May 2 – The Santa Fe Watershed Association is encouraging people to love their watershed with a free event at De Vargas Park on Saturday.
The second annual ‘Love Your Watershed Day’ includes live music, educational activities, yoga, river cleanups and other offerings from the association and a number of community partners, including the City and County of Santa Fe.
“We are thrilled to bring back Love Your Watershed Day for a second year,” Santa Fe Watershed Association Executive Director Mori Hensley wrote in a statement. “Through this event, we aim to bring the entire community together and inspire people to care for our precious Santa Fe Watershed.”
People will have the opportunity to take care of the watershed immediately with a river cleanup organized by the Rotary Club set to begin at 10 a.m.
Rotary Club member Andy Otto said the group plans to meet on Sandoval Street, near the skate park, and will collect trash along the river from Sandoval to Guadalupe Street. Anyone is welcome to participate.
“The more the merrier,” said Otto.
Love Your Watershed Day is the culmination of more than a week of community-organized watershed cleanups in different areas of the city. Lisa Farrand of Lovin’ the River organized a cleanup April 27 in the area around Frenchy’s Field Park, something she said she has participated in for years.
“It brings me a lot of joy,” she said of being able to care for part of the natural environment. “We can’t just rely on the city to take care of this; it has to be the community.”
The event is scheduled to take place from 10am to 1pm. Live music will be performed by Queen Bee and Nelson Denma, and activities will include yoga and a water-themed dance workshop from Dancing Earth, according to a press release.
Community partners in attendance will include Master Gardeners, Broken Arrow Glass Recycling, Audubon New Mexico, 350 Santa Fe, Santa Fe River Commission and New Mexico Tracking Club. A bike valet from Bike Santa Fe will be available for anyone cycling to the park.