On the LA River

The Los Angeles River is a main, central part of Los Angeles, yet it is easily forgotten from people's minds. It is named a "ghost river" due to its diminishing presence in society. Sadly to say, I am one of those ignorant individuals who have not heard about the River until now. I had no idea that there was a river in Los Angeles and had only found out about it in class this year. The FOLAR event was an eye-opening occurrence that made me discover that the L.A. River exists and that there are people who still care for our environment. The River is home to many wildlife creatures as well as vegetation. Yet, nobody thinks about the ducks or the birds when they carelessly litter. They don't think how their trash will pollute the river, which will lead to the deaths of many innocent animals along with the flora. There are some who do not know that whatever they throw away will end up in the river, but there are others who continue to litter even though they know that there are consequences as a result of their actions. However, there are people who care about the River. They want to protect it and preserve its greenery. FOLAR is made up of these individuals and the cleanup is their attempt to make the river free from hazards. It is a selfless event; a symbol of dedication for environmental protection.

The event itself was satisfying to me since I felt good to do something for the community. I had helped out by picking up trash, whether it is in the form of cans, forks, or even clothes. Honestly, I was astonished to see some of the items that were present because they were so unique. I even remember a shopping cart that was cast away in the dirt! Nevertheless, I tried my best to acquire as much trash as I can since I was on a time limit. I had to leave early because I had another appointment later on. I collected a whole bag's worth and had felt proud of myself because of my effort. Through the event, I learned more on the L.A River itself since I was there in person to actually check it out. It was more massive than I thought it was and more trashed than I had imagined. I didn't actually think that there were so much trash laying around, but there was. It was a bit disconcerting to me since the reality didn't fit into my perceived vision. I recycle, reuse, and reduce as much as I can, so I don't see that much trash often. Even though there were a lot of garbage, the sight of multiple volunteers helping out along with the patches of clean spots were more than enough to compensate for the bad feelings I got when I saw the overwhelming amount of trash. There are people who adore the earth as well as the environment so not all hope is lost. Although there are some who are the cause of the pollution, there are many more who try to cure it.