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

Volunteers are restoring the Acacia wetland in Bakersfield; $1,650 covers saplings, tools and waste removal.

🇺🇸 United States1,652 views
Sung-min Ji-ho Shim
Email verifiedDriver licence verified
Bakersfield
The Acacia wetland has been used as an informal dump for years. This August, 95 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 172 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the local forestry office, 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. Funds buy saplings, gloves, bags, hire of a skip, and signage. Where the $1,650 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $710 • Tools and protective gear: $350 • Waste removal and skip hire: $340 • Signage and educational materials: $250 Thanks for reading all this. - Sung-min

Updates from Sung-min

  1. Thank you all. We're at 43% now ($713). I'm honestly stunned. the first invoice got paid this week.

  • Markus Rainer Winkler 🇩🇪 · $50
  • Manisha K. Singh 🇮🇳 · $25
  • Simiyu Karanja Mwangi 🇰🇪 · $75
  • Lola Vivian Shittu 🇳🇬 · $30
  • Geetha C. Anand 🇮🇳 · $10

    “Thought of Sung-min all day after reading this. - Pune”

  • Idrissa Abdoulaye Diop 🇫🇷 · $15
  • Varun T. Chopra 🇮🇳 · $20
  • Edgardo A. Mendoza 🇵🇭 · $37
  • Prakash H. Thevar 🇮🇳 · $10

    “Best of luck. Hope the October deadline works out. - New Delhi”

  • Senthil L. Krishnamurthy 🇮🇳 · $5
  • Anonymous 🇲🇽 · $25
  • Karim Anwar Jaber 🇪🇬 · $50

    “Happy to help. Thought of Sung-min all day after reading this. - Cairo”

  • Harini S. Pillai 🇮🇳 · $500
  • Leonardo G. Lozano 🇦🇷 · $50

    “Every little bit. My father told me about this one. - Santa Fe”

  • Anonymous 🇰🇪 · $10

    “Every little bit. My mother told me about this one. - Kasarani”

  • Gaurav D. Sachdeva 🇬🇧 · $5

    “God bless. Been where you're, it gets better. - Bristol”

  • Marisa Patrizia Pagano 🇮🇹 · $25

    “Hope things get better. Been where you're, it gets better. - Milan”

  • Adrián A. Gómez 🇦🇷 · $18
  • Courtney W. Washington 🇺🇸 · $50

    “Take care of yourselves. Only $50 but hope it helps. - Corpus Christi”

  • Anh Nga Pham 🇻🇳 · $5

    “Blessings. Thought of Sung-min all day after reading this. - Cầu Giấy”

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  • Teresa ParksQuestion

    Is there anything that isn't money that would help Sung-min?

    • Sung-min Ji-ho ShimOwnerAnswerID verified

      Thank you. If you're in Bakersfield I'll say if something practical comes up. For now sharing this is great. Thanks for looking so closely.

  • Rooting for you, Sung-min. Hope the build day goes well, wish I lived closer. This is the second need I've supported on here and the first that made me cry. Take care.

    • Hope it all works out, Sung-min. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. Wish I lived closer to Tel Aviv so I could bring a meal. Thinking of Bakersfield.

      • stay strong, Sung-min. Hope you get there. My daughter saw me on my phone and now she wants to give her pocket money. All the best.

        • it takes guts to ask. Well done. My sister had a similar thing happen so this one hit home. Thinking of Bakersfield.

          • Sending love. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. I told my book club about it and three of them are giving too.

            • how is Sung-min doing now?

              • Nova CunninghamID verified

                wishing you peace, Sung-min. This could happen to any of us. Don't give up.

                • Hope it all works out, Sung-min. Hope this works out for you. My husband and I read this together. Blessings!

                  • Christian WinklerPhoto verified

                    Sending love. Reading this made my day a bit heavier but I'm glad I did. We lost years of savings to something like this so I get it. Take care.

                    • Praying for you, Sung-min. Hope the build day goes well, wish I lived closer. Thinking of Bakersfield.

                      • rooting for you. Looking forward to the next update. After 7 years in construction I know how hard it's to ask for anything. Blessings

                        • Praying for you, Sung-min. Looking forward to the next update.

                          • Eren AslanAddress verified

                            hang in there, Sung-min. More neighborhoods should do this. Greetings from Lagos.

                            • Wishing you the best, Sung-min. Looking forward to the next update.

                              • Take care, Sung-min. Shared this with my family

                                • Hope you get there. Thinking of Bakersfield.

                                  • Stay strong, Sung-min. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. I went through something like this 13 years ago and strangers helped me out. Greetings from Port Harcourt

                                    • Take care, Sung-min. I hope things turn around soon. Love from Montgomery.

                                      • Sending good thoughts, Sung-min. Everyone deserves a bit of help sometimes. I have a 15 year old who wants to send good wishes too. God bless!

                                        $1,065 raised of $1,650

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