Although it looks dry, our very own Santa Clara River is actually a very lively natural resource. It is the longest free-flowing river and one of the last two natural river systems remaining in Southern California. The river is home to 14 endangered bird species, six endangered plant species, 57 archeological sites and 12 historic landmarks.

This month you can do your part to help keep the Santa Clara River clean. I invite all of you to join me at the River Rally! This fun and important event has been held for more than two decades and has resulted in a whopping 422,000 pounds of trash and debris being removed from the Santa Clara River and its tributaries!

This event is a great opportunity for residents of all ages to help clean a portion of the river to protect its natural habitat for all of us and for future generations.

This year’s annual River Rally Cleanup and Environmental Expo will take place on Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers will meet behind the shopping center at 18386 Soledad Canyon Road.

The best way to get to the River Rally is by bike! Parking is very limited so we highly encourage carpooling or riding your bike. Enjoy the beautiful scenery along the river trail and then park your bike for free at Performance Cyclery’s free bike valet. Make sure you also bring your reusable water bottle, it will be important to stay hydrated and you can get free refills of SCV Clear Water.

Cleanup participants will also have the opportunity to enjoy the event’s Environmental Expo, which will feature vendors offering helpful tips on recycling, air quality, pollution prevention, water quality, open space preservation and wildlife conservation programs in Santa Clarita.

Pre-registration is required and volunteers may sign up through a convenient, web-based volunteer registration system on our Green Santa Clarita site at GreenSantaClarita.com.

While you are on the website – make sure you explore all that Green Santa Clarita has to offer! You can find out where to charge your electric vehicle, read about the Old Town Newhall Library’s LEED Gold certification, find out the best way to maintain your swimming pool, and so much more.

Grab your kids and click over to the “Just for Kids” tab to explore a collection of games and activities, chock full of important information about protecting our environment. Because, as John James Audubon said, “A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.”

Mayor Smyth is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at csmyth@santa-clarita.com.