The Arroyo Green Team is a dedicated group of young, Audubon Center at Debs Park volunteers committed to making their community and the watershed a better place. Last evening, in Pasadena near the banks of the Arroyo Seco, the group of teens were recognized for their volunteerism by the Council of Arroyo Seco Organizations. The award, fittingly called "the Arroyo Verde Award", was given to the Green Team members and Audubon Center Teacher Naturalist Gabriela Castañeda. Many of the Green Teamer's parents, siblings, and relatives were in the audience.

Most the members live in northeast Los Angeles, near the Audubon Center. Over the past year, they have been a tremendous asset to the work at the Audubon Center. Through this program, many of the kids have volunteered over 300 hours.

On any given weekend, you can find these middle and high school students out on Debs Park’s trails conducting wildlife monitoring and habitat restoration projects. Last year, they restored (and continue to work on) an acre coastal sage scrub habitat restoration site. They have done bird monitoring, including mist netting and point counts. Soon, they will launch a reptile and amphibian monitoring project. They have also been active in educating others about Debs Park, Audubon, and the Arroyo Seco watershed. And, during the summer, the Green Team helps out with our summer day camp program -- many of them even started out as campers themselves!

The Arroyo Green Team is making a difference for people and wildlife in the Arroyo Seco region....