Monrovia Canyon Park Volunteers Receives Award Of Excellence

Press release from the City of Monrovia:

March 29, 2021

The California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) awarded the City of Monrovia’s Canyon Park Volunteers with the “Champion of the Community” Award of Excellence.

On average, 25 Canyon Park volunteers give over 2,500 hours of service each year. Since the program’s inception in 2004, they have served in vital roles, including:

• Leading interpretive hikes for over 1,000 youth each year to provide outdoor classroom experiences where they gain a deeper appreciation of nature and the need for environmental sustainability.
• Establishing and perfecting trails in Monrovia Canyon Park and the Hillside Wilderness Preserve.
• Hosting Kids Crafts in the Canyon where visitors create crafts with nature and enjoy interpretive talks in the Nature Center.

“It is through the volunteers’ contributions that our community can enjoy improved facilities, trails and programs,” said Larry Spicer, Councilmember and liaison to the Community Services Commission. “Every project that our volunteers have been a part of has left a positive impact on those who visit Monrovia Canyon Park. Monrovia Canyon Park Volunteers, we thank you for making a difference!”

In 2020, the City of Monrovia faced two significant community challenges that impacted both Monrovia Canyon Park and the Hillside Wilderness Preserve - the COVID-19 pandemic and the Bobcat Fire.

In March 2020, Monrovia Canyon Park was closed to the public as a safety precaution due to COVID-19. It soon became clear that access to open space and recreation was essential to maintaining overall community health and well-being. When trails reopened with guidelines, the volunteers took on the challenge and their new roles as Trail Ambassadors. Volunteers were assigned to key locations to remind hikers of protocols, ensure face coverings were being used and hikers were following the one-way loops.

In September 2020, Monrovia was struck with a wildfire, ultimately damaging 280 acres within Monrovia Canyon Park and Hillside Wilderness Preserve. As a result of the fire, the trails and habitat are forever changed. Since the fire, the volunteers have served as security to protect the park as the City continues to assess the damage, cut and removed down trees, surveyed and photographed damaged trails and begun the laborious effort to restore the trails to their pre-disaster condition.

CPRS is a membership organization with just over 4,000 members representing the 535 local parks and recreation agencies throughout the state. The mission of CPRS is to advance the profession and its members through education, networking, resources, and advocacy. This year, CPRS presented awards in 5 categories. Learn more at www.cprs.org.

This press release was produced by the City of Monrovia. The views expressed are the author's own.