The California State Parks Foundation hosted 36 environmental improvement projects at different park locations throughout the state Saturday, and not just because the weather seemed absolutely perfect for the first time this spring.  Maybe that only applies to Los Angeles, where two spots - Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook and Malibu Lagoon State Beach - attracted volunteers ready to restore the areas in celebration of Earth Day 2011.

The 65 degree sunshine and 360 degree view of Los Angeles helped to attract some fifty volunteers to Baldwin Hills from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m Saturday.  Locals with their children and the usual gang of day hikers sported shovels and garbage bags in order to clear areas overrun by weeds and to plant trees.  The effort added to the nearly 300,000 volunteer hours which Earth Day as a statewide project totaled.