One of the best Earth Day traditions in Culver City is the Ballona Creek Clean Up, and this year will be no exception. On April 22, from 9 am to noon, volunteers will meet at the entrance to the bike path on Centinela Avenue.
Several times a year, Ballona Creek Renaissance arranges a creek or wetlands cleanup. They choose a small section of the creek and ask volunteers to come for a few hours on a Saturday morning to remove all the trash and other items that shouldn’t be in the water, or on the banks, bike path or fencing.
So, what’s the procedure? First, and most important, NO ONE goes into the water, which could be unsafe. Volunteers remove only what can be reached from the banks. We provide plastic gloves, buckets, and assorted tools such as grabbers and rakes. Wear sunblock and closed-toe shoes. Water-resistant shoes or boots can be helpful.
Adults, students and children may participate. Children under 18 must bring a waiver signed by a parent or guardian, and younger children must be closely supervised. But people of all ages find it gratifying and educational to understand the link between the coffee cup thrown into the street and the trash that endangers fish, birds and other aquatic animals. We provide a booth of educational materials about the creek. We also sign for service credits for students.
This is a zero waste event! Bring 1-2 liters of reusable water bottles, wear closed-toe shoes & bring a hat! Long pants recommended.
Per CDC guidelines, all volunteers are required to:
– wear a 3-ply mask,
– Provide proof of full vaccination (2 weeks after second shot or 2 weeks after Johnson & Johnson)
– Non-vaccinated participants must provide a hard paper printed copy of proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test within 72 hours of project. The test must be a nasal PCR test.
If you are under 18, you can print out a waiver at , http://ballonacreek.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cleanupwaiversfor-minors2015.pdf
