Volunteer for San Diego Earth Day's 2nd annual Community Renewal & Restoration Project
by Julaine Chattaway
kay, so we aren't offering rest and relaxation. But
we are offering opportunities to Renew and Restore local areas in need.
It's time again to put your beliefs into action, working with other like-minded
individuals. Why? Because you realize it is going to take each one of us
doing something for all of us to make this a better world. We will be making
a positive difference in just four days, and we hope you can help out on
at least one of the days.
This November and December, San Diego Earth
Day volunteers will demonstrate their commitment to the ongoing stewardship
of our planet by mobilizing again to clean up, reclaim and restore four
areas in San Diego county. Our annual pro-active, educational, hands-on
Community Renewal & Restoration Project tasks include: removing non-native
plants, water testing, planting native plants, trail blazing, trash and
graffiti removal, weeding, mural painting.
This cooperative effort will involve between
500 and 1500 volunteers. Thousands more will receive pre-event environmental
education and training. So far, 1996 partners include: City Parks Services,
junior and high school clubs, local colleges and universities, Urban Corps,
San Diego People For Trees, the California Native Plant Society, San Diego
County Water Authority, Foundation for Change, Barona Tribal Council, Qualcomm,
San Diego Earth Times and 95.7 radio. Some partners provide educational
materials specific to the sites being restored and helped identify the 1996
sites, while others such as local businesses and media are taking the opportunity
to donate goods or services to a worthy local project.
This year's restoration sites are: Mission
Trails Regional Park on Saturday, November 2 (9am-3pm); Torrey Pines state
park on Saturday, November 9 (9am-3pm); an urban setting in the Sherman
Heights community on Saturday, November 23 (9am-3pm); and Florida Canyon
in Balboa Park on Sunday, December 8 (10am-4pm).
If you or your club/organization would like
to volunteer, please attend one of our public environmental training meetings
held throughout the County; or, we can come to your group's meeting and
make our presentation there. To find out when and where the next public
training meeting is, please call our 24-hour voice mail at 496-6666.
If you would like to sponsor, donate goods
or services to the project or just want more information, please call Julaine
at 272-7370.
