What began as a class project at Cal State San Bernardino has evolved into a meaningful environmental initiative after a group of social work students removed nearly 500 pounds of trash from the Santa Ana River in less than two hours.
The effort took place in February at Martha McLean-Anza Narrows Park as part of a Social Welfare Policy course taught by Professor Andrew Godoy. Student Francisco Huerta, a junior majoring in social work, helped launch the Eco Social Workers group through the assignment, which challenged students to create real-world community impact.
“We decided to focus on the environment and the Santa Ana River—it runs through Riverside and it’s really dirty,” said Huerta. “It was jarring because it was a nice park, but once we hiked down to the river, it was eye-opening to see how much trash was left behind.”…