Devin O’Dea

Volunteers flooded out of every corner of San Diego county last weekend to battle debris built up in the county’s creeks and watersheds. The event was a huge success with 5,700 volunteers spread out across 106 locations, who joined forces to remove over 125,000 lbs of trash!

Invasive Species Removal

In addition to cleaning debris from the county’s parks, creeks, and waterways, volunteers also worked tirelessly to remove insidious invasive species from creek beds. In only three hours an industrial-sized dumpster was filled with non-native plants removed from Chollas Creek, which will help to improve the ecological recovery of the riparian ecosystem.

Some other “invasive” items removed from Chollas Creek in South San Diego County include: a dishwasher, kitchen sink, several mattresses, commode, horseshoe, 30′ fishing net, car seat, toilet seat, shopping carts, and a $5 bill. Other volunteers painted park benches and surfaces to remove graffiti, or helped to stencil storm drains around the neighborhood to promote awareness of ocean pollution.

Great Ecology’s employees, friends, and family members working together to clean the county’s creeks and watersheds.

After attending the event with his daughter, Dr. Mark Laska, Great Ecology’s Founder and President and board member of I Love a Clean San Diego  (ILACSD), comments. “Being a part of this community of volunteers, businesses, youth groups, and non-profits is a compelling reminder of the power of community to affect positive environmental change in our neighborhoods and across the nation.”

I Love A Clean San Diego

ILACSD is San Diego’s longest-running environmental non-profit working for over 60 years to raise awareness for environmental issues facing the region. They work to promote natural resource conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, recycling, and community enhancement.

Join us at one of  ILACSD’s upcoming events.