List of Ecological Restoration projects locally. Having some experience I should warn people that more than 70% of the work involves removing invasive species – weeding – and watering new planting is also essential – but it’s all fun and worthwhile.

Please send updates and info on other events and opportunities to paulineseales120@gmail.com

Next Steps: list of projects brainstormed at a recent get together

Social permaculture course – Starhawk and others – beyond restoring earth – Dec 7 – 9 in Oakland/SF – $250 for 3 days – would be good if someone could go and report back. https://starhawk.org/event/group-leadership-and-empowerment-social-permaculture-mini-intensive-oakland-ca/

Nov 17 – Tree Planting Day in Watsonville. City of Watsonville & Watsonville Wetlands Watch got an urban greening grant which supports this – a good place to support (important that North county people know it’s a bad idea to go to a project and take over in South County as that dynamic can sometimes happen) – other periodic restoration projects.  https://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/events/upcoming-events

Coastal Watershed Council – restoring land — River restoration.  https://coastal-watershed.org/events/  email: abilginsoy@coastal-watershed.org or call 831-464-9200

Groundswell Coastal Ecology   https://groundswellecology.org  –  They’ve been leading the Seabright Beach coastal restoration project.  Also projects at Lighthouse Field and West Cliff Drive. – question about if pulling out ice plant and planting something else is really a net carbon sink or not

Nov 17 – Tree Planting Day in Watsonville. City of Watsonville & Watsonville Wetlands Watch got an urban greening grant which supports this – a good place to support (important that North county people know it’s a bad idea to go to a project and take over in South County as that dynamic can sometimes happen) – other periodic restoration projects.  https://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/events/upcoming-events

Coastal Watershed Council – restoring land — River restoration.  https://coastal-watershed.org/events/  email: abilginsoy@coastal-watershed.org or call 831-464-9200

Groundswell Coastal Ecology   https://groundswellecology.org  –  They’ve been leading the Seabright Beach coastal restoration project.  Also projects at Lighthouse Field and West Cliff Drive. – question about if pulling out ice plant and planting something else is really a net carbon sink or not

City of Santa Cruz – Urban tree Planting Project  https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/services/parks-and-recreation

City Forester  831-420-5246   To volunteer contact ikeedy@cityofsantacruz.com

The city aims to plant 300-800 trees annually in the future. Planting 500 trees will sequester 1,355 metric tons of CO2

Project at county building to do native plant restoration (Karsten)

Jessie St. Marsh restoration, Santa Cruz.
(Erica & Karsten know about this).  It’s just below Ocean View Park in Santa Cruz, and connects to the San Lorenzo River. Friends of Jessie St. Marsh would be the contacts.  Sierra Club promoted this a few years ago, but it still needs to be worked on.

California Department of Agriculture – has demonstration farms – millions of dollars available for farmers – there is potentially a need to help farmers with grant applications — Healthy Soils Initiative and others —  https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/

Join International Ecosystem Restoration Camps movement for 10 Euros a month
https://www.ecosystemrestorationcamps.org/product/become-a-member-of-ecosystem-restoration-camps/

Natural Building—Roofing project in Morgan Hill, Wed-Sun. Nov 28-Dec 2.
Jill Kunishige’s land near Uvas County Park.  She’s been doing restoration and natural building projects  there.  If you’re interested, contact Jill via email to make sure there’s room for you to participate:  jkunishige@yahoo.com  Having the intentions out – taking responsibility, having interest in learning, feed people and it unfolds so beautifully.

Amah Mutsun Land Trust – Juristac (pronounced Yur-is-tac) — some land in danger of sand mining – is a sacred site for their culture – if mining isn’t allowed then hopefully the price of the land will be low enough that the Amah Mutsun Land Trust could afford to buy it. Sign petition on their website to the Santa Clara County Supervisors  https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org/

Amah Mutsun Land Trust hosts regular volunteer work days each month in the Mutsun Gardens at Pie Ranch and at San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.  These work days are a great way to learn about the ethnobotany of the Amah Mutsun people and do your part as a contemporary steward of the Bay Area. Signing up for their email list is the best way to stay informed about ways to volunteer. https://www.amahmutsunlandtrust.org/volunteer-with-amlt

Film: In the Land of My Ancestors: Celebrating Ohlone Women Reclaiming Their Roots
about Indian Canyon,
premier in Berkeley Nov 16 — Sold Out, but let’s see if we can host a Santa Cruz showing in the near future.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-the-land-of-my-ancestors-celebrating-ohlone-women-reclaiming-their-roots-tickets-51342062491

Nancy — Voluntary Land tax property program – what would it take to get a program started so landowners can support regeneration. (The Shuumi Land Tax directly supports the Sogorea Te Land Trust’s work to acquire and preserve land, establish a cemetery to reinter stolen Ohlone ancestral remains and build a community center and round house so current and future generations of Indigenous people can thrive in the Bay Area. Nancy would like to see this voluntary property tax system operate in Santa Cruz County.)
Reiterated – when it comes to projects in Watsonville – is not about having white people come in ker-plunck – take over. Regeneración – Pajaro Valley has a great track record of inclusivity

A need to take responsibility – to ensure that there is continuity and plants don’t die from lack of watering as they’re being established – a balance with this

Reach out to Bay Area land trusts to see if they have projects we could be involved with, or land needing restoration – POST, Mid-Pen – etc.

Elkhorn Slough Foundation  http://www.elkhornslough.org

Watsonville Wetlands Watch and City of Watsonville Urban Greening Program, Saturday, Nov 17 tree planting. Register in advance: https://www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/events/upcoming-events