KENTFIELD, Calif - The California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) will fund 22 environmental improvement projects at parks statewide as part of the 11th annual Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup. On Saturday, April 19th, volunteers of all ages are needed to help restore the beauty of California’s treasured state parks. Now more than ever, community participation is critical due to continuing budget cuts and a variety of threats to state parks throughout California.

Statewide, thousands of volunteers each year plant native trees and community gardens, restore trails and wildlife habitats, remove trash and debris from beaches and parklands and make overdue repairs to fences and boardwalks. Since its inception in 1998, the California State Parks Foundation Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup program has had a tremendous impact — 60,000 participants have contributed over 250,000 volunteer hours worth more than $5,000,000 in park maintenance and improvements. Including this year’s grants, CSPF, with the support of its sponsors, has awarded more than $963,000 to state parks throughout California.

Volunteers will complete environmental improvement and maintenance projects in honor of Earth Day at 22 state and community parks across California, including 18 sites in Northern and Central California:

– Eastshore State Park — Alameda County — Mount Diablo State Park — Contra Costa County — Millerton Lake State Recreation Area — Fresno County and Madera County — Patrick’s Point State Park — Humboldt County — Stramler Park — Kern County — Angel Island State Park — Marin County — Mt. Tamalpais State Park — Marin County — Samuel P. Taylor State Park — Marin County — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area — Sacramento County — Golden Gate Park — San Francisco County — Caswell Memorial State Park — San Joaquin County — Montana de Oro State Park — San Luis Obispo County — Ano Nuevo State Reserve — San Mateo County — Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park — San Mateo County — Half Moon Bay State Beach — San Mateo County — Natural Bridges State Beach — Santa Cruz County — Shasta State Historic Park — Shasta County — Putah Creek Public Access — Yolo County

“The Foundation’s 11th annual Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup events are a fun and meaningful opportunity for volunteers of all ages to get involved in the stewardship of California’s parklands,” said Elizabeth Goldstein, president of CSPF. “The participation of Californians in the Earth Day program is particularly important this year, as we seek to carry the message that our parklands are important to protect and cherish.”

Individuals or groups interested in volunteering on Earth Day can call the Earth Day hotline at 1-888-98-PARKS or register online at http://www.calparks.org. A complete list of volunteer project sites statewide can be found on the website as well.

Posted: 03|13|08 at 10:33 am. Filed under: Press Release.