Preserving and Enhancing the Beauty of Morro Bay, California
Warren and Phyllis Dorn founded Morro Bay BEAUTIFUL in 1981, with the idea of maintaining and preserving the beauty of Morro Bay. Over the years, MBB has showcased Morro Bay through our volunteers where the majority of our projects originated, and were funded and completed by our members.
Our favorite job is The Litter Brigade. Each week, our crew goes out to various locations and picks up trash. It’s fun and very satisfying, especially when you see the results! We are always looking for volunteers. Contact us and see if this is a fit for you!
Another favorite job is the sand-spit cleanup. With the assistance of the Harbor Department, Morro Bay Beautiful sponsors a semi-annual cleanup where volunteers comb the spit for trash. Some years are treasure troves! But whether the bounty is plentiful or not, the views are amazing. Come join the fun!
In 2019, we started the Butt Bucket Brigade with the simple mission of keeping the butts out of the bay! This successful endeavor inspired the city to place vertical butt receptacles along the Embarcadero and the Rock. In addition to cleaning the streets, we also work to keep our signs free of stickers and graffiti.
Annual Christmas Lights Awards
Dory came over for a year in 2019 and hopped from store to store in downtown for some Morro Bay fun. Inspired by the movie Finding Dory, our Dory seemed to know she belonged here in Morro Bay.
Gary from Goofy Graphics painted electric boxes on the corner of Main and Harbor and next to Mike’s Barbershop on Morro Bay Blvd.
40 plus Years of Morro Bay BEAUTIFUL Projects
• MBB members pick up trash weekly throughout the city and remove stickers and graffiti on an ongoing base.
• MBB created the “Keep your Butts out of the Bay” campaign in 2019 where “sand cans” were distributed along the Embarcadero and the Rock.
• MBB sells “Morro Bay BEAUTIFUL” license plate holders, a tradition started by Phyllis Dorn, and also provides them to local businesses to sell. See our STORE page.
• MBB supports the Morro Bay Natural Estuary Program by donating 25% of our annual profits from license plate holders to this worthy cause.
• MBB High School Scholarship Program honors graduates with college assistance based on their environmental service and other projects that beautify the city.
• With the aid of the Harbor Dept, MBB sponsors and organizes an annual sand-spit cleanup.
• In celebration of our 40th Anniversary, MBB commissioned a puzzle of the city in 2021 by acclaimed artist, Eric Dowdle of The Dowdle Folk Art Company.
• For over 26 yrs, MBB sponsored and organized the Morro Bay Annual Citywide Yard Sale.
• MBB sponsored “Art Cans”, twenty-six trash receptacles along the Embarcadero, and various city parks to enhance the beauty of the surrounding area.
• MBB solicited Goofy Graphics to paint the electric boxes on Main and Harbor and next to Mike’s Barber Shop on Morro Bay Blvd.
• MBB sponsored Dory – a replica of the beloved Dory from the movie Finding Dory. Our Dory traveled from business to business in 2018 and was a hit!
• MBB solicited sponsors for the planting and maintenance of 19 city planter boxes on Main and Morro Bay Blvd. They were donated to the city in 2019.
• MBB adopted Anchor Park on the waterfront and assisted the city in keeping it clean and tidy.
• MBB members planted and maintained portions of the Embarcadero street median.
• MBB adopted a section of Hwy 1 and several off-ramps that members regularly cleaned up and maintained.
• MBB members periodically pressure-washed city fences and trash containers.
• MBB sponsored and organized an annual Rock-to-Pier cleanup along the length of Morro Strand Beach.
• MBB sponsored and organized the annual Morro Bay Christmas Lights Awards.
• MBB supported the official Morro Bay Tree Committee, and with the Adopt-a-Tree campaign, planted over 100 trees throughout the city.