Volunteers will get down and dirty at the annual Great American River Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 17. From the parking lot to the riverbanks to the riverbed, people will donate their time to collect thousands of pounds of trash along the parkway. Volunteers can choose from 20 sites that the American River Parkway Foundation (ARPF) has designated for the annual cleanup, from Discovery Park to Paradise Beach. The cleanup, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon, is set to clear out garbage from the parkway areas as well as debris in the river that allows pollutants to enter the watershed and harm wildlife. “It’s a full-fledged, shoulder-to-shoulder effort,” said Stacy Springer, volunteer manager and

With the summer season around the corner, County Regional Parks and the Sacramento Metro Fire Department hosted a river safety event on May 26 to remind people to take a few precautions to stay safe around area rivers, and that the law mandates that all children under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket in or around waterways. At this event, the GenCorp Foundation also presented the American River Parkway Foundation with a grant of $10,800 to purchase 2,000 life jackets and facilitate the “Kids Don’t Float” free life jacket loaner program for children at several spots along the American River Parkway. This partnership between the Foundation and GenCorp will help ensure that any children

In an attempt to improve the world by lowering the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and get governments to pay attention to climate change, Sacramento will join more than 6,600 eco-positive events in more than 180 countries are part of the Global Work Party. “There was a U.N. conference on climate change last year on Oct. 10 when they did nothing,” Laurie Litman of the Friends of Riverbend Park explained. “This is our message to the U.N. that the people of the world want change.” According to the website, 350.org, the Global Work Party was created by a team of “international organizers, author Bill McKibben and young climate leaders.” McKibben has been a prominent speaker for c

Bicyclists are gearing up for a Sunday ride to benefit the American River Parkway, which faces reduced funding this year. By Monday afternoon, 233 people had already signed up for The Rex Ride, a barbecue/party centered around an up-to 60-mile, low-key ride on the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail -- also known as the American River bike trail. The 32-mile, multi-use trail is used year-round by virtually everyone in Sacramento's huge cycling community, said event organizer Steve Rex, who owns Rex Cycles bike shop in Midtown. "It's huge. It's the focus of the cycling culture that's really rich here in Sacramento," said Rex, 47. A serious cycling injury last fall isn't stopping Rex and his wi