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# LA River Needs Your Help … Make an Earth Day Commitment
April 13 2017
Written by Shelly Backlar.
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BEGREEN--Earth Day 2017 is on the horizon and our environment has never needed more stewardship, awareness, and action. The month of April and the days leading up to Earth Day give us all a moment to reflect and take action – think globally, act locally. Friends of the LA River is proud to bring Angelenos together on the River with their communities at the 28th Annual Great LA River Clean Up: *La Gran Limpieza*!
28 years ago, just two years after the founding of FoLAR, Lewis MacAdams launched the first ever *La Gran Limpieza* with a handful of dedicated volunteers. Now, with a little experience and a host of community partners, the Great LA River CleanUp has become the largest urban river cleanup in America, removing what would otherwise flow into our ocean.
National leadership is a Los Angeles tradition FOLAR is proud to honor. With 9,000 volunteers clearing 70 tons of trash, the river is vital to people of all ages and backgrounds. Angelenos come out by the thousands to show their commitment not only to *their* River, but to the vision of Los Angeles as a leading center of ecology-focused urbanism.
The Los Angeles River is one of Los Angeles’ last great open spaces, running 51 miles from Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley to the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach. The River connects more than 30 different cities and neighborhoods which represent an incredibly diverse range of communities. Today the River is the focus of major civic initiatives like Alternative 20, a plan to crack the concrete and restore 11 miles of LA River Habitat.
The recent storms have swept magnitudes of trash into the River, so the 2017 Great LA River CleanUp will play a vital role in keeping the River clean and healthy. With 14 sites across the last three Saturdays of April (4/15, 4/22, and 4/29), there’s something for everyone. Interested volunteers can find more information at FOLAR.org/cleanup.
We encourage all Angelenos to demonstrate their commitment to the environment and celebrate the Earth with their friends and fellow River stewards. Volunteers can [sign up today at folar.org/cleanup](https://folar.nationbuilder.com/r?u=http%3A%2F%2Ffolar.org%2Fcleanup%2F&e=4378a3f064c4195117fad4ce6c9114f3&utm_source=folar&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rr_mar17_3_7&n=4&test_email=1).
*(Shelly Backlar is FOLAR’s Vice President of Programs, and a passionate advocate for the river. She can be often be found leading a tour, running a field trip activity with elementary school children, or meeting a community member on the Los Angeles River Rover.)*
*-cw*
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