California State Parks Foundation will celebrate Earth Day 2019 by hosting service projects to get local residents in touch with park needs, increase awareness of issues like climate change  

BENICIA — California State Parks Foundation and Benicia State Recreation Area team up to celebrate Earth Day by hosting service projects for local residents, families, community groups and corporate employees. At the event, volunteers will plant native plants, replace irrigation, and install interpretive signs at the Forrest Deaner Native Plants Botanic Garden to improve this important educational and natural resource in the park. Community members, families, youth and volunteers will gather to participate in volunteer projects to connect, protect, enhance and celebrate state parks on Earth Day.

Norma Deaner, event organizer, is expecting close to 100 participants including 30 volunteer employees from PG&E. All age groups are welcome (volunteers under 17 must be accompanied by an adult).

The Benicia State Parks Association received a $5,000 Earth Day/Parks Champion grant award from the California State Parks Foundation and proceeds from the grant and event will be used for plants, garden tools, irrigation supplies and interpretive signs.

A complimentary lunch for volunteers will be supplied by Subway restaurants and coffee and pastries will be provided, courtesy of Starbucks. To volunteer and learn more about the event, visit calparks.org/earthday or call 415 262-4400.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Benicia State Recreation Area

1 State Park Road Benicia, CA  94510

9 a.m.: Morning kickoff with Earth Day welcome and overview of the day

9:30 a.m.-Noon: Volunteer work at the park

Noon-1 p.m.: Lunch and thank you closing remarks

California State Parks Foundation is an independent, member-supported nonprofit that mobilizes a diverse network of Californians to be active champions for our state parks.  At California State Parks Foundation, we believe that all Californians are essential to sustaining our state parks. Every day, we inform and inspire current and future generations of park champions, enabling them to be the passionate advocates our state parks need. Because without us, and them, California may wake up one day to find this incredible system of unique state park treasures has vanished.

Our 2019 Earth Day celebration is an effort to connect more people with their state parks, building park champions now and for the future. When volunteers have the opportunity to get in the dirt and weeds, literally, and make a personal connection with their local state park and fellow community members, the pride of ownership and responsibility can spur a lifetime of advocacy on behalf of California state parks.

Since the inception of California State Parks Foundation’s annual Earth Day celebration and day of service in 1998, we have mobilized 89,835 volunteers contributing more than 355,410 hours, which amounts to nearly $7 million in park maintenance and improvements. Additionally, nearly $7.3 million has been raised through California State Parks Foundation’s Earth Day program to benefit state parks and the millions of Californians who rely on them for recreation, education and inspiration.

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