable habitats, and threaten our oceans.

While many organizations and governmental entities have been addressing this issue independently, we need county-wide coordination. The Trash Talkers is a coalition of agencies collaborating for the first time to address the problems of litter, illegal dumping, and trash resulting from encampments in Santa Cruz County. 

Our members to date include:

• Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, Watsonville Wetlands Watch
• California Fish and Wildlife
• County Office of Education
• Pajaro Valley Unified School District
• Chambers
  • City of Watsonville 
• CalTrans
• Community Foundation of Santa Cruz
• State Parks
• California Highway Patrol
• Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office
• County of Santa Cruz Public Works
• Offices of:
  • Assemblyman Robert Rivas
  • Senator John Laird
  • Congressman Jimmy Panetta
  • Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren 

Trash Talkers have identified hot spots and coordinated clean-ups for the past year. We’ve created a mission statement, a logo, and a website – www.pitchinsantacruz.org (scheduled to go live this spring) –hosted by the County of Santa Cruz. All County Supervisors endorse this county-wide initiative.

Trash Talkers mission: Make Santa Cruz the Cleanest County in the State.

The County Department of Community Development and Infrastructure is rolling out the Pitch In logo sign campaign. It will be posted on trash cans, at trailheads, parks, METRO stops, beaches, and other locations. We are working with the City of Scotts Valley to do the same.

We want to invite Valley Women’s Club of San Lorenzo Valley members to support and participate in using the Pitch In logo as an outreach and educational tool, by highlighting the Pitch In logo in your newsletters, on your website, and by putting it in visible places at your members’ business locations. The promotion will further the impact of educating our community to ‘pitch in’ and collectively do their part to clean up the San Lorenzo Valley. The Valley Women’s Club of San Lorenzo Valley’s support and endorsement is critical to the success of this effort. 

‘Scoop Your Poop’ was a successful slogan that became a behavioral change for dog owners. The Trash Talkers Pitch In logo, supported by VWC members, will be part of a massive marketing campaign to provide a recurring reminder to all residents and visitors to our area to participate in a ‘Clean San Lorenzo Valley.’ Please join us!” 

Trash Talkers Mission Statement

Our Mission:

• Make Santa Cruz County the Cleanest County in California
• Eliminate litter, encampments, and dumping on roadways, waterways, and agricultural land
• Educate and engage community, non-profits, schools, and local governments
• To improve the health, well-being, economic value, and beauty of our region