Palmdale Celebrates International Day of Climate Action with Greenbelt Beautification and Sign Unveiling

PALMDALE, CA — In recognition of the International Day of Climate Action, the City of Palmdale joined with community volunteers and civic partners on Saturday, Oct. 24, to revitalize a portion of the Robert St. Clair Parkway along Sierra Highway and formally unveil the City’s official Clean California Community Designation sign.

The event brought together 12 community volunteers, who worked alongside the City’s Parks Maintenance team to enhance the greenbelt through sustainable landscaping and beautification efforts.

Guided by the Parks Maintenance team, participants prepared the soil, installed climate-resilient native desert plants and spread crushed rock throughout the corridor. These enhancements improve pedestrian aesthetics while delivering long-term environmental benefits, including water conservation and local biodiversity support.

The beautification event was hosted in partnership with California Climate Action Corps, a program of California Volunteers, Office of the Governor, with support from Keep California Beautiful through its 2026–27 Climate Action Microgrant Program. The initiative supports community-driven climate action projects that promote urban greening, environmental stewardship and volunteer engagement throughout California.

The ceremonial unveiling of Palmdale’s Clean California Community Designation sign functioned as a central highlight of the event. The marker commemorates Palmdale’s distinction as one of the first 30 communities statewide to initially achieve this honor in 2024 through Caltrans’ Clean California Program. To secure the designation, the City adopted the Clean California Pledge and fulfilled rigorous benchmarks across public education, municipal waste reduction and civic beautification.

Saturday’s greenbelt revitalization reinforces a continuous, citywide framework dedicated to community preservation and environmental resilience. In line with Caltrans’ statewide Clean California initiative, Palmdale maintains active campaigns to eliminate roadside litter and clean public transit corridors. 

The newly landscaped portion of Robert St. Clair Parkway is open to the public along Sierra Highway. Residents interested in exploring Palmdale’s environmental programs can learn more by contacting the Environmental division at 661-267-5300 or Environmental@cityofpalmdaleca.gov.

About Clean California

Since July 2021, Caltrans’ Clean California initiative and its local partners have removed more than 3.4 million cubic yards of litter from roadsides and public spaces—enough to fill about 136,000 garbage trucks. Caltrans also hosted more than 650 free dump days in communities throughout the state, resulting in the collection of 15,500-plus mattresses and 57,000 tires. The initiative has enlisted 72,000-plus community clean-up volunteers and created thousands of jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated on probation or experiencing housing insecurity. 

This event is hosted in partnership with California Climate Action Corps, a program of California Volunteers, Office of the Governor.