District Rangers partners with local community for 2019 National Public Lands Day clean-up

Photo By Brooks Hubbard IV | Honoring National Public Lands Day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, partnered with Los Angeles County, the Whittier Narrows Nature Center Associates and local volunteers, joined forces to clean up and remove trash from the San Gabriel riverbed at the Whittier Narrows Nature Center, Sept. 28. More than 100 volunteers covered a stretch of the riverbed from the Nature Center to the Whittier Narrows Dam's San Gabriel Spillway picking up trash and buried debris. The debris consisted of shoes and shredded clothing, shopping carts, tires, plastic bottles and miscellaneous stuff totaling in all 6,500 pounds.  

CA, UNITED STATES

09.28.2019

Story by Brooks Hubbard IV 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District

Honoring National Public Lands Day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles Districts Park Rangers, partnered with Los Angeles County, the Whittier Narrows Nature Center Associates and local volunteers, to clean up the San Gabriel riverbed at the Whittier Narrows Nature Center, Sept. 28.
The inaugural event for the Los Angeles District and its Park Ranger program began with a sunrise opening ceremony and safety briefing at the Nature Center.
“I would like to start by thanking all the volunteers and organizations that are here to participate in our National Public Lands Day event,” said Col. Daryl Fust, deputy district commander of the Corps’ LA District. “I would also like to thank our partners and sponsors and The Whittier Narrows Nature Center staff for hosting this great event on these magnificent grounds. Through our partnership with the Whittier Narrows Nature Center Associates, we hope to assist one another to meet our mission goals to serve the public,” said Fust.
Volunteers covered a stretch of the riverbed from the Nature Center to the Whittier Narrows Dam San Gabriel Spillway picking up trash and buried debris. The debris consisted of shoes and shredded clothing, shopping carts, tires, plastic bottles and miscellaneous wood debris.
Rangers and along with staff from the Nature Center, the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation department, gave volunteers gloves, eye protection and hand tools to assist them with their clean-up mission.
“The Corps’ Park Ranger program is fairly new to the Los Angeles area,” said Ranger Nick Figueroa with the Corps’ LA District. “We hope this event will allow us to introduce ourselves to the community and let them know we are here to serve. We value the community’s input and their dedication to using recreational lands.”
According to Figueroa approximately six volunteer organizations participated in the clean-up event.
“We had 147 volunteers that accumulated 882 volunteer hours which equals to $22,430 in savings to the government,” Figueroa said.
The clean-up effort resulted in a total of 6,500 pounds of debris removed from the river including 8 shopping carts and 9 tires.
“I just came out to help do something involving nature,” said Raisa Parnell, a volunteer who saw the event posted on a social media site and came out to participate in the clean-up. Parnell easily filled her trash bag with plastic bags, bottles, straws and paper as she walked near the spillway gates.
“I know that rivers in general are highly important to the ecosystem so that’s why I’m here picking up trash to help keep them clean,” said Parnell.
Volunteers were treated to coffee and pastries provided by Starbucks coffee and lunch provided by Chic-fil-A. The Aquarium of the Pacific brought in their Aquarium on Wheels for children and adults to touch marine inhabitants in their mobile tidepool exhibit.
Mounted units from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department provided security for the event.
National Public Lands Day is the largest annual volunteer hands-on restoration activity of its kind. During the event, thousands of volunteers across the nation come out to show their support at more than 70 Corps’ projects.
It is organized by the National Environmental Education Foundation in cooperation with the departments of interior, Army and Agriculture. Participating agencies include the Corps, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service.
Last year, more than 7,500 volunteers served 34,000 hours on Corps-managed lands, removing 51,000 pounds of trash, cleaning 1,100 miles of roadways and shoreline, improving 320 acres of habitat and engaging 218 partner organizations.

• Date Taken: 09.28.2019
• Date Posted: 10.05.2019 23:36
• Story ID: 346188
• Location: CA, US