Thanks to everyone who made our Earth Day 2019 event co-sponsored by the Pt. San Pedro Road Coalition and the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) on Saturday, April 27, 2019 a successful endeavor!
The fire trail starting at the end of Bayview Drive was clogged with broom and other vegetation and virtually impassable by anything other than hikers or mountain bikers. Fire trucks and other emergency vehicles would have had a very difficult time trying to get access to that portion of the China Camp State Park.
It was rewarding to see how much of a difference we made — well worth the effort! When we started our day, the weather was perfect—but the fire road could hardly be seen from the end of Bayview Dr. We had our work cut out for us! Here are some photos of the event and those who made it possible.
At the gate, this beautiful echium had to go. It is an invasive plant—and was blocking the fire road access. 
Beyond the gate, the fire road looked like a narrow walking path. 
Volunteers arrived and started signed in. 
Then, volunteers of all ages started to get to work! 
They used loppers…. 
And weed wrenches to pull the bigger broom plants. 
And even a machete! 
We loaded everything on tarps… 
…and dragged them loaded with vegetation to the dumpster… 
…where we took turns compacting down so it would all fit! 
We took smoothy breaks—using the bicycle to mix the smoothies! 
We had some local firefighters join us—and Supervisor Damon Connolly, too. 
By the time we wrapped up, we had a tired, but proud crew! 
By the end of the day, the fire trail was vastly different! 
The narrow walking trail actually looked like a fire road that emergency vehicles could get through! 
It was remarkable how much had been cleared in just a few hours! 
It was rewarding to see how much of a difference we made — well worth the effort!