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Celebrating National Public Lands Day at Paradise Cove

Oct 30, 2024

Volunteers stand in circle to receive briefing from BLM employee. — Wildlife biologist Daniel Rigby briefs the team on safety, local species, and project goals.

YUMA, Ariz. - On October 26, the Yuma Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona’s Colorado River District led a cleanup event at Paradise Cove in Yuma, Ariz., as part of National Public Lands Day (NPLD).

The day began around 9:00 a.m. with a safety briefing, a discussion of the plans for the cleanup, and a brief description of the area and it’s potential by wildlife biologist Daniel Rigby.

A dedicated group of seven volunteers joined seven BLM employees to tackle the area. Over the course of 2.5 hours, they gathered enough trash to nearly fill a large tow-away dumpster. This significant cleanup effort is part of an ongoing initiative to improve Paradise Cove.

Man on trailer moves trash to dumpster. — Field Manager Ray Castro leads the team in filling the dumpster.

Restoration underway

Paradise Cove experienced a fire in 2004 and has been designated for restoration to provide quality habitat for endangered marsh birds that nest along the Colorado River. This would include the Ridgway’s Rail, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

The area does not currently represent quality habitat for these species. Plans are being considered to address the needs. The marsh birds prefer multi-level vegetation so invasive species will need to be removed and native species planted to replace them, especially trees. This along with preventing the current illegal dumping will provide the desired environment for them to flourish.

12 volunteers in front of a blue dumpster at the end of cleanup day. — The combined team at the end of the event

A fantastic job

During the cleanup, Field Manager Ray Castro expressed appreciation for the volunteers.

"We are thankful for all the volunteers who made a significant impact on the cove today,” Ray Castro said. “This event highlights the importance of community involvement in maintaining and beautifying public spaces. Together, these volunteers and BLM staff made a difference at Paradise Cove.”