Restoring the Acacia canal: a volunteer-led project in Bakersfield

The Acacia canal has been used as an informal dump for years. This March, 102 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 74 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the district council, including native species selected by a local botanist. The area floods more each year, and fish have returned for the first time in a decade after our first cleanup. Restoring it will protect homes and bring back shade. All the labor is volunteered. We just need materials. We'll post planting day photos and a count of every sapling planted. Where the $2,650 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $1,300 • Tools and protective gear: $460 • Waste removal and skip hire: $790 • Signage and educational materials: $100 Thank you for reading my story.