On Saturday, ESLT hosted a local contribution to the Great Sierra River Cleanup. Fourteen community members gathered at the Artesian Wells near the Owens River and spent the morning cleaning litter in the river corridor. The dedicated team cleaned cigarette butts, beverage containers, clothing, and food packaging. Thank you to everyone who joined!
ESLT’s Education Coordinator and AmeriCorps Member, Claire, did a wonderful job of coordinating the cleanup. We are sad to announce that Claire is on the last week of her AmeriCorps term with ESLT, and we are grateful to her for using this time to coordinate such a meaningful event.
Community-Driven Cleanup
The Great Sierra River Cleanup is part of California Coastal Cleanup day. During last year’s California Coastal Cleanup, 36,289 volunteers came out to 3,086 cleanups, 363,719 pounds of trash and recyclables were removed, and 1,335 miles were cleaned. Community organizing across the state drives the success of the Great Sierra River Cleanup. Here on the Eastside, we are fortunate to have communities dedicated to keeping our land and waterways clean.
Cleaning litter is vital for our lands and wildlife – but the best outcome is using education to prevent littering in the first place. As we move into fall, we want to remind all campers in the Eastern Sierra to check out and support the Camp Like a Pro campaign. Keeping the Eastern Sierra healthy means keeping fire restrictions, waste, impact on wildlife, and many other things in mind when choosing to camp.