A River Runs Through
by John Harrison
For years, I rode my bicycle to work in Ventura, California along the (beautiful) Ventura River, never realizing what was going on inside the willows, Arundo grasses, and lush green plants skirting the river. The Ventura River and estuary is a sensitive environment because of the river, the animals that depend on the area, and also because the river drains into the Pacific Ocean. Accumulated trash must be removed quickly before the rainy season so as not to pollute the ocean. Knowing this and wanting to help preserve the beauty and integrity of the area, I began working on my own and along with others to clean up the garbage strewn along the Ventura River.
One day while picking up trash and pushing my way through thick brush, I playfully thought of Indiana Jones hacking his way through the jungle with a machete. Shortly thereafter, stuck upright in the middle of the trail, was a machete!
On another cleanup day in a muddy, marshy area, I thought that rubber boots would be helpful. As I collected trash, I found a discarded pair of rubber boots–exactly my size–tucked under a bush!
And while joining other volunteers in a cleanup effort along the river on yet another day, I had a passing thought–that wearing reflective vests would be helpful so cleanup volunteers could see each other. A few moments later, I found a yellow reflective vest in my size!
Being a longtime lover of cats and seeing that the Ventura River estuary is a home for stray cats, I have been able to rescue many neglected cats over the years.
This experience of having all my needs being met has helped me to realize that Sai Baba (the universe) will bring to me what I need, not only during service projects, but in all other aspects of my life. He says to let go of desires, leave the results to God, and He will shoulder the burden. But the other teaching of Baba's that has come into clearer focus lately is: "I give you what you want until you want what I have come to give,” and this is liberation itself!
In July of 2016, the Ventura Land Trust (formerly Ventura Hillsides Conservancy) requested volunteers to help clean up invasive plants and abandoned homeless camps in the Ventura River Estuary.
At my first cleanup with the Trust, I was shocked to see the amount of trash left from homeless encampments by the river. There were areas where the ground was not visible as the trash was at least one foot deep! Once, I found a piece of old carpet that had been on the ground for so long that grass was growing through it, and when I peeled the carpet up off the ground, I could sense a sigh of relief coming from the earth.
The Ventura Land Trust asked me to keep an Excel spreadsheet of the amount of trash I cleaned up. This data would then be used to apply for grant assistance. From the time I started the spreadsheet in July 2016 until November 2019, when the spreadsheet was no longer needed, I found, to my amazement that I had removed up to six tons of trash!
The project has been personal and transformative for me in many ways. The biggest lesson learned is not to be attached to a result. When I started in 2016, I envisioned a clean and trash less estuary. Five years later, the area is much cleaner, but the trash problem continues. I now recognize the connection between garbage pollution around the Ventura River and homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and mental health issues. I pray for the well-being of those who pollute the Ventura River area, because their pain is significant. At the same time, I do what I can do to help keep this beautiful area clean.