It took a group of 14 volunteers about three hours to haul more than 6,000 pounds of trash out of the Santa Maria Creek in Ramona during a recent cleanup event.
“It was mostly household stuff,” said Kit Kesinger, who helped organize the effort. “There were some tires, some broken children’s toys, a couch, a refrigerator, a mattress and a lot of burned material.”
The cleanup was held on Sept. 19, along with the I Love A Clean San Diego 42nd annual Coastal Cleanup Day.
Efforts in Ramona focused on Walnut Street, east of Maple.
The Santa Maria Creek runs from the Santa Maria Valley to the Ramona Grasslands County Preserve, and several local agencies have joined forces to complete a 2.5-mile trail, known as the Santa Maria Creek Greenway, alongside the creek.
A large pile of garbage left in the Santa Maria Creek. The items were later disposed of. (Kit Kesinger)
The greenway is envisioned as a safe, designated trail through the middle of Ramona. Hikers, bikers, equestrians, dog walkers, wheelchair users and more will be able to use the completed trail.
The greenway will connect Ramona Community Park, the town center, the business area, the Ramona Intergenerational Community Campus, the grasslands and Old Survey Road 94. Ultimately, the greenway will connect with the San Dieguito River Park, allowing users to reach San Pasqual Valley, and connect to the Coast to Crest Trail
The volunteers included youngsters, teenagers, their parents and some older adults.
Kesinger said he considered the cleanup day a success.
“Any time we can get trash out of the community, I think it’s pretty successful,” he said.
Waste from palm trees appeared to have been added to over time; the debris was disposed of properly after the clean up. (Kit Kesinger)
A dumpster, donated by Ramona Disposal, was completely filled with trash, said Cheryl Wegner of the Ramona Trails Association.
She said piles of construction and green debris would be removed on another day.
Wegner and Kesinger said they were also pleased that so many residents expressed an interest in the future of the proposed greenway.
“Everyone worked really hard and it was nice to have so much community support,” he said.