Volunteers Sought to Fight Weeds at Wildlife Reserve

The San Fernando Valley Audubon Society and the California Native Plant Society are calling on volunteer weed warriors to arm themselves for the fifth annual Cleanup and Weed War on Saturday at Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve.

Volunteers, who will clean litter around Haskell Creek and other areas, will help eliminate invasive, nonnative weeds growing in the reserve, said Muriel Kotin, conservation chairwoman for the local Audubon Society chapter.

“It’s not a big, ugly mess, but there are some exotic weeds we want to get rid of and there’s enough trash that it’s important to get it out of there,” Kotin said of the reserve, which is home to a variety of animals, including herons, sandpipers, hummingbirds, tricolored blackbirds and egrets.

“It’s such a special place and it really makes a difference the more people we can get out there to help,” Kotin said.

“We’ve been doing this five years now in honor of Earth Day,” Kotin said. “We have learned to hold it after Earth Day [April 22] so we won’t be in competition with any other groups for volunteers.”

The cleanup crew will meet at 8 a.m. Saturday at the north end of the reserve near the intersection of Burbank Boulevard and Woodley Avenue. Rugged clothing, hats, gardening gloves and sunscreen are recommended, and volunteers should bring tools for weed eradication, Kotin said. The weed war and cleanup will end at noon.

At 11 a.m., representatives from the Audubon Society and the Native Plant Society will lead nature walks through the reserve.

For more information, call Kotin at (818) 783-4293.