Nearly 100 Volunteers Roll Up Sleeves to Clean Up River

Nearly 100 Petaluma residents rolled up their sleeves and picked up trash last weekend, part of an annual Petaluma Watershed Trash Cleanup.

The event was sponsored by Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District (RCD) and Friends of the Petaluma River. 

“Volunteers brought back a lot of small items, which is really important to appreciate,” said Jason Sweeney, Southern Sonoma County RCD project coordinator. “The small pieces are a lot of hard work to pick up but they’re the ones that do the most harm when ingested by wildlife.”

An old ironing board, dolls, a BB gun, train and a crib were just some of the items volunteers found during the cleanup. 

“It was great to see all the young people so excited to come out and clean up the river and give back to their community,” stated Stephanie Bastianon, Development Director with Friends of the Petaluma River. 

Enthusiastic Brownie and Girl Scouts pitched in to help, picking up more than 729 pounds of trash and recyclables. 

Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District provides technical assistance and field advice to property owners and helps address local conservation and land stewardship needs in Sonoma County.

Friends of the Petaluma River works to promote stewardship of the Petaluma River, working throughout its watershed; providing access opportunities, educational materials, and conservation programs. We also provide a voice for the River’s inhabitants and resources in public affairs.