SAN FRANCISCO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CLEAN UP IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

We recently told you of the closing of Rattlesnake Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park, due to vandalism. Now some High School Students from San Francisco are helping with the clean-up effort. Reporter Kristy Lockhart introduces us to a unique group of teenagers…
This isn’t your ordinary school field trip; 11th graders from the Urban School in San Francisco are camping in Joshua Tree National Park. They’ll get to hike and do some rock climbing, but they’re also doing a lot of hard work. “Every year we come here, we have a trail work portion of our trip.” This time, they are aiding Park officials with the graffiti removal in Rattlesnake Canyon; 16-year-old Eli spent the day scrubbing graffiti off with water and chemicals. He doesn’t understand why anyone would vandalize nature. “They shouldn’t ruin the space for others.” Park Ranger Pat Pilcher says they appreciate the help.
“This is a great coup for us because it shows the cooperation between a public agency and a school can really make a difference. We asked for public help and they responded.”