Get Involved with Spring

Planning to hit the beach this year? How about putting a few hours cleaning it first. Heal the Bay's volunteer opportunities "come in every shape and size. Projects take place at the beach, in the office, at school and even up a creek. Some last only a few hours, while others require more of a commitment. You can volunteer by yourself, with your friends, your family, your company, school or community group." You can choose from beach cleanups, creek Restorations, "Coastal Cleanup" days and other opportunities.

The UC system's 64 Cooperative Extension offices are "local problem-solving centers," leveraging the resources of the university to assist California's citys and towns. The Los Angeles branch offers a number of outdoorsy ways to give back:

4-H volunteers share their knowledge with young people, offering youth in their communities hands-on skills in a wide array of projects, including animal, plant, food, and nutrition projects, as well as graphic arts, rocketry, forestry, photography, bicycles, and much more. If you would like to start a 4-H club in your community, or volunteer with an existing club, contact the 4-H office at (323) 260-3854.

Gardening Angels School Garden Consultants are Master Gardeners with additional training who work with teachers and other youth professionals to help start school and youth gardens in their communities. If you'd like help with your project, call our Administrative Assistant at (323) 260-3348.

Fresh From the Garden Volunteers are Master Gardeners with additional training who teach workshops to community groups, helping to educate the public on how to safely prepare vegetables. For more information, call our Administrative Assistant at (323) 260-3348.

Master Gardener Volunteers take an intensive training program in all aspects of gardening, then give their time teaching others, especially in low-income areas. Master Gardeners offer workshops at community gardens, housing development gardens, homeless shelter gardens, answer questions on our Help Line, and much more. If you would like more information on becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer, call our administrative assistant at (323) 260-3348.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden also offers a sliding scale of volunteering opportunities, from one day assistance to Los Voluntarios gardening volunteers. "Membership is open to all adults and requires a minimum of 50 hours of service annually."

Lastly, our friends at Machine Project have been busy building a forest in their space on Alvarado, with literal trees, over hang and soft ground cover. "A regular schedule of woodland themed lectures, readings and performances will take place in Machine Project throughout the month, staged inside the forest." Go sit for a spell before going forth and doing good!

The image associated with this post was taken by Flickr user Creative Commons license.