On Sept. 20, 2025, the Canyon club Eco Chicos participated in the annual River Rally held by the City of Santa Clarita. Eco Chicos is one of the many groups of volunteers who show up for the preservation of our environment.
From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., club members went to pick up trash from the river bank, staying in groups with friends for safety, along with other volunteers contributing to the clean up. Members also learned how to properly interact with wildlife–by leaving it alone–before the event.
Besides helping our environment, one of the best things that comes out of the River Rally is camaraderie; spending time with others while doing good deeds brings a sense of community and joy to volunteers.
Furthermore, there is another one-of-a-kind aspect about this club. After all, what’s Eco Chicos without its advisor, Mr. Yong? To get more insight, I interviewed him about what the river rally cleanup means to him and to Canyon High School.
The first question I asked was, “How has the River Rally changed since Eco Chicos has been participating in the event?”
Mr. Yong responded, stating that “over the years, I have noticed a decrease in trash in the riverbed on the Santa Clara River. This is a direct result of our team, 80 students or more, each year, spending a few hours picking up trash. Our group has also grown over the years as well. Our first couple of years, we had 10-20 students to the event. However, we now have 80 students or more each year at the event.”
Sometimes the best thing a person can do is simply showing up; even a little act can leave a positive impact!
Afterwards, I asked Mr. Yong: “What’s your favorite part of the event?”
He replied, “My favorite part is seeing the direct impact of our work. We can visibly see the amount of trash being removed from the riverbed, which means less solid waste entering the aquatic ecosystems.”
For personal insight, I inquired about what Mr. Yong would consider the best accomplishments made during this year’s event.
He optimistically shared, “While it certainly benefited the environment, one of the best aspects of the event was that it inspired students to take more action to help our planet. Additionally, they were able to see how much impact we can make when we all work together.”
It can also be noted that many mainstream trends promote overconsumption and waste, showing little care for its environmental impact; however, this can be reduced if people take time to do something about it. Instead of indulging in these harmful habits that encourage waste, take inspiration from those who make a change in making our world a cleaner and wilder place.
To wrap up the interview, I asked about ways others (those both in and out of the Eco Chicos) can make an impact in helping our environment.
Mr. Yong would advise people to “do our part and take action. If everyone is committed to just taking care of their own backyard (not littering, picking up trash, etc.) we would have a different world. It’s not enough to believe in something. Action is what makes a difference in this world.”
Standing up to respect our Earth is vital to restore its beauty and keep it protected. We all have an obligation to do our part in cleaning up after ourselves and others.
After the clean up, volunteers were rewarded with some free Italian ice as a way to celebrate the effort in keeping our Earth clean. Acknowledging these victories helps to drive our community towards further progress!
Along with the sweet treat, members enjoyed visiting various educational booths, and it was ex-streamly fun and entertaining to walk around and interact with everyone!
Well, what's the wait? Go outside and make a difference! Until then, I wave goodbye. Oh, wait—that’s the ocean’s job!
