Volunteers Needed for California State Parks' Annual Earth Day Event

ACROSS CALIFORNIA — Calling all nature lovers!

Volunteers from San Diego to Sacramento and beyond are being sought to help out with the annual California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup, which takes place in a few weeks at 36 state parks.

The statewide event's planned for 9 am to 1 pm on Earth Day, which this year happens to fall on a Saturday, April 22.

The Parks Foundation says the statewide Earth Day event is a great opportunity for residents of the Golden State to do something meaningful for their communities, as well as the planet, by helping improve their local state parks.

Trail and road repair, campground improvements, fence and boardwalk building, tree planting, and wildlife habitat restoration are just some of the projects planned for Earth Day.

The Parks Foundations says that volunteers who can help care for state parks are need in part because due to a history of underfunding, the parks system faces a $1 billion backlog of overdue maintenance projects, as well as reduced staffing and programs.

Individuals, groups or businesses interested in volunteering for the Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup should register at http://www.calparks.org/help/e... or call 1-888-98-PARKS. Registration opens February 20. A full list of the parks participating in the event is also available at http://www.calparks.org/help/e...

Since its inception in 1998, CSPF’s Earth Day Restoration & Cleanup program has resulted in 83,785 participants contributing more than 334,301 volunteer hours worth nearly $6.6 million in park maintenance and improvements.

Additionally, nearly $5 million has been raised through the Earth Day program to benefit state parks and the millions of Californians who rely on them for recreation, education, and inspiration.

In addition to Parks Foundation members and volunteers, the annual event's made possible by the support of program sponsors, including Pacific Gas & Electric, The Nature Conservancy, Oracle and Intel, as well as contributions from refreshment providers Peet's Coffee and Subway Restaurants.

Earth Day 2016 volunteers' image via California State Parks Foundation