The banks of the Napa River became a bit more scenic Saturday after a dozen kayakers took to the water to clean it up. Kayakers from all walks of life gathered at Kennedy Park’s boat-launch area to participate in Go Green Saturday, a unique event that’s sponsored by Kayak NV and Napa’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Laurie Aboudara-Robertson and Elizabeth Pearson, the owners of Kayak NV, first came up with the concept of Go Green Saturday around the same time they began giving kayak excursions on the river in February.

“We just got out on the river and we both decided that it might be a fun thing to do,” Aboudara-Robertson said. “We really like the idea of giving back. It’s our home.”

Kayakers first met at the boat launch Saturday morning for some coffee and a brief safety lesson, then were on their way to make the river cleaner. Redwood Middle School science teacher Tom McIntyre and his 4-year-old black Labrador Retriever, Kody, started the day off by collecting an old box-spring on the shoreline across from the boat launch.

“I come out here two to three times a week,” he said. “It’s enjoyable (and) fun. I get out with my pooch.”

On Saturday McIntyre also collected a rusty half of a shopping cart, several glass beer bottles and articles of clothing. From the boat-launch area, kayakers paddled to the waterway adjacent to downtown Napa to begin collecting trash.

Volunteers such as Mary Allan, of Napa, collected a lawn chair, a leather jacket and glass bottles. Allan said she had always wanted to kayak in the Napa River and when she heard about the event through the Register, she decided to spend a Saturday afternoon cleaning and paddling.

“It was a lot cleaner than we thought, except for one part (downtown Napa),” she said. “It was really fun.”

Pam Hewitt, of Napa, also had a lot of fun collecting garbage along the river, she said. When asked what was the funkiest thing she collected on the river Hewitt said “a bag of diapers.”

Kayak NV owners Pearson and Aboudara-Robertson have held three Go Green Saturdays on the river, including Saturday’s. The duo donates the use of their kayaks to all willing volunteers. At a previous Go Green Saturday event held in March, one participant paid $400 out of her pocket to hire someone to haul and demolish an abandoned boat.

At the end of the day several tires, an oil drum, articles of clothing, the box-spring, buckets, bottles, cans, shopping carts and bags of garbage were no longer mucking up the Napa River scenery; Kayakers met at Compadres Rio Grill in Napa for a free lunch, provided by the restaurant.

The next Go Green Saturday is planned for Nov. 14, 2009. Anyone who wants to participate or sponsor the event can visit Kayak NV’s Web site at www.kayaknv.com