On Saturday, volunteers from the United States and Mexico united to clean up the Tijuana River Valley, which lies at the border between the two countries.

According to EFE, dozens of people showed up for the cleanup. The event was organized by the Tijuana River Action Network (TRAN). According to its official website, the group is a "a collaborative of grassroots-community groups and nonprofits from the U.S. and Mexico committed to cross-border collaboration to address the conservation and restoration of the Tijuana River watershed by engaging in outreach, education, and advocating for natural resources."

During the cleanup, volunteers threw away trash and other debris that had the potential to travel into and pollute the Pacific Ocean, EFE reports.

According to Steven Wright, executive director of 4 Walls International, a group dedicated to promoting "sustainable community development around the globe" based on its official website, the efforts and unity shown by Americans and Mexicans in creating a plan to fight pollution in the area was "unprecedented."

"The organizations involved in this have a great commitment, and we are working united for the common good," he said.

In addition to cleaning the Tijuana River Valley, some volunteers also created a mural out of recycled materials. When the cleanup was over, the mural was inaugurated at Friendship Park, which is located on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rob Tobin, who works for A Reason to Survive (ARTS), an organization focused on "creating a movement behind the importance of the arts as a prevention and intervention vehicle to create positive transformation in children and youth facing adversity," thinks the artwork was an important part of the project.

"We believe the arts have the power to unite the community and make some changes in the world," he told EFE.

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration said it was working on a fund worth over $8 million to aide environmental projects relevant to the U.S. and Mexico.

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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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