Pickleweed Park/Canal Neighborhood Program

Multi-Cultural Campaign Kicks off for Earth Day, April 19!

On Saturday, April 19 San Rafael hosted an Earth Day celebration that included over 20 environmental and community organizations. The event featured information and activities in three languages, a litter cleanup, invasive weed removal, community celebration and more. The celebration featured acts from around the world, including the Marin Chinese Cultural Center’s Lion Dance Team, the Xiuhcoatl Aztec Dancers, Latin Rock band Lava, and the Marin Sanitary Garbage Drill Team. The Canal Troop 2000 Boy and Cub Scouts helped set up and clean up after the event and were featured on banners that were installed that day invoking a sense of community pride through keeping the neighborhood and park clean. The Canal Welcome Center and Canal Alliance helped promote the event and our emcee for the day was Douglas Mundo, Director of the Canal Welcome Center. Since the Earth Day program, residents, Park and Community Center staff have all reported a noticeable reduction in litter around the park after weekend activities.

    
More Photos from Earth Day click here.

Background
On July 15, 2006, after seven years of planning, the City of San Rafael celebrated the completion and opening of the new Pickleweed Park Community Center.  There is no doubt that the Center is not only beautiful and an asset to its surroundings, but is a hub for community life, used daily by many residents and in many ways.  Now the community has expressed an interest in creating an anti-litter effort toward keeping the area clean.

In that regard, a neighborhood specific campaign has been started in multiple languages to reduce litter where San Rafael meets the Bay. Informal fact-finding meetings have been held in which residents, businesses and various local groups came together to brain-storm ideas and resources for assuring that this vital neighborhood does not succumb to the negative effects of litter.  Statistics have shown that just a small amount of litter begets more litter, which then begets crime, causes health hazards for children (such as stepping on glass or metal), and loss of civic pride.  This program will work from Pickleweed Park outwards into the rest of the Canal Neighborhood to instill an ethic of stewardship of the land through litter education, marketing, events and activities, a banner program, and community outreach efforts.    Please consider joining the effort.

Contact Information: Cory Bytof;  415.485.3407/3436;  Email: Cory.Bytof