San Diego River Park Foundation

Volunteers with the San Diego River Park Foundation removed 1,200 pounds of trash from the San Diego River. Interesting items included a
waterlogged punching bag, bike frame, car battery and burned lounge
chair. Below Shannon Quigley, the Field Operations Associate from the San Diego River Park Foundation, shares some of the highlights.

Marissa and her Dad Ricardo came to help clean up the San Diego River
because Marissa is very conscious of trash and she loves animals and
nature. Ricardo said that Marissa picks up trash wherever they go. Ricardo
thought volunteering with the San Diego River Park Foundation Clean and Green
team would be a great opportunity to satisfy her desire to clean up the
environment. Along with numerous other trash items Marissa and her Dad
found this old rusted bike frame near the river and pulled it out. Great job
Marissa, the San Diego River is definitely cleaner because of your
work!

Alan and Brigit are two of our newest volunteers. Alan is a senior and
San Diego High School. After high school he wants to pursue a degree in
Environmental Engineering. Alan volunteers with the clean-up events
and other River Park activities because of the experience he gains. Brigit
was at the Mission Valley Preserve a week before and noticed how dirty the
area was, she volunteered to help remove the trash and get the area clean so
her walks can be more enjoyable. Alan and Brigit found a lounge chair in
the San Diego River. The two worked together to bring it to shore.

Elementary School Students Participate in Restoration Project at Lake Berryessa, California

On Wednesday, February 4, 2009, the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students of Capell Valley Elementary School arrived ready to feel the earth beneath their fingernails and eager to help restore native grasses to the Lake Berryessa Visitor Center. As part of Take Pride in America, 14 students and 3 adults participated in a Reclamation sponsored project to rehabilitate the area’s natural vegetation and to resurrect a piece of California’s “herbaceous heritage,” while at the same time controlling erosion and the encroachment of invasive weeds. The students took up their work enthusiastically, digging holes and gently planting plugs of native fescue, purple needle grass and soap plant. Learning that the native bunch grasses being planted were perennial gave the students a feeling of pride that their efforts would continue to prosper through the years. The sense of a lasting contribution even gave a few students a desire to name individual grass bunches so that “Fred the Fescue” could be checked up on at a later date.