SOUTH EL MONTE, California -- Media representatives are invited to attend a debris cleanup event along the San Gabriel River near the Whittier Narrows Nature Center from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 28 at 1000 N. Durfee Avenue.
The event is a collaboration between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, Los Angeles County and the Whittier Narrows Nature Center Associates in honor of National Public Lands Day.
Volunteers will be working on habitat improvements and performing debris cleanup in the San Gabriel riverbed at Whittier Narrows.
ABOUT NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY
National Public Lands Day is the largest annual volunteer hands-on restoration activity of its kind. Established in 1994, it occurs annually on the fourth Saturday in September. Its purpose is to celebrate the connection between people and green space in their community, inspire environmental stewardship and encourage use of open space for education, recreation and general health, according to the National Parks Service website.
During the event, thousands of volunteers across the nation come out to show their support at more than 70 Corps’ projects.
Volunteers complete activities, including tree planting, erosion control, bank stabilization, building trails, restoring recreation areas, trash pickup, removing invasive species and non-native plants, improving wildlife habitats, harvesting prairie plant seeds and rehabilitating playgrounds.
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.
It is organized annually 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.
Media representatives interested in attending can contact Brooks Hubbard with the Corps’ LA District Public Affairs office at (213) 452-3717 or (213) 309-3070 by noon Friday, Sept. 27.
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