Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve organized a great community event to clean up the Preserve from the after effects of Tropical Storm Hilary. Over 40 individuals cameto help in this project including middle schoolers, Marines and Navy personnel from the basin in 29 Palms, and “snowbirders” who seasonally migrate for warm winter weather. All of them helped to pull out the downed timber from over 17 trees that fell during the storm. In addition, the 5″ of rainfall germinated lots of Sahara mustard that was pulled during the morning. A roll-off dumpster priovided by BLM was filled in just 4 hours of work.
“It’s wonderful to work with partners who support conservation,’ Jihadda Govan, Sand to Snow National Monument Manger said. “It’s not just the preserve proper that volunteers are supporting, it’s the entire Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).” A pizza lunch, provided by BLMm, was enjoyed at the end of the event.
