The Rotary Club of Coronado is the March Emerald Keeper of Month for its emphasis on environmentally-sustainable practices and projects over the years. When Rotary International announced two years ago that “Rotary shares an interest in protecting our common legacy: the environment,” Coronado Rotarians were listening. What began as a singular club cleanup activity each month on Center Beach almost 30 years ago, is now a multi-focal environmental platform due to sustainable habits formed by its members.
How do you create a habit? To focus on the environment, President LuAnn Miller created a habit among members designed to eliminate plastic cups by encouraging them to bring logo-inspired coffee cups and glasses to all Rotary special events and meetings. It has become so automatic that the hosts of monthly socials, as well as restaurants where Rotary has meetings, no longer use plastic cups. Everyone brings their own.
Beach cleanup has evolved from a monthly Saturday morning habit to one that has Rotarians collecting trash several days a week on the beach and dunes, bay, Silver Strand bike path, and Coronado streets.
These habits have resulted in an awareness of the need to reduce or eliminate single-use plastics. Leading into Plastic-Free Earth Month, Emerald Keepers is proud to recognize the Rotary Club of Coronado as Emerald Keepers of the Month to “Keep our Sea Plastic-Free” — this year’s theme for Earth Month.
