So Many Ways to Love Our Neighbo

So Many Ways to Love Our Neighborhoods on Earth Day 2009

This Saturday, April 18, 9am-Noon

Dear Neighbor,

This Saturday in every corner of our district, neighbors are planning projects to beautify and improve our parks, public areas and schools on Earth Day. Some projects are small --a few neighbors cleaning their own block. Others bring hundreds together like Friends of Sausal Creek in Dimond Park, Bret Harte School, or Sequoia School that has a major two weekend project installing a native garden all along Scenic.

Last fall when legal challenges to how cities assess Landscape & Lighting Districts halted the maintenance fee increases about 90 park positions were eliminated. On going efforts like Earth Day can't make up for this loss but can focus on the most critical projects in our almost 2000 acres of parks and open space during these tough budgets. In the spirit of President Obama's call for community service and in recognition of the need to unify our neighborhoods and city, we hope you and your family will join us to surpass last year's record of about 800 volunteers!

Examining a newt found in the clean-up at Redwood Heights School last year.

Please bring your family, work gloves, brooms and tools and join us at any of the sites in our district. The City provides garbage bags and tools and some tools; this year volunteer will receive special pins to wear year round. Our office also visits each site and has provided coffee, food and garbage pick up sites requesting special support. We will distribute Green Tips and native California poppy seeds (see below) as our thank you gift to all volunteers. Contact us if your have any questions 238-7004. Please forward this to your friends and neighbors.

JEAN QUAN
Council Member

District 4 Earth Day Sites

35th Avenue near Suter, Allendale also trims median at 38th & Suter

Abbott Drive neighbors

Beaconsfield Canyon, meet end of Beaconsfield Place

Bret Harte Middle School, 3700 Coolidge Ave

Bridgeview Trail, off Leimert gather at trailhead

Butters Canyon, 3514 Butters Rd

Castle Canyon, Larry Lane & Mastlands

Courtland & Redding Median, behind Walgreens

Courtland Creek, Fairfax & Courtland

Crestmont Median strips on Skyline, meet at 25 Chadbourne Way

Damuth Street, 2307 Damuth

Delaware Pocket Park, Delaware & 35th Ave

Dimond Gateway Pocket Park, Champion & MacArthur

Dimond Park, meet at the Scout Hut near Canon & Wellington Gate

Joaquin Miller School, 5525 Ascot Dr

Joaquin Miller Park Native Plant Nursery, 3594 Sanborn Dr

Jordan Park, Jordan Rd & Bennett Pl

Laurel School, Patterson & California

Marj Saunders Park, Chelton & Ascot

McArthur Blvd Graffiti Clean-up, meet at Quigley & 35th

McCrea Park, Carson @ Hwy 13

Merriewood Stairs, 5612 Merriewood

Montclair Park, 6300 Moraga

Redwood Hts Recreation Ctr, 3883 Aliso Ave

Sequoia Lodge, 2666 Mountain Blvd

Sequoia School, 3730 Lincoln Ave

Shepherd Canyon Park, Escher Gate on Escher Rd

Shortline Park, Thornhill & Moraga

INFORMATION ON CITYWIDE EARTH DAY SITES

Three More School Work Days

Next Saturday, April 25:

Horace Mann School, 5222 Ygnacio Ave
Melrose Community School, 5328 Brann Street
Sequoia Elementary School, 3739 Lincoln Ave

More Green Events:

Bay Friendly Garden Tours, Sunday, April 26, 10 am - 4 pm: Learn how to be a green, bay friendly gardener by visiting great local gardens. Today is the deadline to register. Free.
Third Annual Peralta Conference on Urban Sustainability, Thursday, April 24, 8:30 am- 4 pm, Merritt College. Free
Bike to Work Day, May 14, 7-9 am: Bike to Work and enjoy free breakfast at City Hall, prizes, and more!
Free Green House Check-Up: Teams of professionally trained Energy Specialists will visit your home, install FREE energy saving equipment, and provide you with a personalized energy-saving plan.

Friends of Sausal Creek volunteers

Sausal Creek Environmental Council Earth Day

Our Office is working with Council District 5 to form an Environmental Council for the Sausal Creek Watershed--restoring and protecting one of the best preserved creeks in Oakland. We are sponsoring an Earth Day BBQ after the work (see below). There are several Earth Day Events in the Sausal Creek Watershed located in District 5:

Barry Place and E 27th Street
Carmen Flores Recreation Center (Josie de la Cruz Park, 1637 Fruitvale Avenue
Fruitvale Plaza Park and 35th Avenue & International Blvd.
Jingletown Arts & Business Community, Chapman & Derby Street
William Wood Park, 2920 McKillop Road

Earth Day BBQ Noon-2 pm

Dimond Park &
Josie de la Cruz Park

Join us after the work!
Free information about "Living Green in Oakland"
Special performance by Laurel and Manzanita Schools' Circus Troupes at 2 pm at Josie de la Cruz Park.

Cleaning up at McCrea Trout Pond

Oakland Park Coalition Campaign to Support City Parks:

"Partnering for Better Parks" will be held at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue, Saturday, May 16, from 9:30-noon. With current and future cutbacks to the City's budget for park maintenance, the Oakland Parks Coalition morning forum will provide organizing tools to make your park a community gem:

City resources at your disposal for cleaning & greening your park

On-line support group for park volunteers

Toolkit for Park Stewards

Learn from other neighborhood groups how to galvanize support & connect with groups looking for volunteer hours

Earth Day Every Day!

To learn about more about Oakland's volunteer opportunities, environmental issues and other ideas to make Oakland green, subscribe to my weekly
E-Newsletter at www.jeanquan.org

Look for a special thank you gift from me where you sign in to volunteer on Earth Day. For the fourth year we are distributing packets of native California Poppies. They are perfect for our City's dry, clay soil. You can see beautiful patches of these golden flowers in the medians & hillsides along Joaquin Miller Road and Skyline medians.