Costal Cleanup Day 2009 - Balboa Park LA River site

I recently realized I never said anything about Coastal Cleanup day back in September!

LA River cleanups in the Balboa Park area are super easy to reach by public transportation. I caught the Red Line to North Hollywood and then got off one Orange Line stop too early (Woodley instead of Balboa) and just ended up walking to the next stop near the cleanup site. Although I was somewhat annoyed with myself, I did enjoy the walk someplace that I had never walked before.


walking over the LA River on Victory....


























Although I've walked from the Balboa Orange Line station to the LA River a few times, I had never realized the street was lined with pecan trees!




Growing up in Texas we'd go to the park and pick pecans in the fall. Then we'd go home and used the hefty nut crackers and have a supply of pecans for the next year.





The Cleanup site was well marked this year, which was exciting. Last year there was a little issue at this same cleanup spot and the people with the supplies were on the opposite of the street from when the rest of the people were for the clean up. It was a little weird and confusing though because the first thing I saw was a giant truck and people bar-b-queing



I'm not sure if this is where the money went from the Friends of the Los Angeles River cleanup a few months ago or what, but there were way more accommodations at this clean up than any of the others I've attended at this same site. There were lines of tents, more junk food than normal as well as tools! Some were more suited for different areas (like the rakes and brooms), but the shovels and hoes were much appreciated.













instead of wandering east where we had just cleaned a couple of months ago, we wandered east under the bridge over Balboa to the other side of the street.




































The large number of kids at this clean up when compared to some previous ones was encouraging














A peek into my bag. As usual most of the stuff was plastic - bags, straws, wrappers, random broken items. The hoe allowed us to more easily get at some thing that were otherwise unreachable during some other clean ups.






















At one point my boyfriend and I were digging away and a large group of kids, maybe around 10, came stomping through the plants declaring that there was no more trash! Oh no! I wish I had more time to educate them outside of saying "there is a lot more if you look closely!" I think my boyfriend and I spent about 20 minutes just in this area and we only left before we needed more water.























unreachable plastic hanging from the trees








Progress made with the aid of the shovels! A group of people were working on this for a while and they had trouble leaving this behind unfinished. I told them there are other cleanup events here throughout the years, so I hope they get a chance to come back and make progress before it's covered again...








Another example of the work people did with the shovels and hoes! I happened to take a picture of this same bin when we went to a Friends of the LA River clean up earlier in the summer.






More people working until the last minute! This clean up was also weird in that the people sponsoring it had much of the 'stuff' they brought cleaned up and put away before noon, when the clean up ended. In the past it seemed like things didn't end so abruptly at noon.





A portion of the trash when we finished up at noon. Some of the trash had already been hauled away!

International Coastal Clean Up Day - September 19

The yearly international Coastal Cleanup day is coming up next weekend, September 19 at a variety of locations. Los Angeles area locations can be found on the Heal the Bay website. Despite the name, coastal cleanup day does not just focus on coastal areas, but also more inland areas that eventually drain to the oceans. There might be an event near you! Some people like to go as an excuse to get to the beach, others prefer to focus cleaning their neighborhood. Either way, your efforts and time are appreciated and it gives you a chance to contribute to your community, better understand your community and spend time with likeminded individuals.

Some tips for clean-up events:


Don't waste!
The goal of any cleanup event is to remove trash from places where it shouldn't be. One of the rubs with sponsored clean-up events is that they can generate a decent amount of trash on their own with snacks, single use water bottles and disposable gloves being handed out, but there are some things you can do to help curb that waste
-Recycling or trash? At some events the organizers ask that you sort out recycling and trash. Others just give you trash bags and send you on your merry way. Make sure you know which approach is being used and which items can be recycled.
-Bring your own reusable water bottle. Some events only hand out water in single use bottles. If so, you'll at least prevent one new bottle from being opened by coming prepared. If you do drink any of the single use bottled beverages, make sure they end up in the recycle bin. Some event planners will bring a larger container of water for people to refill their bottles with. Either way, I'd recommend writing to the people sponsoring your event once it is over and let them know you would prefer a less wasteful water source next time or let them know you appreciate their actions to reduce the amount of waste by not handing out single use water bottles.
-Bring your own gloves. At every clean-up event I've attended, disposable gloves were provided, but they're less than ideal. I've managed to rip every disposable glove I've used at these events. Sometimes the sponsors are running short on materials and you might just get one glove. To avoid the Michael Jackson look, potential exposure to dirt and generating more waste, I'd recommend rummaging though your garage and bringing your own work or gardening gloves. Leather gloves work well, but there are also cotton coated with rubber, polyester and other durable vegan materials available. This is definitely an investment worth making if you plan on making clean-up events a more regular part of your life.
-Think about transportation. If you live next to the beach and can walk or bike to a clean-up event, by all means, use your legs. Just be aware that you might be a little more tired after cleaning for 3 hours than when you started out. If public transportation is available, it's a good option. If you must drive, see if you can carpool. It makes the event more fun, cuts down on parking issues and gives you a good excuse to invite friends along.

