It was a beautiful Saturday morning in the month of July as a crowd started to gather around Stairwell 17 of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. Among this crowd was a group of eleven IXLers who had just weeks prior signed up to volunteer with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to help clean the coastline of debris and refuse.
Passersby looked around with curiosity as we each grabbed a bucket, put on a pair of gloves, picked out the best pick-up sticks, and made our way onto the sandy beach. With our equipment in tow, we walked around in small groups for two hours collecting litter ranging from cigarette butts to large glass bottles. Some of us remained up near the parking lot and paved trail, while others ventured farther out towards the shore. By noon, we all returned to Stairwell 17 and emptied our buckets full of trash into designated bags.
Our project leaders also set aside some time to tell us a little bit about the wildlife in the area to which we were tending. An example of some of the wildlife is the Western Snowy Plover. Western Snowy Plovers are small shorebirds, measuring about 6 inches in size, whose population is currently threatened. The total breeding population of these birds is estimated to be around 2,100 birds. Knowing this, we have to remember that we share this habitat, not only with each other, but with wildlife that calls it home.
We walked away that day thankful for our beautiful coastline and proud to have had the chance to do our part in keeping it clean and safe for all of us to enjoy.
If you would like to learn more about the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and how you can lend a helping hand, please visit http://www.parksconservancy.org/.
By Gayane Lachinyan
