Are you wanting some sunshine, a workout and to learn how to be more resilient? Join us to build a rain garden!
Join us to build a rain garden site, connect with community changemakers, and learn about climate resiliency! This event is an SV2 Get Proximate experience with Climate Resilient Communities (our new Grantee Partner) and Fresh Approach.
This event is in-person in East Palo Alto, and will be outside. If it rains, we will reschedule. We encourage you to arrive between 9:45-10am, we will start at 10am on Saturday, February 11th. We will roll up our sleeves and do some gardening work. Please wear comfortable, dirt-friendly, and warm clothing and shoes. Bring snacks and your refillable water bottles to stay hydrated and nourished throughout the workday. Lunch will be provided.
Address: 1785 Woodland Ave, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
From CRC: Our main goal for this first building day is to bring the community together to begin the installation for our first rain garden site. We’ll dig out the garden site, prepare barrel sites, and repair 3 existing barrel sites.
To attend this event, SV2 requires that all SV2 participants:
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- Are COVID vaccinated and boosted at least two weeks before the event
- Test negative for COVID within 24 hours of the event
- Stay home if you are feeling sick or are experiencing symptoms
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If you have any questions, please contact Amy Badiani (abadiani@sv2.org), SV2 Director of Community Engagement.
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Background:
Climate Resilient Communities (CRC), was recently selected as Grantee Partner in SV2’s Climate Justice Grant Round. This Get Proximate event is an initial engagement opportunity for SV2 to start to develop trust and a strong relationship with CRC, and the East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, and North Fair Oaks communities.
Climate Resilient Communities is a community-based organization dedicated to serving the underrepresented through empowering community voices to implement climate solutions that bring about unity and resilience. Since 2016 Climate Resilient Communities has been on the ground learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven (Menlo Park), and North Fair Oaks.
CRC is currently working to build 2 rain garden demonstration community resilience hub sites and 25 home rain gardens and cisterns in East Palo Alto. A main outcome of the 2020 East Palo Alto Community Vulnerability Assessment was an emphasis on nature-based solutions to climate change, especially pertaining to flooding. Despite this widespread community interest, most EPA residents lack the training, information, and capital needed to install and maintain natural infrastructure in their own homes and neighborhoods.
The purpose of this project is to bring together, educate, and train East Palo Alto (EPA) residents to install rain gardens and cisterns in local homes that mitigate flooding, drought, extreme heat, and other climate change impacts. Our goal is to create a community- and science-based strategy for city-wide scaling of rainwater harvesting systems, as well as garden/cistern installation and maintenance at a subset of EPA residences.