Opie’s old stomping grounds get TLC

You, too, can play a starring role at Franklin Canyon Park as a volunteer.

Opie and Andy fished there. Claudette Colbert flashed some leg there. And now you can lend a hand there.

Franklin Canyon Park, a favorite of Hollywood location scouts and nature-lovers alike, will be getting some sprucing up this Saturday, August 18. And the Mountains Restoration and Conservation Authority and L.A. Works are looking for volunteers to help with the work.

Nestled between Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley, the 605-acre park serves an audience of hikers, cyclists, picnickers and nature lovers drawn to its oak woodlands, lake, duck pond, nature center and more than 5 miles of trails.

Franklin Canyon doubles as Mayberry.

TV and movie buffs may also recognize the park as the site of  the “fishing hole” scenes from The Andy Griffith Show, along with episodes from TV series ranging from NCIS to Star Trek. It also was the setting for Colbert’s famous hitchhiking scene in It Happened One Night.

Volunteers won’t win an Oscar, but they will have a golden opportunity to help out with trail upkeep, invasive plant removal, native plant installation and slope regrading. They’ll also assist with efforts to make the park more accessible to people with disabilities.

If you want to join in, bring some closed-toe shoes, sunblock and work gloves, if you have them. Things get underway at 8 a.m. and wrap up at noon. For more information or to register as a volunteer, visit the online event listing.

Posted 8/15/12