Sunland-Tujunga : Volunteers Sought to Help Clean Forest

More than 500 volunteers are invited to spend Saturday cleaning up sites in the Angeles National Forest as part of a nationwide salute to America’s public lands.

Sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and several other public and private agencies, the second annual Public Lands Appreciation Day will begin locally with registration at 8 a.m. at the Wildwood Picnic Area in the forest’s Tujunga Ranger District and at the Chilao Campground in the Arroyo Seco Ranger District, spokeswoman Wendolyn Young said.

“It’s an opportunity for people to be proactive and to learn more about this particular forest,” volunteer coordinator Chris Barone said.

Restrooms and water will be available and volunteers will receive brief instructions on the use of tools, she said. All participants will receive lunch, a T-shirt and a water bottle.

According to Barone, volunteers will work at a variety of sites in the two districts, picking up trash, cleaning stream beds, pruning vegetation along trails and repairing picnic tables and barbecues. Most projects will end after lunch.

The idea, Barone said, is to increase people’s awareness of public lands and to demonstrate the many opportunities available to help protect and preserve them.

“A lot of folks have it in their heart but they don’t know how to access it,” she said.

To volunteer, contact Barone at (818) 574-1613, Ext. 270.