The city of Santa Clarita hosted the River Rally Clean-Up & Environmental Expo Saturday, bringing more than a thousand volunteers to Newhall to collect garbage.
The cleanup efforts were focused on a section of the Santa Clara River behind the Newhall Community Center.
About 9,000 pounds of trash were collected at the 22nd annual event.
“I’m constantly amazed and impressed every year at how many people come out to help clean the river,” said Travis Lange, the city’s environmental services manager.
“I love the community aspect of it.”
Lange said volunteers removed 410,000 pounds of trash from the Santa Clara River over the rally’s 22-year lifespan.
Saugus resident Cathie Claverie-Makeever has volunteered for a lot of those years because she finds it to be rewarding.
“I get quite a bit of satisfaction from it,” she said.
“I’ve always liked nature so I just like doing this.”
Academy of the Canyons student Ian Hagen, 16, turned out to complete community service hours for school.
“There’s a difference and it’s a good difference,” Hagen said while holding a bag full of glass, plastic and aluminum.
The event also featured an environmental expo where vendors offered tips on recycling, air quality, pollution prevention, water quality, open space preservation and wildlife conservation programs in Santa Clarita.
About half of the Santa Clarita Valley’s water supply travels through the Santa Clara River, which is home to 14 endangered bird species, six endangered plant species, 57 archeological sites and 12 historical landmarks, according the city’s website.
