National Beach Day is celebrated at the height of Summer, on August 30. Everyone loves to spend a warm day laying on their towel on a sandy beach, making sandcastles, and taking a dip in the beautiful sea, and this is the day to celebrate that experience! National Beach Day also raises awareness about how important it is to keep beaches clean so everyone can enjoy them.
Background
The first people to have the idea of a day to celebrate the beaches in the United States were the Knights of Columbus in Milwaukee, in 1929. This day was meant to be a part of their convention plans, but it never took off in popularity.
The day was forgotten until 2014, when family lifestyle expert Colleen Page created National Beach Day, an unofficial holiday, to be observed at the end of August. The goal of this day is to show appreciation for beaches and show people that they must be kept clean so that future generations can enjoy them as we do!
Through the years the government has taken some actions to make sure that the beaches are clean and safe for people. In 1948 the Clean Water Act was passed, which ensures that there are water quality and pollution standards that keep the waters on beaches clean. Then in 1972, the government passed the Coastal Zone Management Act whose goal is to preserve, protect, and restore the coastal zone of the United States. And finally, in 2000 the BEACH Act was passed, requiring the EPA to set standards for testing and monitoring the water.
What to do on National Beach Day
Gather a group of friends and organize a clean-up on the closest beach to you. Try to encourage the beachgoers that are there to join you, and collect all the trash that people have left behind them. When you're all done, lay down on your towel and relax, cool down with a dip in the sea. Make a fun day out of doing something good for the environment!
There are many organizations around the United States dedicated to keeping the beaches clean. Check if there's one near you and volunteer to help them out.
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