On Oct. 28, 121 volunteers showed up at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning to do their part for the Mission Valley Preserve.<\/p>\n
The cleanup, organized by the San Diego River Park Foundation (SDRPF) and the city of San Diego, was part of an annual SDRPF river preservation effort: Clean Sweep. The event also landed on Make a Difference Day, which is \u201cone of the largest annual single-days of service nationwide,\u201d according to their website.<\/p>\n Financial Partners Credit Union sponsored the cleanup as part of their 80 Days of Awesome campaign. In addition to answering financial questions at their booth, company representatives offered snacks and handed out towels to the volunteers throughout the day.<\/p>\n To kick off the event, Tiffany Swiderski, program coordinator of SDRPF, gave an introductory speech to the crowd about the 52-acre preserve, which is a rare resource in the commercial-centric community.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you can see, we do not have a lot of open space in Mission Valley so this piece of property is really important,\u201d Swiderski said. \u201cUnfortunately, we have been plagued by invasive plants and trash and all sorts of nasty stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n After going over some safety information \u2013 including a warning about the possible hepatitis A risk \u2013 the volunteers were split up into different groups depending on their interest and skill level.<\/p>\n Tasks included painting fences and tables, repairing murals, removing invasive species, and completing trail work. A small group of vaccinated volunteers picked up waste and litter around the site.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason that we are focusing on other activities \u2013 not on trash removal \u2013 is for the safety of our volunteers,\u201d Swiderski continued.<\/p>\n Volunteers came from all over the county, including Chula Vista, Eastlake, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, Lemon Grove, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Poway and Rancho Pe\u00f1asquitos. All ages and skill levels were welcome, with the youngest volunteer being 20-month-old Breckon of Pacific Beach.<\/p>\n A large group of more than 90 members represented Torrey Pines Church and all donned \u201cI Love SD\u201d grey T-shirts. The majority of these volunteers worked on the north side of the San Diego River, where they pulled invasive species, raked debris, carried bundles and pushed wheelbarrows filled to the brim.<\/p>\n Eastlake resident Angelica was one of the volunteers with Torrey Pines Church. She hopes that her efforts will encourage others, including her grandchildren, to help preserve our local environment.<\/p>\n \u201c[The San Diego River] is so beautiful\u2026 why aren\u2019t we taking care of it?\u201d she asked. \u201cI plan to bring my grandkids to show them the river and the work we\u2019ve done. I [also] teach them not to litter or throw stuff out of the car. People litter and they think \u2018It\u2019s only me\u2019 \u2013 but it\u2019s not just you.\u201d<\/p>\n Working alongside Angelica was Orange County native Thomas Sumstine. Sumstine graduated San Diego State University in May 2017 and plans to stay in San Diego to pursue environmental work in the area.<\/p>\n Artistically-inclined individuals were stationed at the cartoon-style mural, which had been defaced with graffiti. They were encouraged to get creative as they covered tagging and freehanded open canvas sections.<\/p>\n Mural repair volunteers included high school students from e3 Civic High School and Bonita Vista High School, such as Mia Santos.<\/p>\n \u201cTake ownership of what you\u2019re working on,\u201d Ally Welborn, SDRPF\u2019s community engagement manager, told the painters. She emphasized that the experience was a chance for the volunteers to express themselves and make something beautiful.<\/p>\n In total, the 121 volunteers \u201cremoved 3,500 square feet of invasive arundo plants; cleared 1,500 square feet of invasive Brazilian pepper tree; restored the tagged \u2018Happy Trails\u2019 bike path mural; repainted chipped picnic tables, bridges, fencing and benches; improved more than 1,900 feet of trail; covered 40 square feet of graffiti; and removed over 3,000 pounds of trash,\u201d according to SDRPF.<\/p>\n In addition to accomplishing all of the tasks they set out to complete, Welborn shared that the Oct. 28 cleanup served as an initial hedge point for community members to connect with the space for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201c[These events] are also meant to be a time for people to get in touch with the river and see that it\u2019s right in their backyard,\u201d Welborn said in an interview after the event.<\/p>\n Rob Hutsel, president and CEO of the SDRPF, emphasized the importance of volunteers at these cleanup events to protect the San Diego River.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always amazing how much work can get done when volunteers work together at events like these,\u201d Hutsel said in a press release. \u201cIt can truly transform the spaces so that they can better provide habitat for wildlife, protect our precious natural resources and introduce people to new places to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Community](\"https:\/\/missionvalleynews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/front-page-image.jpg\")
<\/a><\/a>
(Foto por Connor McBride)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>