The community cleanup of the Nature Parkway and the sidewalks between Woodman and Arleta Ave on Saturday, October 13, 2018 was a huge success! Volunteers pulled out weeds, trimmed trees, did maintenance work of the plants and picked up trash.

Now residents can take walks along the Nature Parkway, while enjoying the California native plants sans the weeds and trash. The Nature Parkway was established along the Pacoima Spreading Grounds on Devonshire with the support of the Mission Hills Neighborhood Council in 2010. The Pacoima Spreading Grounds is located at the confluence of North East San Fernando Valley neighborhoods such as: Mission Hills, Arleta, North Hills, Panorama City and Pacoima.

The event was organized and co-sponsored by the MHNC Beautification and Cultural Affairs Committee (BCA) and Valle Vida, with the help of the office of Monica Rodriguez (Councilwoman of CD7). More than sixty volunteers, including friends and family from Valle Vida, residents of Mission Hills and neighboring areas, Church groups, and a Boy Scout troop participated in the event. This beautification day was an opportunity for Benjamin Hernandez of Boy Scout Troop 201 to earn his final Eagle Scout badge. His leadership and community engagement efforts brought his family and church community throughout the county of Los Angeles to join our cause.

Clean ups like these send a message to the community that we are making the change we want to see. Valle Vida proposes to do monthly clean ups and acquire professional maintenance help to make our volunteer efforts sustainable. Their vision for the future is to extend the Nature Parkway to the north side of Devonshire Street. They’re not stopping there, they want the Nature Parkway to connect to the Los Angeles Forest before 2030.

To get the newly planted drought tolerant plants established, Yolie Anguiano of Valle Vida has been watering them. With the resources Valle Vida requested through the Mission Hills Neighborhood Council Neighborhood Purpose grant they will be able to fill the Nature Parkway with more native drought tolerant plants before the spring and harsh summer weather of 2019.

Even though the event was from 8-10 am, clean up began around 7.30 am and ended around 11.30 am. Cleanup tools and picking up of more than 30 bags of debris collected during the cleanup was coordinated by CD7 office. Special thanks to Niranjala Tillakaratne BCA Chair) and its members (Rodney and Nelly Gonzalez, Lokubanda Tillakaratne), Yolie Anguiano (Valle Vida) and Juan Solario (CD7 office), for organizing this event. Many participants told the organizers that they would like this pathway lighted, so people can walk during late evening hours safely.