A group of young people is doing a cleanup as part of a large environmental restoration project on the South Coast.
About two dozen teenagers at the Santa Clara River in Santa Paula picked up trash -- paper, plastic bags, cans, cigarette butts…even a shopping cart.
“We’re all making the environment what it is today and so we should all do our part and help out,” said Michael Schouten, 17, who is among those who volunteered over the weekend and collected 400 pounds of garbage.
The event was organized by CAUSE, which stands for Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy. Its policy director Lucas Zucker says the restoration project has two goals.
“One is to restore the habitat for the species that live here. The other is to open this up to be a community asset where community can enjoy open recreation,” he said.
Zucker says the Santa Clara River is considered the largest remaining free-flowing river in Southern California.