Over the last four years, 568 tons of illegal trash was collected near the busy port of Los Angeles. A lot of it winds up in the community of Wilmington, just south of downtown. The number of industrial warehouses and shipping yards there…and the lack of streetlight make it easy for just about anyone to dump anything, illegally.

Salvador Lara is trying to change that.

This story is part of the RadioNature series which explores the ways Latinos connect with nature. RadioNature is supported by the REI Foundation.

Photo Credit: Molly Callister

Molly Callister is a freelance radio producer in Los Angeles, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in print and radio from the University of Southern California. In her off time she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen and hiking in the hills near her home. But most of all, she loves hearing others people’s stories and telling them on the radio. You can find her on twitter, @mollyreports.