By Jeanine Strickland, Landscape Architect The landscape was shrouded in an epic fog when I arrived at the Bay Area Discovery Museum on a recent morning, yet I felt giddy with excitement at the prospect of working with environmental artist Patrick Dougherty of Stickwork. I was going to be part of the magic of building what I consider the ultimate green architecture project! Mr. Dougherty was working in a roughly-framed labyrinth, a whimsical nest of willow whips caught up in an ephemeral tensile structure. He put me to work in an inner room, described the general idea with sweeping gestures, …
We Love Nature in Richmond!|Nature is All Around Us
By Nikki Muench Everyone’s definition of “nature” can be different. A connection to nature can be found on any scale, from your lovingly tended-to backyard to a national park, and everything in between. We often seek out nature as a place to escape to, a place to restore our fatigue or melt away our frustrations, a place to connect with family and friends. Your favorite place could be a short walk from your office, a bike ride to your local park, or an hour-plus drive in the car. Nature is able to offer each of us something different to appreciate and take in. Embracing this month’s theme of …
The Watershed Project Turns 20!|Kicking off our Anniversary Year of Events
By Lauren WoodfillThe Watershed Project is turning 20 this year, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate our two decades of growth and success with our community of volunteers, alumni, staff, neighbors, partners, and everyone who has made our mission of watershed protection and education possible. While anniversaries are often a time to reflect, we hope to also use this year as a reaffirmation of our commitment to a sustainable future. We are celebrating our 20th Anniversary as a Call to Action, and hope you can join us! Throughout 2017, we will have monthly 20th Anniversary …
An Interview with Martha Berthelsen|Celebrating Watershed Stewardship in Action
By Sharon Gibbons Martha Berthelsen is the public program manager for The Watershed Project. She reflects on her work as a watershed restoration educator and activist. As part of our year- long celebration, we will be interviewing people who have made significant contributions to The Watershed Project. Sharon: How did you become involved in The Watershed Project?Martha: I first learned about The Watershed Project (which was the Aquatic Outreach Institute at the time) when I took a few of their classes, a “Kids in Creeks” workshop and a couple of field workshops on local creek restoration …
Experiments in Sustainable Food Systems|West Contra Costa Schools Continue to Transform Cafeterias
By Lauren Woodfill We are excited to hear about Madera and Peres Elementary schools’ new experiments into school lunches and waste reduction! These two West Contra Costa Schools in El Cerrito and Richmond are launching a week long test run later this month into cooking cafeteria food from scratch, continuing a movement of sustainable food systems across the school district. The partnerships between the West Contra Costa United School District, parents, community organizations, and more all make programs like this possible, as we all continue to explore the most effective, sustainable, and …
