The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) announces the upcoming 12th annual “Great Yuba Cleanup and Restoration Day” on Saturday, September 19, 2009. This all-day event includes the volunteer Clean-up and restoration project from 8:30 am “ 1:00 pm, followed by a full afternoon of festivities at Bridgeport State Park celebrating our Wild & Scenic South Yuba River.
Once again, SYRCL is the designated regional coordinator for our area as part of the 25th annual statewide California Coastal Cleanup Day event. Thirty five sites on the Yuba and Bear Rivers and Wolf and Deer Creek will be coordinated by SYRCL as clean-up locations for this year’s event. All community members concerned about water quality and river health are encouraged to volunteer!.
“The South Yuba alone receives about a half-million visitors a year--and not all of them ˜leave no trace.’ With the diminished-perhaps eliminated-capacity of the state to manage the South Yuba parklands, this is a particularly important time to gather on behalf of our river,” states Jason Rainey, SYRCL Executive Director.
Volunteers must pre-register to participate in the Yuba Clean-Up event, and can do so this year on-line at The Registraion Page
Following the morning clean-up effort is a free picnic lunch for participating clean-up volunteers at Bridgeport State Park on the South Yuba River north of Penn Valley. The buffet lunch is provided courtesy of the following restaurants and stores: Sunsmile Farms, Living Lands Agrarian Network, SPD, California Organics, Sopa Thai, Broad Street Bistro, The Fix, Matteo’s Public, Flour Garden, Carl’s Jr., Summer Thyme’s, Mother Truckers, Natural Selection and Safeway.
“With hundreds of volunteers, sponsorship from local businesses, and partnerships with public agencies and landowners, SYRCL and our members continue to organize the community in providing stewardship of our cherished rivers and creeks throughout the greater Yuba watershed,” states event coordinator Miriam Limov. “We simply couldn’t clean up the TONS of trash each year without all this community support.”
After lunch the public is invited to a celebration of the 10th anniversary of SYRCL’s successful campaign to protect the South Yuba River through state Wild & Scenic designation. The party will include amplified, peddle-powered music by the Ginger Ninjas and other local talent, as well as volunteer appreciations, the “Haute Trash” fashion show, a New Belgium Brewery beer garden, and a raffle, prizes and other surprises. The party will begin at 12:30 and lasts until sundown. Guests are asked to bring low-back chairs, blankets, plates, cups and utensils.
What: “The 12th Annual Great Yuba Cleanup and Restoration Day” Event
Who: The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), Nevada City, CA
When: Saturday, September 19, 2009 8:30-1:00 - Cleanup and Restoration project; 12:30 ˜til sundown - Party
Where: 35 sites on the Yuba and Bear Rivers and Wolf and Deer Creeks followed by a post-cleanup party at Bridgeport State Park on the South Yuba River near Penn Valley.
The South Yuba River Citizens League is a Nevada City-based membership organization with a 26 year history fulfilling our mission to protect and restore the Yuba River and the Greater Yuba Watershed.
The Great Yuba River Clean-Up is in conjunction with the statewide California Coastal Cleanup Day, International Coastal Cleanup and a new regional Great Sierra Nevada Rivers Clean-Up event taking place the same day.
In twelve years, the results of the local Yuba River clean-up event have grown dramatically. In 1998, the first year of local participation, 65 volunteers at five sites on the South Yuba River collected in excess of 4,000 pounds of trash and debris along seven miles of river waterway. Eleven years later, in 2008, 658 volunteers at 34 sites in the Yuba and Bear Rivers watershed and Deer and Wolf Creek watersheds collected 16,318 pounds of trash and 3,240 pounds of recyclable items along 92 miles of river and creek waterways.
Event Sponsors: Nevada City Self Storage, New Belgium, Wild Mountain Yoga Center, BriarPatch Co-Op, California State Parks, B & C True Value, Anderson Physical Therapy, Sierra Solar Systems, Wolf Creek Wilderness, Mountain Recreation, Tour of Nevada City, South Yuba Club, Young’s Carpet One, Xtremely Green and The Union.
For More information Contact:
Miriam Limov, RiverPeople/Volunteer Coordinator miriam@syrcl.org 530-265-5961 X 201
Jason Rainey, Executive Director Jason@syrcl.org 530-265-5961 X 207
