The Great L.A. River CleanUp

Sure, it doesn’t look so glamorous now, but give it a few years, a billion or so dollars and some steady rain, and the L.A. River will be a point of civic pride for Angelenos. Do your part in the meantime at the Friends of the Los Angeles River’s 36th annual cleanup, which is again taking place over two weekends this year. Rather than focusing on one spot, the events will tackle multiple locations on October 3 and 10: the Willow Street Bridge in Long Beach, Steelhead Park in Elysian Valley, the Sepulveda Basin in the Valley, and Compton Creek just steps from the Metro A Line. Volunteering is free, but you need to register online ahead of time—a couple of sessions are already at capacity.