A small group of volunteers can make a BIG difference!
In celebration of National Trails Day, SCA brought together over 40 volunteers in the Bay Area this weekend for a ConSERVE Bay Area event at Stern Grove Recreation Area in foggy San Francisco. This event is the third in the ConSERVE Bay Area series, a public service initiative devoted to mobilizing the community in support of the Bay Area’s public lands.
Stern Grove is a beloved Bay Area music venue where visitors can experience world-class symphony, opera, dance, and more in an unparalleled outdoor setting. The site also includes a full outdoor recreation complex with athletic fields, courts, and playgrounds. Working with San Francisco Recreation and Parks, SCA volunteers removed grasses and ivy from over 200 feet of rock retaining walls and spread a massive 5,500 square feet of mulch, all with the goal of restoring urban trails in the park.
Although Stern Grove is a local favorite for its free summer concert series and large recreation space, almost half of the day’s volunteers were visiting the space for the first time. Many volunteers had attended SCA’s Find Your Park Earth Day event in April and were joined by new faces attending an SCA event for the first time! “Working with SCA brought me greater appreciation for the parks than I ever knew,” said Jenna Philpott, volunteering with colleagues from Reading Partners. “Not only did I understand the work behind park maintenance on a much more personal level, but I also saw how much we can accomplish in just a few short hours as a team. Reading Partners colleagues grew closer with each other and closer with the community.”
Special thanks to San Francisco Recreation and Parks, Enovity, Girl Scout Troop 61902, and Reading Partners who joined the day. And a HUGE thanks to all of the volunteers who came out early on a Saturday morning to give back and help preserve this beautiful park.
Stay tuned at www.thesca.org/events for updates on SCA’s next Bay Area service event in September.