Volunteers clean up park in Palm Desert for National Public Lands Day

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Volunteers gave their time to care for nature Sunday morning.

The City of Palm Desert and Friends of the Desert Mountains hosted a cleanup at Homme-Adams Park (72500 Thrush Road, Palm Desert, CA). The cleanup kicked off at 8:00 a.m.

Although National Public Lands Day traditionally happens in September, the city typically hosts the cleanup in November in favor of cooler temperatures. This year, though, they were forced to reschedule to February due to rain.

Volunteers assisted with trail cleanup and park maintenance, including removing dead plants, trimming bushes and trees, hauling debris and light grading. The event highlights the importance of environmental stewardship and caring for the Coachella Valley’s unique and fragile desert ecosystem.

Executive Director of Friends of the Desert Mountains, Tammy Martin, said of the event, "You want to do the cleanup. You don't want the trash choking out things. You just want your nature to to be able to breathe, not to be choked out by debris and all that kind of stuff. So just keeping it natural and beautiful is our goal."

Dozens of volunteers were split into three groups. Many of them collected trash, including broken glass, old metal cans, construction debris, plastics, and chunks of concrete.

Before the cleanup started, a park bench was also dedicated to former Palm Desert Councilman Buford Crites, a longtime advocate for trails, parks, and open space.