Yesterday I went down to Long Beach to take part in the annual LA River Clean-Up, organized by Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR). The Willow Street Estuary isn’t far from where the river flows into the ocean, and it’s one of the few stretches where the bottom is earth instead of concrete.
It wasn’t hard to find the clean-up.
Dozens of people beat me down there.
The people working the registration table were keeping busy.
Everybody got a pair of gloves and a bag.
There were already plenty of people there when I showed up a little after nine. It took just a few minutes to sign the waiver, grab a trash bag and do the orientation. Then I joined the crowd of people climbing down the bank to the river.
Heading down the bank to the river.
Hundreds of people combing the river bed for trash.
Lots of families showed up.
Kids were some of the hardest workers.
It wasn’t all trash. I found this face staring at me from among the rocks.
A few guys waded all the way across the river.
This is just some of the trash that was collected.
The work wasn’t hard, and it was a great day to be outdoors.
If you don’t know what an estuary is, don’t feel bad. I didn’t either until I looked it up on the net. Generally speaking it’s where a river nears the ocean, and fresh water meets salt water. They’re an important part of the ecosystem, filtering runoff and serving as a breeding ground for fish and birds. Watch this video from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to learn more.
The water is placid as it emerges from under the Willow Street Bridge.
The surface gets a little roiled where the river narrows.
From the estuary, the river rolls down to meet the ocean.
Aside from organizing the LA River Clean-Up, FOLAR presents events throughout the year. They’ve been working to preserve and restore the river longer than anyone else, and they’ve racked up an impressive list of accomplishments in their 30 year history. If you want to get involved, start by visiting their web site.
The Horizon and the Skyline 