Safety!
As always, be aware of where you are and what the hazards are in your area. If you have children with you, be sure to talk with them about what to do if they find a dead animal, broken glass, syringes and other questionable items they might encounter.
-Sun. Remember you might be outside for hours doing manual labor. It can get rather hot. Make sure to bring along sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Also, don't skimp on the water. Just because a sponsor only brought water in single use bottles and you already drank up your reusable bottle reserve, that's no excuse to put your body in danger. Take breaks if necessary, make sure to keep on drinking water during the cleanup and once it's over.
-Don't throw away batteries! Most people don't know that it's actually illegal to throw batteries away in California. They are filled with all sorts of somewhat toxic metals. If you find a battery, locate a bag (this is usually way easier than one would hope) or other item to place it in. If they are leaking, be very careful to not touch them with your bare hands. Wrap up all the batteries and once your clean-up event is complete, drop them off with your household battery recycling. It's also worth talking to your event organizers and asking them if they collect them and if they don't, if they could consider doing so in the future.
-Tetanus!If you plan on making a habit of cleanup events, it's worth making sure you are up to date with your tetanus shot. You need to get a booster at least every 10 years to prevent getting tetanus (lock jaw). Your health care provider should be able to tell you when you got your last booster.

Clean up events can be a fun way to spend time together and give back to your community. They can be giant organized events or just you, wandering in your neighborhood, cleaning it up a little. Either way, you can feel good knowing you helped make things better and it gives you a new perspective on the places we stay and our place and impact in our communities.

Friends of the Los Angeles River Clean up 2009

Last weekend my boyfriend and I headed to the LA River in Balboa Park for another LA River clean up, this time for the 20th anniversary of the Friends of the Los Angeles River Cleanup. This was our 3rd LA River clean up in the San Fernando Valley's Balboa Park -- the previous 2 were with Heal the Bay.




Not the best photo, but the Friends of the Los Angeles River had a little tent set up, making them easy to spot. That particular morning the park was packed with soccer games and army recruiting. FoLAR provided us with tshirts with a rather cute drawing on the front and as my boyfriend and I collected gloves and bags, an egret flew overhead. "It's good luck!", one of the people exclaimed. Like the other cleanups I've done, we had to sign release forms, but instead of a long formal training, they let us immediately get on our way and begin cleaning! They also provided live musical entertainment and I couldn't help but to sing along quietly to myself when they played "16 Tons".





People walking along the edge of the LA River. There is a rough concrete steep walled surface in this area of the LA River, with a more natural river bottom in the center.















Stepping into the natural river is truly walking into another world when you consider the surrounding city. It's all overgrown with vines, bamboo, thistles and uncommon trees. The bird populations are different and the sounds they make are new music after hearing the birds that live in the more concrete areas of the city. There are sounds of water flowing over rocks and prickly plants to avoid. There are challenges in trying to figure out how to move and new views around every corner. I love seeing this all - it's one of the side benefits to the River Cleanup.









----------------------------------------------------------------

But the nearby civilization makes itself painfully present when you see the various bits of trash all over. By far, the most common we saw were plastic and styrofoam.

I came across a large mound of styrofoam peanuts, cups, plates and other random packaging mixed in with dirt. Piece after piece, each smaller than the last. Plastic appeared in the form of all sorts of bags, food packaging, many sealed single-serve toothpicks, straws, caps, lighters, breath mints, Easter grass and other random bits. This group of individuals put some serious effort into dislodging a giant piece of plastic from the river.




--------------------------------------------------------------------






We had to leave a little early, so we didn't see the final result of the day's efforts, but this was the pile of sorted recycling and trash before we left.



This was by far one of the better organized cleanup events I've been to. They also provided reusable water bottles and a water cooler to fill up bottles, which was nice. I'm always frustrated with the large amount of waste simply generated by the beverages provided at some of these events. We brought along our Klean Kanteens and just refilled at the cooler. As long as I'm able to, I think this is another volunteer event I will add to my yearly calendar!

Homeless Count

This past weekend I was approached by a woman at the Studio City farmers market. She was there asking people to volunteer for the Los Angeles Homeless Count.

Every 2 years the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) requires the main group dealing with homeless issues to count the Homeless in their county. This allows them to obtain funding.

This year the Los Angeles count is over a 3 day period, January 27, 28 & 29, 2009. Different parts of the county have their counts on different nights. It seems like it will be about 4 hours, from 8pm-12am, and you will be with a group. Each group gets an area to walk around and there is a training session.

I have to admit that riding the trains and subway frequently and being an avid walker, I don't carry much cash on me. By being in these places, I am also exposed to the homeless issues more frequently. There are some people I can count on seeing in certain places and others that I notice along the train and bus lines at different shelters. I realized that I felt bad many times when people asked me for things though. I've handed out bags of recyclables in the past, but I don't have enough to give to everyone every time I am approached. I realize that this volunteer project is a good way to at least try to do my part to make sure people can get more help.

If you don't have a car, don't fret! They actually ask on the volunteer form if you have a car or bike. This information helps place you in an area you can get to and move around.