Eric Mencher / McClatchy Tribune

Generation Green provides opportunity for students to help restore environment

“Generation Green is a great opportunity to join hands with youth from around the world in an effort to preserve our environment,â€Â Executive Director of HandsOn Central California Cathy Caples said.

On April 25, 2009, the world will be celebrating National Youth Serve Day.
HandsOn is recruiting approximately 200 youth volunteers from the community, ranging from ages 12-24 to help keep this generation green.

HandsOn is a catalyst for mobilizing volunteers to meet community needs.

Its mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes their communities and their world.

Project sponsors like the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District and Good Old Days Antiques have made this mission a reality.

Generation Green will begin at 9 a.m. at the San Joaquin River Ranch House, where participants will be provided with educational material on environmentally safe practices, lunch from the project̢۪s sponsor Chipotle and event t-shirts to promote the cause year round.

Following the kickoff, volunteers will work on one of five restoration projects in five separate locations; the San Joaquin River, the Eaton Trail, the McKenzie Preserve, China Creek and Woodward Park.

Each project will incorporate replanting of native species, habitat enhancement, removal of non-native species and unwanted debris, and information about the importance of the service project.

“Last year over 100 Fresno State students participated in Generation Green,â€Â The Richter Center’s Renee Delport said.

The Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning program has partnered with HandsOn in providing on campus outreach and recruitment.

“Students should take advantage of this opportunity to be active in a service project and create a better environment for themselves and those that share the community,â€Â Delport said.

The National Day of Service is just days away and is still in need of volunteers.

Those who are interested can pre-register by phone at 559-237-3101 or register the day of at the San Joaquin River Parkway.