Join BLM for National Public Lands Day at Carrizo Plain National Monument

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is inviting the public to roll up their sleeves and come out on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., to help spruce up the grounds around the Goodwin Education and Visitor Center, 17495 Soda Lake Road, Santa Margarita, for National Public Lands Day. Volunteers should meet at the Goodwin Center and are encouraged to bring water, snacks, hats, sunscreen, gloves and sturdy work boots. Water and Gatorade will be provided. 

Volunteers are needed to help with trail maintenance, tree trimming, invasive vegetation removal, weed eating, and general clean-up around the Goodwin Center. The event will conclude with a luncheon provided by The Friends of the Carrizo Plain community group.   

For more information about National Public Lands Day, visit the National Environmental Education Foundation website. To register for the event or for more information, please reach out to Carrizo Plain NM staff Shane Luttrell at (661) 391-6121, [email protected], Warren Schulz at (661) 549-6236, [email protected], or the Bakersfield Field Office at (661) 391-6000,  [email protected]. 

The Carrizo Plain National Monument is a remote monument, traversed by the San Andreas Fault which has carved valleys, created and moved mountains, and yet up close, is seen in subtle alignment of ridges, ravines and normally dry ponds.  Prominent features on the monument include the white alkali flats of Soda Lake, Painted Rock, vast open grasslands, and a broad plain rimmed by mountains.   When conditions are right, numerous wildflowers can carpet the valley floor; although short lived it can be breathtaking.