On Saturday, May 12, a group of ForestWatch volunteers trekked up West Cuesta Ridge and into the clouds to clean up several sites in the popular recreation area near San Luis Obispo. In only a few hours, they removed over 600 pounds of trash from the ridge, including the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area.
The morning was foggy, cold, and a little damp — but our team of 14 was not fazed. They loaded up on snacks and supplies before heading up the mountain to clean up party areas, trails, and dump sites.
Home to the Cuesta Ridge Botanical Area, where large groves of the unique Sargent cypress can be found, West Cuesta Ridge is a popular destination in the Los Padres National Forest near San Luis Obispo. Unfortunately, not all who visit the ridge practice leave no trace ethics.
Our volunteers found the usual beer cans and bottles, plastic, and broken glass. They also made some more unique finds, including an armchair and sofa that had been throw over the side of the road and into the steep chaparral below — both of which proved to be no match for these volunteers!
Thank you to the incredible efforts of these volunteers! We are already planning another cleanup along West Cuesta Ridge for later this year. If you are interested in joining a volunteer team for one of these projects, be sure to check out our Upcoming Projects page.
Check out more photos from the cleanup below:
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-25
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-24
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-23
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-22
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-21
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-20
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-19
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-18
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-17
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-16
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-15
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-14
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-13
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-12
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-11
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-10
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-9
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-8
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-7
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-6
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-5
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-4
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-3
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-2
2018 West Cuesta Ridge Cleanup_Bryant Baker-1
About Bryant Baker
Bryant is the Director of Conservation & Research for Los Padres ForestWatch, where he manages scientific, technical, and volunteer projects. He is also a naturalist and photographer, spending most of his free time hiking the rugged public lands of the Central Coast region with his dog.
Comments are closed.