Dear editor, As a Napa native I am always so amazed and exhilarated when our community comes together to solve a problem or fill a need.

I am one of the founders of Napa Spring Clean, a one-day educational event we created to celebrate Napa, and to promote and enhance our local quality of life.

We time it each year to coincide with Earth Day and invite the public to pitch in to clean parks, playgrounds, the river and our neighborhoods. We provide a downtown location for the public to pick up litter, recycling bags and a list of “hot spots,” areas of town particularly in need of attention. We do this with the assistance of Napa Recycling and Waste Services, which generously provides receptacles for litter and recycling for free. This year, in collaboration with Napa County Resource Conservation District, we will be located at a central distribution/collection task center in the parking lot behind Pearl and Main streets, next to the Napa Firefighters Museum. As in years past, most activity will occur in the neighborhood in proximity to the collection center. However, those who cannot make it downtown are encouraged to work in their own neighborhoods (grab a bag and walk your neighborhood and pick up trash and recycling).

Each year the number of citizen volunteers continues to grow. We welcome families, Scouts and amazing individuals to join us this Earth Day, April 19, from 9-11 a.m. The message is clear with respect to litter clean-up. All it takes is 37 minutes, a rough estimate of the minimal amount a person can spend a year on cleaning up Napa and still achieve significant results. For more information, the public can go to www.napaspringclean.org.

Shelia Gentry / Napa