2020 was the year many Sacramentans as well as residents of other cities discovered Sutter’s Landing Regional Park. Over the summer, the number of new visitors flocking to the beach was double or triple what it had been before. They came from as far away as the East Bay and Napa and Sonoma counties to escape the wildfire smoke. Like local families, they brought their children to the Landing for its sandy beaches sloping gently into the shallow, slow-moving river. People came to swim and sunbathe and stand up on paddle boards.
There was a downside to the summer crowds, though. So many new visitors stressed the landscape. Some added to the impact by making new paths down to the river, cutting trees for wood for illegal fires, letting their dogs run unchecked, or leaving trash on the beach. In response, members of FOSL and neighborhood volunteers sought to lead by example, arriving with trash pickers and buckets, and handing out litter bags on weekends. It worked. Park visitors noticed and changed their behavior. And a hidden cadre of longtime beach lovers quietly continued doing what they had always done—pack out more than they brought in. Thanks to their combined efforts, Sutter’s Landing is on the mend. It will always need our care and protection. There is restoration work to be done, such as healing scarred trails and planting new trees and shrubs. But, for now, the park is a safe and peaceful place to enjoy nature and paddle serenely on the American River.
The Friends of Sutter’s Landing (FOSL) seek to create a welcoming and safe place where families and individuals can relax, recreate, and enjoy the beauties of nature along the American River, both now and in the future (http://www.sutterslandingpark.org/). If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to: foslpark@icloud.com
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We have scheduled a volunteer work morning at the Sutter’s Landing Restoration site this coming Saturday, January 23rd. Time is 9:00am to 11:30.
Milk Thistle has sprouted, “The best time to pull a weed is NOW.”
So that’s what we will do. Bring a shovel, I have a few extra, and join us as we walk through the Restoration Site and selectively cut them. (Identification information will be provided).
Please let me know if you are coming and if you have a your own shovel. We also have buckets and trash pickers if that is more to your liking.
Looking forward to seeing all who can make it on Saturday.
Thank you.
Tom via foslpark@icloud.com
There was a downside to the summer crowds, though. So many new visitors stressed the landscape. Some added to the impact by making new paths down to the river, cutting trees for wood for illegal fires, letting their dogs run unchecked, or leaving trash on the beach. In response, members of FOSL and neighborhood volunteers sought to lead by example, arriving with trash pickers and buckets, and handing out litter bags on weekends. It worked. Park visitors noticed and changed their behavior. And a hidden cadre of longtime beach lovers quietly continued doing what they had always done—pack out more than they brought in. Thanks to their combined efforts, Sutter’s Landing is on the mend. It will always need our care and protection. There is restoration work to be done, such as healing scarred trails and planting new trees and shrubs. But, for now, the park is a safe and peaceful place to enjoy nature and paddle serenely on the American River.
The Friends of Sutter’s Landing (FOSL) seek to create a welcoming and safe place where families and individuals can relax, recreate, and enjoy the beauties of nature along the American River, both now and in the future (http://www.sutterslandingpark.org/). If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to: foslpark@icloud.com
-------
We have scheduled a volunteer work morning at the Sutter’s Landing Restoration site this coming Saturday, January 23rd. Time is 9:00am to 11:30.
Milk Thistle has sprouted, “The best time to pull a weed is NOW.”
So that’s what we will do. Bring a shovel, I have a few extra, and join us as we walk through the Restoration Site and selectively cut them. (Identification information will be provided).
Please let me know if you are coming and if you have a your own shovel. We also have buckets and trash pickers if that is more to your liking.
Looking forward to seeing all who can make it on Saturday.
Thank you.
Tom via foslpark@icloud.com
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