Thinking about volunteering at Spring Clean-Up this April? It’s the perfect way to show your appreciation for the American River Parkway during Earth Month! Join us on Saturday, April 18th from 9 am to 12 pm to remove trash, pull invasive plants, and beautify the American River Parkway. If all that’s not enough to convince you, we chatted with Carol Metz, a longtime Mile Steward and a Spring Clean-Up Site Co-Captain, who shared why volunteering on the Parkway is more than just the typical volunteer experience.
“Everyone should get involved! You get way more out of volunteering than you give,” Carol told the ARPF. “The American River Parkway is one of the greatest natural resources Sacramento has, so to be part of conserving it is special. I never regret the time I spend out here. It reminds me of what’s really important.”
For the last twenty years, Carol has volunteered as a Mile Steward with the ARPF. In the last few years, she’s served as a Spring Clean-Up Site Co-Captain with Trish Caldwell, Adele Kruger, and Erin Drinkwater at the Sunrise Recreation Area.
“I couldn’t imagine volunteering without Trish, Adele, and Erin. They make it so much fun. Through volunteering, you meet so many people with the same mindset as you who want to conserve this natural resource,” Carol shared. “There are so many benefits to the community taking responsibility of conserving the Parkway. Spending time out on the Parkway, you get to see those benefits in action. Spring Clean-Up especially brings out schools, families, and individuals who all want to do their part. It’s neat to see.”
Carol’s love for the Parkway first began when she was a child. As Carmichael locals, her family spent weekends running, biking, and fishing along the American River. When Carol became a teacher with the San Juan School District, she found a new passion for introducing the next generation to the Parkway.
“I was a teacher for twenty-five years, and I loved using the Parkway as a teaching tool. So many of our students didn’t know they had access to this natural resource in their own backyard. The field trips started as clean-ups and then afterward we would study the ecosystem, wildlife, water ways, and more. The students really loved it,” Carol said. “Every day, we’re filled with sensory overload that doesn’t highlight the natural beauty around us. But when you’re on the Parkway, it clears your head and makes you appreciate the peacefulness of being in nature.”
It was also while out on the Parkway that Carol fell in love, meeting her husband while biking along the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail.
“I was doing a ride with some friends and noticed a man biking solo. We asked him to join us, and now we’re married,” Carol laughed. “We spend a lot of time riding our bikes together. The trail is a great place to get to know people.”
Whether you’re looking to get to know new friends or your future partner, the Parkway is the place to be this spring, especially as a volunteer for Spring Clean-Up. The American River Parkway Foundation depends on the thousands of volunteers who join us at events like Spring Clean-Up to help preserve the 4,800-acre American River Parkway. In 2025, over six thousand volunteers collected 65,968 pounds of trash, removed 259,472 invasive plants, and helped us conserve this unique community resource.
If you’re interested in volunteering at Spring Clean-Up, click here. We will be focusing on seven locations along the American River Parkway. You can sign up to pull invasive plants at Ancil Hoffman; clean up trash at Discovery Park, Howe, Sunrise, and Watt; beautify and lay mulch at River Bend Park; and, if you’re construction-savvy, help us rebuild the Cottonwood Gazebo. We’ll see you out there on April 18th!
