Trail Cleanup at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden Brings a Sense of Community

An army of Barbie dolls versus an army of families. There's nothing stronger than a sense of community.

From 9am-12pm on Saturday September 18th, as many as 40 attendees gathered in unity to reveal the inner beauty of Earth that got lost in a heap of trash. These attendees included families, children, people of all ages whether it be 6 or 65, and so much more.

A father-daughter duo, a boy scout, and a woman passionate about the beauty of her community come together in an epic battle against the trash.

Here at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden, they were faced with broken electronics, furniture, dismembered Barbie dolls, and a jungle of poison oak, but what all these participants had in common was the idea of making their community thrive again.

The proud father and his son, a Boy Scout, decided to spend some bonding time by helping out the environment.

So off they go to pick up trash.

"I think it's important to clean because [animals] and trees can get sick [from the trash] and die," said Soma, a 6th grader.

Soma came along with her dad and little sister.

Soma's little sister was driven to pick up trash so that she can see a better life for the animals at this park. "I like animals, and I want them to be healthy so I can continue seeing them."

A sister duo!

Dismembered Barbie dolls

This year, Coastal Cleanup Day 2021 was extra special since we hosted the event along a newly opened of the Coyote Creek Trail behind the Viet Heritage Garden. This small and mighty group collected 85 bags and nearly 4 tons of trash in just 3 hours. What a team!