A staff member of a small nonprofit organization called ETR Associates wanted to organize an Earth Day event that could be implemented with co-workers during the work day. Her focus was on cleaning up the trash in a nearby creek bed.
ETR Associates is located alongside Carbonero Creek, which is part of the San Lorenzo Valley Watershed. According to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board, benefits of Carbonero Creek include its function as:
- Agricultural water supply
- Cold freshwater habitat
- Groundwater recharge
- Aquatic species migration waterway
- Municipal and domestic water supply
- Home to rare, endangered, or threatened species
- Spawning, reproduction, and/or early development area
- Wildlife habitat
Some of the species that inhabit Carbonero Creek include:
- Plants and trees: Maple, alder, willow, sycamore, oak, sedges, fern, and mugwort
- Animal life: Crayfish, turtles, frogs, ducks, steelhead trout, and salamanders
Successful Practices
Planning
- Asked the human resources and operations departments for permission to conduct the service activity at the workplace, and asked if they wanted to collaborate on the event.
- Put together a creek clean-up kit that included large bags for recycling and trash, gloves, and a scale to weigh the collected garbage.
- Connected with the county to gather some background information on creek wildlife and creek usage.
- Sent an all-staff e-mail a few weeks in advance to let colleagues know about the project and the creek's function in the local watershed.
- Publicized the event by posting signs in the building.
- Solicited donations as incentives and rewards for participation.
- Sent a reminder e-mail to let staff know the clean-up would happen rain or shine, and to suggest appropriate attire for the project.
- Sent an e-mail reminder the day of the event, including the meeting time and place, and the duration of the project.
Implementation
- Fifteen percent of staff members turned out for the clean-up (approximately 15 people).
- These 15 formed teams of two or three.
- During their lunch hour, staff collected garbage from in and around the creek, including the parking lot area surrounding the building. (The most common items collected were plastic — sheeting, bags, bottles, and coffee cup lids.)
- Prizes were given for Most Trash Collected, Most Unusual Item, and Largest Item. Prizes included organic chocolate bars, homemade cookies, plants, and coffee beans, all of which came from other staff members and a local coffee shop. (The largest items included a tire, a chunk of metal, and a stuffed bear, while several items competed for Most Unusual, including a plastic set of vampire teeth, a boom box, toys, and a deflated exercise ball.)
- Refreshments were provided to all participants immediately following the event.
- The event organizer sent a follow-up e-mail to let all staff know about the positive outcome of the project, to recognize participants, and to increase general awareness about the local creek and Earth Day.