What to Know
- The 34th Great Los Angeles River Cleanup, presented by Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR)
- Saturday, Oct. 5; shifts begin at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- The sites include Bull Creek (Upper River), North Atwater Park (Middle River), Compton Creek (Lower River), and Willow St. Bridge (Lower River)
- Look for "educational activities" to pop up at each site
It's a breezy fact of the warm-weather months: People do love savoring the sunshine, fresh air, and outdoors, sometimes in droves.
The summer season is a recreation-rich stretch, in short, with humans heading outside to play. And come the fall? Some of our most scenic spots require more than a bit of spiffying, all to clear out the debris that visitors left behind.
The earliest part of fall is a busy time for pitch-inners; the Yosemite Facelift, an effort to de-litter the national park after its busiest months, happens every September.
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And along several key points of the Los Angeles River on the first Saturday of October? The Great Los Angeles River Cleanup will mark its 34th annual outing.
"Being held for the first time in recent years at the conclusion of the River's summer recreation season," the huge volunteer effort will happen in shifts.
Shifts you can register for ahead of time, at four sites that nicely span the lengthy waterway: Bull Creek, Atwater Park, Compton Creek, and Willow St. Bridge.
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Thousands of volunteers regularly participate — some arrive in school or civic groups, while others sign up with a friend or two — so it is little wonder that the happening is called "the largest urban river cleanup in the U.S.," an impressive billing, indeed.
"The Great LA River Cleanup is one of our favorite events at FoLar," shared FoLAR CEO Candice Dickens-Russell. "It's a day where we get our hands dirty, make real difference for the River, and have a blast while doing it."
"But it's more than just cleaning up, it's about coming together to make the River a place that everyone in LA can connected with and feel proud of."
"We're deeply committed to our vision of the River as an equitably accessible green space for all Angelenos that will help our city, and some of its most vulnerable communities, adapt to climate change — the Great LA River Cleanup is another step on the path to making that vision a reality."
For more information and to register, visit the official cleanup site now.
