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

The Pioneer wetland has been used as an informal dump for years. This April, 64 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 120 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. We'll post planting day photos and a count of every sapling planted. Where the $2,100 goes: • Tools and protective gear: $330 • Native saplings and stakes: $1,500 • Signage and educational materials: $270 I'll keep this page updated with receipts as things happen.