LOS ANGELES (July 6, 2022) Friends of the LA River (FoLAR) is proud to host its 33rd Annual Great LA River CleanUp, with every year attracting new and returning members of LA’s many communities to the region’s winding connective center. After three-plus decades of helping shift the perception of the LA River to be considered a valued and vibrant part of the fabric of Los Angeles, and taking a year off due to the pandemic, FoLAR brought back a smaller variation of the annual CleanUp last year. This year, CleanUp is back in full swing, having already prevented 25,000 pounds of trash from entering the river during earlier June events. The July CleanUp dates feature two key sites – Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park (7/9) and Willow Street Estuary in Long Beach (in partnership with The City of Long Beach) (7/23) – along with three other locations still open for registration throughout July, including a new site at Maywood Riverfront Park. Registration for volunteers is open at: http://folar.org/cleanup
The CleanUps are focused in the three natural-bottom sections of the River – the Sepulveda Basin, the Glendale Narrows, and the estuary in Long Beach. The verdant riparian vegetation in these sections makes it very easy for trash to get caught up and entangled in the River, polluting the water and habitat that is so important for the wildlife that calls the River home as well as the thousands of Angelenos that live and recreate along the River.
The July CleanUp dates take place at the following five handpicked sites along the 51-mile
river, starting either at 8am or 9am (site dependent):
July 9 – Upper River:
Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park
Steelhead Park
July 16 – Mid River:
Compton Creek
Maywood Riverfront Park (new site via partners San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers Mountains Conservancy (RMC))
July 23 – Lower River:
Willow Street Estuary
The CleanUp is a popular annual event for Angelenos of all ages and backgrounds, attracting families, students, community members, and elected officials to the River. From drawing a mere 10 people to the first CleanUp in 1989, today it draws 1000s of volunteers and a vast range of volunteer groups from scout troops, utilities, and entertainment, to religious organizations, labor unions, and a bevy of nonprofits—demonstrating how the interest in and passion for the LA River has grown. It is also, for many, a place to learn about and take a hands-on approach to addressing climate change.
“Events like CleanUp offer a sense of shared community and an opportunity to takeaction during difficult times when what we’re often faced with are feelings of powerlessness,” says FoLAR Executive Director Marissa Christiansen. “Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our community, but if we rise to the occasion, it is a challenge that we can all take part in fixing. One way to do this is by tending to local habitats like our great LA River, which holds the potential to help us ease the effects of climate change on our communities.”
FoLAR strives to celebrate the diversity of the River with a unique experience at each site. Select sites will feature the LA River Rover – FoLAR’s 38’ mobile visitor and education center.
“Our CleanUp is a great way to start your journey in river stewardship and activism. We hope you’ll join us this summer in keeping our River clean, and allowing it to play its role in supporting a climate resilient future for people and wildlife. See you on the River!” adds Christiansen.
The 2022 CleanUp is made possible through major supporters REI, Amazon, Metabolic Studio, M20, Bank of America, City of Long Beach, and a host of other sponsors and donors. For more information, please contact [email protected].
To register for the CleanUp and get more information, please visit http://folar.org/cleanup.
Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR):
Friends of the Los Angeles River is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to build capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the Los Angeles River. FOLAR is a leading powerful force guiding policy and connecting communities to the River since 1986.
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Source: citywatchla.com
