Against the rugged backdrop of the Coachella Valley desert, volunteers came together on Sept. 19, National CleanUp Day, to remove tons of illegally dumped debris and help protect the Mission Creek landscape and the region's vital water resources. New Earth Creator, the Kiwanis Club of Palm Springs, BGB Environmental Services, Friends of the Desert Mountains and community partners hosted Clean Our Watershed — Celebrate Community Cleanup Day, uniting the community around a shared mission to restore and protect this distinctive corner of Southern California.
Throughout the day, volunteers tackled years of illegal dumping, removing everything from tires, mattresses and household appliances to doors, discarded furniture and other large debris. According
to Andres Marquez, founder of New Earth Creator, more than 11 tons of material had been removed and the total was still growing, with a 40-yard Desert Valley Disposal container remaining to be collected.
And the work was accomplished without heavy machinery — just muscles and helpful haulers.
"Something great happened today," Marquez said. "Today's event shifted things into a positive field."
For Marquez, that positive change is also deeply personal. His 5-year-old son, Nevin, was the youngest volunteer at the cleanup, joining community members in caring for the desert alongside his father. Marquez hopes these experiences will help his son discover early in life the importance of finding purpose through service.
But organizers emphasized that the cleanup was about far more than improving the appearance of the desert.
Years of illegal dumping can threaten wildlife habitat, desert ecosystems and water resources. For Marquez, restoring the area is directly connected to protecting the natural systems on which the Coachella Valley depends.
"What we want to do is restore this environment back to natural conditions, because there's been a buildup of pollution, and it interfaces with our local water systems," Marquez said.
That connection between land and water was at the heart of the event's message: Protecting the headwaters that sustain our desert.
The cleanup brought together nonprofit organizations, environmental advocates, businesses, government agencies, students, families and local residents around a shared responsibility to care for the desert.
Participating and supporting organizations included the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission; Love Your Neighborhood, a pollution-prevention initiative administered by the Western Riverside Council of Governments; Mission Springs Water District; Desert Water Agency; CV Water Counts; Indio Water Authority; Esperanza's Sanctuary; Quick Quack Car Wash; Coachella Valley Coffee Company; and other regional organizations and agencies.
For visitors, the Coachella Valley may be known for its resorts, mountain views, hiking trails, palm oases and dramatic desert scenery. Events like Celebrate Community Cleanup Day highlight another side of the destination: the residents and organizations working behind the scenes to protect the landscape that makes those experiences possible.
The effort also gave younger volunteers and families an opportunity to learn that environmental stewardship can begin with something as direct as showing up, putting on a pair of gloves and caring for the land around them.
For Marquez and the participating organizations, Sept. 19 was not the end of the work, but another step toward building a culture of environmental stewardship across the Coachella Valley. In a region defined by its natural beauty, protecting the desert is about more than what is removed — it is about what is preserved for future generations.
Residents and visitors interested in future desert cleanup and restoration efforts can learn more through New Earth Creator at newearthcreator.org.
Sandra Gramajo is a communications and public relations professional with experience in nonprofit communications, media relations, marketing and community outreach. She serves as secretary and communications chair for the Kiwanis Club of Palm Springs and is a board member of Kitty's Wildlife Refuge & Rescue. Her writing focuses on highlighting the people, organizations, and initiatives that strengthen the Coachella Valley through service, education, and civic involvement.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Volunteers 'Celebrate Community Cleanup Day' with trash removal
