(BRISBANE, CA) January 11, 2016 – More than 150 young volunteers from throughout the Bay Area will conduct an extensive restoration of the Old Guadalupe Trail to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The event, sponsored by the Student Conservation Association (SCA)’s Bay Area division, will take place on Monday, January 18th, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“Service to nature advances Martin Luther King’s legacy as well as our quality of life,” states SCA President and CEO Jaime Matyas. “The local leadership provided by these young people, from every sector of the city, is vital for our communities and pays an enormously fitting tribute to Doctor King.”
In addition to taking place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the project marks the debut of SCA’s ConSERVE Bay Area, a public service initiative designed to mobilize young people in support of the region’s public lands. ConSERVE Bay Area will feature large-scale service events on a quarterly basis and is modeled after a program SCA launched in New York City to repair lands and habitats damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
The January 18th project will take place at San Bruno Mountain State and County Park in collaboration with the San Mateo County Parks Department, and kicks-off the Parks Department’s Stewardship Corps program in conjunction with an SCA student crew dedicated to habitat restoration through stewardship activities.
“The Student Conservation Association places great value in our partnership with San Mateo County Parks,” says SCA Western Regional Vice President Jay Watson. “It is a true partnership, jointly paid for, which allows us to work in park lands throughout San Mateo County.”
SCA volunteers and those of San Bruno Mountain Watch will remove invasive English ivy and restore riparian areas using native plants along the Old Guadalupe Trail.
Volunteers are asked to pre-register at http://SCAConSERVEBayArea.eventbrite.com and the first 150 registrants will receive a free SCA ConSERVE reusable water bottle. Participants should meet at the park entrance at Park Entrance on 555 Guadalupe Canyon Parkway, Brisbane. A free shuttle will depart at 8:45am from the SamTrans Park & Ride Lot on Hill & D Street.
About San Mateo County Parks:
San Mateo County Parks operates 20 separate parks, encompassing over 17,000 acres, and 190 miles of county and local trails, including three regional trails. The parks are located throughout the County and represent a wide variety of natural settings including a coastside marine reserve, a bayside recreational area, coastal mountain woodland areas, and urban sites. For more information, visit www.SMCoParks.org
About San Bruno Mountain Watch:
San Bruno Mountain Watch has worked diligently for over 40 years to protect and preserve San Bruno Mountain as the largest and richest remaining example of the native Franciscan bioregion.
San Bruno Mountain Watch’s Stewardship Program aims to foster diverse communities of people lovingly dedicated to caretaking and experiencing the thriving life of San Bruno Mountain. For more, visit www.mountainwatch.org.