Stewardship
Come Join Us on the American River Parkway!
The Sacramento Valley Chapter is a Volunteer Mile Steward through the American River Parkway Foundation’s Adopt-the-Parkway initiative. The Mile Steward program allows groups to sponsor 1-mile sections on either side of the American River along the entire 23-mile length of the Parkway. We volunteer our time as stewards of the Parkway to help maintain this special landscape for everyone to enjoy.
As a steward of River Mile 13 South, our chapter holds cleanup days to pick up trash, maintain trails, remove weeds, and make note of any issues to report. In the chapter’s first 3 years of stewardship, volunteers pulled more than 2,000 pounds of trash out of our mile of river. Along with removing trash, we have also pulled red sesbania (Sesbania punicea), broom, and other weeds; found interesting animal bones; observed wildlife such as waterbirds, Sandhill Cranes, deer, and coyotes; and enjoyed beautiful days along the river in all seasons.
Flyer Spongeplant at Sailor Bar Nov 19
Message from the Steward
Hi everyone! My name is Nicole and I’m the river mile stewardship coordinator. I greatly enjoy helping steward our small portion of the American River Parkway. My favorite aspect of stewarding our river mile is observing nature change with the seasons, from the first green growth of willows and wildflowers in early spring to the cooler temperatures in the fall.
Please email me to be on the stewardship email list. I will only send cleanup announcements, parking passes, and cancellation notices to my email contacts.
You don’t need to bring much to participate—just sturdy shoes (the terrain is rocky and sandy) and gloves if you want them. I’ll provide the garbage bags. Bring your kids, your dog on a leash, your plant ID books . . . whatever will make the experience enjoyable for you.
The map shows our River Mile (13 South), which is on the east/south side of the river, downstream of River Bend Park. Our mile is flat and very wide!

Interested in joining us?
Please email Nicole Carpenter to be added to the stewardship email list. Once on the list, you’ll be notified of upcoming events and any scheduling changes. When you sign up for a cleanup day, Nicole will send you directions and a free parking pass. Please note that cleanup days will be rescheduled if rain is predicted with confidence.