Other people’s stuff

The OPS standard has been used for as long as I can remember. Other People’s Stuff. As in “I smoke OPCs” or “The cheapest boat to fish from is an OPB.” Investors like to use OPM. The one item belonging to others that is most left alone is litter.

From the beginning, mankind has left a trail of litter wherever man has trod. Due mostly to development, only five percent of natural wetland habitats in California remain, yet maintaining their natural state is a struggle. This is mostly due to litter filtering in through the wetland tributaries and invasive plants shouldering out native species.

San Diego River Park Foundation clean-up volunteers have logged over 2.5 million pounds of trash collected since their clean-up efforts began in 2001.

Yet not all of that effort is for clean-up. Invasive species such as tamarisk, Mexican fan palm, pampas grass and giant reed shoulder out the native plants. These invaders need be removed and replaced with natural vegetation.

Volunteer opportunities tend to fill up for the coastal projects more than those held further inland. This Saturday, though the clean-up scheduled for the river mouth near Dog Beach in Ocean Beach is full, from 8:30am – 2:30pm, the San Diego River Park Foundation is looking for volunteers to help to restore the oak woodlands along a free-flowing mountain stream at Boulder Creek Preserve near Descanso. If you want to help and can’t make it this weekend, this event occurs on the 1st, 4th, and 5th Saturday of every month from 8:30am to 2:30pm. 619-297-7380.