Earth Day Parks Clean-up April 14

California State Parks Foundation has announced its 15th Annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup presented by PG&E.

According to the event's website, "The California State Parks Foundation will embark on 19 environmental improvement projects at parks statewide on Saturday, April 14 as part of its 15th Annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). This year, CSPF is providing grants up to $15,000 (a combination of cash grants and in-kind donations) to parks, allowing for the completion of larger projects that would otherwise be on maintenance backlog. With park closures and continued budget cuts looming for state parks this year, volunteers are more important than ever to keep the parks clean and safe for all to visit and enjoy."

Teen and adult volunteers will fan out throughout the East Bay that day to restore local recreational areas.

Volunteers are being sought to help from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a number of parks, including Redwood Regional Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. 

At Redwood Regional Park in Oakland volunteers will plant about 100 redwood seedlings and will install an iirigation system to water the seedlings. Mulch will be spread over the seedlings to preserve soil moisture. This work site is over a one-mile hike from the check-in location. It is not recommended for children or those with limited mobility, and carpooling to the site is highly recommended. 

At Martin Luther King, Jr. Regional Shoreline in Oakland trash and debris clean-up will take place and non-native plants will be removed and put into dumpsters. Weed mat will be installed and 30 shrubs will be planted near a new picnic site. Leaf raking will also take place.

You can go here to find a complete list of volunteer opportunities and how to sign up to participate.