The flow of a river?
It's symbolic of so many things in life, including the passing of time, how longstanding traditions can change, and the way our feelings naturally evolve about the places we live and love.
The concept of flow can also be used to describe how a springtime event can flow downriver to a different time of year, which is what has happened with The Great LA River Cleanup.
The large-scale volunteer-driven happening was a springtime staple for many years. It popped up at various points around the urban waterway over a few Saturdays in April, giving give-backers a chance to pull bottles, bags, and other pieces of debris out of the water, one item at a time.
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But those pieces do add up: Thousands of pounds of litter have been regularly removed, then sorted and weighed, during the annual event. There's even a quirky contest spotlighting some of the more unusual items to emerge from the LA River.
If you're worried you missed the chance to roll up your sleeves and de-clog the river this year, fret not: The Great LA River Cleanup has jumped from April to June and July, and it is has expanded, too.
It is now taking place almost every Saturday through the end of July 2022, and several spots will come into focus, with the Sepulveda Basin, Glendale Narrows Riverwalk, and Red Car Bridge on the list of locations ready for some love.
Good to know: There's no cleanup scheduled for July 2, which is the Saturday ahead of the Fourth of July.
The Friends of the LA River will show with the cleaning supplies, but you should also peruse what you'll need to know before you go, like the sort of shoes you'll want to wear.
Registering is a snap, and you can start the process here.
So how can we de-trash an epic, life-enhancing river, all to give it more flow?
By stepping up to the shore and taking each piece of litter out, piece by piece by piece. The water's flow grows with each bit of debris removed, and the animals that call the river home, from the beautiful birds to the aquatic life? You're helping them out, too.
