On January 16, 2023, The Watershed Project hosted a volunteer workday between 17th and 20th on the Richmond Greenway in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., who fiercely believed in unity and the power of coming together to work towards a common goal; freedom from oppression. When we come together to volunteer our time to keep the Richmond Greenway healthy, clean, and thriving, our act of generosity is antithetical to that of the oppressor, who takes many shapes and forms in the various racist systems that keep, for example, all neighborhoods from having adequate funding for and equitable access to thriving nearby nature.
The Watershed Project is lucky to partner with West Coast Wild Ecological Restoration, who took the lead in plant and mulch selection for the event and met with volunteers to share their expertise and lead demonstrations on planting and mulch spreading. All together, there were nearly 70 volunteers who helped spread mulch over 1000 square feet on the bioswale and oak groves! In addition to spreading truckloads of mulch, there are now over 50 more plants in our bioswales and monarch restoration area on 17th! A big shout out to the following groups who made up most of our volunteer count:
- Jack and Jill
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Alpha Nu Omega Chapter
- Outward Bound
- Earth Team
- Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
We would be remiss not to mention that the MLK Day of Service on the Richmond Greenway extended above and beyond the sections between 17th and 19th, in fact, the event all together hosted 440 volunteers from 6th street all the way to 33rd street, thanks to the many other community partners who hosted volunteer events along the greenway:
- Rich City Rides
- Moving Forward
- Hope Worldwide
- Building Blocks for Kids – Richmond
- Groundwork Richmond
- Cal Cameron Institute
- Contra Costa Resource Conservation District
- The Friends of the Richmond Greenway
- Pogo Park
If you’d like to watch some video footage of the event, here are 2 videos provided by Tony Tomayo:
The Watershed Project is proud and grateful to be part of this event, the Richmond Greenway and the Richmond community at large.
Funded by a Love Your Block Mini-Grant from the City of Richmond City Manager’s Office, Economic Development and Community Services Department.
TWP sends major shoutouts to our friends at West Coast Wild Ecological Restoration!
