Tri-Valley Earth Day Celebrations Unfold on April 23

Interested in learning more about the physical and biological environment in which we live? Pleasanton's Earth Day celebration, sponsored by the City of Pleasanton and the Zone 7 Water Agency, offers fun activities that reward participants with both education and a chance to help clean up local landscapes.

The day's activities take place from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Main Street Green, the municipal park located at the Main Street Bridge in downtown Pleasanton. Here's a summary of what's on tap:

Meet local Master Gardeners: Certified area Master Gardeners will be on hand to discuss Earth-friendly techniques for needs such as fertilizing and weed control. They will also have information on using California native plants and other species that require less water. The Master Gardeners will also be able to answer specific questions in a one-on-one format, which means this is a perfect opportunity to solve your unique garden problems.

Explore Arroyo Del Valle with Pleasanton's City Naturalist: The Main Street Green abuts Pleasanton's downtown waterway, the Arroyo Del Valle, and Pleasanton's City Naturalist will be there with microscopes and other materials to explore and explain the biology of the creek.

Enjoy juggling by H2O-Yeah! Entertainer and educator Doug Nolan will be performing a show that teaches viewers about the water cycle, the area watershed, and the importance of conservation and stewardship of the environment. The show starts at 10:30 am.

Learn and participate. The event will include a number of other activities. The Zone 7 Water Agency will have a model that gives an underground view of California, illustrating the dynamics of the state's groundwater flow from the mountains to the ocean. "There's a really large groundwater basin under the Tri-Valley," explains event spokesperson Barbara Kusha. "We draw about a quarter of our drinking water in any given year from that basin and store lots of our water there as well. One of Zone 7's major responsibilities is to be a steward for that groundwater basin and ensure that it doesn't get polluted, and we have a model that helps us do that."

There will also be a diorama on display which illustrates how storm water collected by street drains is transferred to area creeks and eventually the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean. Home Depot will also provide materials for a craft activity at the event.

Finally, there are a number of activities offered in both Pleasanton and Livermore for those interested in getting involved first-hand with local environmental stewardship. The Zone 7 Water Agency is sponsoring creek cleanup activities at different sites in Pleasanton. Contact Barbara Kusha at (925) 964-1751 to sign up or for additional information on any aspect of Pleasanton's Earth Day celebration.

Livermore's Earth Day events begin at 8:30 am at Robertson Park with sign-ins and a continental breakfast for clean up volunteers, with festivities continuing in the park from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm after the clean up is completed. For additional information on Earth Day in Livermore, call (925) 371-2091.

Also in this issue...

Share this page!