CSUSB Students Remove 500 Pounds of Trash from Santa Ana River, Urge IE Residents to Rethink Pollution

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.”

The cleanup was conducted in partnership with IE Waterkeeper, a Riverside-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting local waterways. Over the course of 90 minutes, Huerta and three classmates collected glass shards, broken beer bottles, sharp-edged plastic containers, and even two shopping carts submerged in the riverbed.

“We didn’t see any unhoused people while cleaning, but there was a camp nearby,” Huerta noted. “Most of the trash appeared to come from people hanging out there. It’s nice to see people admiring the beauty of nature—and disheartening to see they don’t respect it.”

Huerta said the most common items they found were snack wrappers and beverage containers, pointing to a deeper issue of public behavior and disregard. “This tells me a lot of people leave their trash where they gather. It shows a lack of awareness about the long-term impact.”

Beyond the physical cleanup, the students turned to education and outreach to broaden the project’s impact. They used social media to share their efforts and surveyed community members about their perceptions of water pollution.

“We found that many people are worried about the quality of water available to them, but they don’t always realize how pollution directly affects them,” said Huerta. “Before this project, I would scroll past cleanups on social media. After participating, I saw firsthand how badly this work is needed—and how rewarding it can be.”

Huerta emphasized that the Santa Ana River is critical to the region’s environmental health, flowing through Riverside, Jurupa Valley and beyond; and into the Pacific Ocean. A bacteria outbreak in Jurupa Valley previously led to public closures near the river, highlighting the consequences of unchecked pollution.

“This project brings to light how the environment affects us all,” he said. “It shows why we should care—and why we must take care of it.”

Looking ahead, Huerta hopes to sustain the initiative through a dedicated website documenting the group’s findings, environmental resources, and ongoing impact. “It holds everything we’ve done, what we’ve seen, and why it matters,” he said.

When asked what action residents can take today, Huerta’s advice was simple: “Don’t leave trash behind—throw it in a trash can. The first step is finding the nearest one.”

“None of us could’ve done this alone,” he added. “It was a true group effort. And the more people who see what’s happening in our local environment, the more likely they’ll be to act.”