Dina Gentry, Director of Communications El Dorado County Office of Education

PLACERVILLE, California (InEDC) Nov 18, 2022 — The Georgetown Nature Area is a local treasure located behind the Georgetown School of Innovation and is well-loved by regular visitors. Several annual events such as the American River Charter School graduation and the Arts and Nature Fest are hosted in the park. To help keep it maintained for future use, the Golden Sierra Junior Senior High School (GSJSHS) Placerville Kiwanis Key, Builders and Environmental student clubs teamed up and recently spent a Saturday morning working hard to beautify the area. The 19 students were joined by parents, grandparents, and community members.

Zophia Bradford, sophomore and Key Club Vice-President explained, “We started by pulling Scotch broom plants and trimming over-hanging branches and blackberry bushes off of the trails. We gathered everything into wheelbarrows and created burn piles.”

Jeremy Meyers, Superintendent of Black Oak Mine Unified School District, stated, “The Georgetown Nature Area is an extraordinary resource that is, quite literally, in our backyard – most schools have to drive hours to enjoy anything half as nice. The volunteer efforts to maintain the Nature Area mean that more classes will be able to make better use of this extraordinary and underutilized resource. Your efforts are extremely appreciated. We are grateful to have the Nature Area benefit from student community service.”

Friends of the Nature Area (FONA) is giving $1,000 for the 50-F volunteer hours. The Key Club was the recipient of the $1,000, and members voted on how to split the funds between the three clubs that volunteered.
Bill Sammons, GSJSHS Teacher and Kiwanis Key/Builders Club Faculty Advisor, expressed, “It felt so good for our clubs to get outside and do some good. We can’t teach that out of a book or on the internet.”

For more information regarding the Nature Area, visit www.georgetownnaturearea.org For more information about Placerville Kiwanis, visit www.placervillekiwanis.org or the club’s Facebook Page.