Hey, my name is Karlmina Alconaba. I am one of the students from Mrs. Hernandez's English 101 class. Yesterday, May 18, 2013, our class and a few other organizations came down to the Los Angeles River to help clean it. Before volunteering for the FOLAR clean up, I did not know that the Los Angeles River was as big as it is because all I really see is the part near the Glendale Freeway. At first, I was somewhat hesitant on volunteering for this clean up because I did not know what to expect. When I got to Marsh Park, where the clean up would take place, I was amazed at how beautiful the place would be with water. Cleaning up the LA River, my group and I found a lot of glass, cigarettes, and plastic. We even found shopping carts, but we were too weak to be able to carry them. Being a part of the FOLAR activity of cleaning the Los Angeles River, I realized that even simple things such as cleaning the river could make it look beautiful. I am glad I got to be part of such an amazing opportunity like this. It feels good to me to know that I've helped the Los Angeles River look better and cleaner. I hope more people take time out of their busy schedules to realize that the LA River could look just as amazing as any other river, if we all worked together to help clean it and make it a better place. I had a great experience with the Los Angeles River, and I hope everyone else did.