On April 21, the Washington Coast Clean-up and Fifth Annual River & Ocean Film Festival join in exploring and protecting the Olympic Peninsula’s coastal wonders.

Following this year’s cleanup, on April 21, volunteers at beaches near Forks can join other residents and visitors for a special movie night. Everyone who cherishes, enjoys, or wants to learn about the Olympic Peninsula is invited to the 5th annual River & Ocean Film Festival at the Rainforest Arts Center, 35 N. Forks Ave., starting at 7 p.m.

Each spring, hundreds of volunteers fan out along Washington’s ocean coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca for the Washington Coast Clean-up. They scour more than 50 beaches for washed-up debris and other trash that, besides being unsightly, can poison or choke marine organisms. It’s not only a good deed but a great party, capped by barbecues hosted for the volunteers at many of the beaches.

The festival features short films that highlight the beauty and opportunities to be found on the “wet side” of the Olympic Peninsula while raising awareness of the threats facing its aquatic life and human communities. Admission is free and open to all ages; all films are family-friendly. Judges are now screening submissions to select the ten or to be shown at the festival. To get an idea of the range of films, check out last year’s festival program.

The River & Ocean Film Festival is sponsored by Washington Sea Grant, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the North Pacific Coast Marine Resource Committee, the North Pacific Coast Lead Entity, the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition, and the West Olympic Council of the Arts. Washington CoastSavers sponsors the Washington Coast Cleanup.

To volunteer to work a registration table, haul collected debris, or clean up after a barbecue, contact CoastSavers. To join a beach cleanup or enjoy the film festival, just show up!

Housed in the College of the Environment at the University of Washington, Washington Sea Grant leads research, outreach and education for people to understand and address challenges facing our oceans and coasts. Join the conversation with @WASeaGrant and facebook.com/WaSeaGrant. Visit us online at wsg.washington.edu.