News.bytes Extra, issue 424

Volunteer cleanup, Wildflower Festival highlight NLCS celebration at monument

The National Landscape Conservation System 10^th Anniversary Monument Clean-up was a huge success. On February 27^th and 28^th more than 100 volunteers came to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center to honor the NLCS with their hard work. Volunteers removed invasive mustard, picked up trash, did trail maintenance, removed Cholla clones, and more. We teamed up with the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program, which meant volunteers got free Disneyland tickets for participating. We had a lot of families show up, help out and learn more about their NLCS. (text continues below)

Young hands reach out to feel a display of wildflower seeds

This was a great kick-off for the wildflower season -- and in fact, the very next weekend, the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument hosted the Wildflower Festival.  Activities included games, crafts, face painting, and animal exhibits in the "Kids Zone."  Visitors also could take advantage of guided hikes, workshops, raffles, food sales and live music. Proceeds benefitted Friends of the Desert Mountains in support of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

An speaker organizes volunteers outside the monument's visitor center

Volunteers get to work cleaning up

 
Volunteers show off some of the many trash bags they filled

A young man gets his face painted during the Wildflower Festival

Wildflower Festival-goers enjoyed live music.

Children enjoy one of the activity booths at the Festival.

Festival visitors could learn as while being entertained.

A tour host points out characteristics of one of the plants at the monument.

- Emily B. Hoerner, BLM park ranger, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, March 2010

BLM-California News.bytes, issue 425