RRWA Environmental Column – September 2019
By Jon Caldwell
September 21 – 28, 2019 is Creek Week in the Russian River Watershed! Join in with this spirit of environmental conservation and community enrichment by getting educated, invested and involved.
Creek Week is an opportunity for the community to collectively take on the task of cleaning the creeks of litter and debris, but did you know Conservation Corps North Bay is taking on the task year-round? This unique non profit organization takes an amazingly well-rounded approach to protecting our community by creating opportunities for the “corpsmembers” to earn their high school diploma, along with providing a job and developing the real-life skills and discipline these individuals need to thrive.
Under the supervision of a highly qualified and capable management team, Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB) trains its corpsmembers to offer a wide range of services which profit and enrich the community. Their Natural Resources division provides assistance with a variety of tasks including trail construction and maintenance, flood prevention, fire fuel reduction and habitat restoration; among many other services. They also operate a Zero Waste program which benefits the community by providing:
• Outreach and community education regarding recycling services and receptacles;
• Storm drain labeling throughout Northern California to help prevent illegal dumping of motor oil and other harmful pollutants into our waterways;
• Used tire and bulky item collecting, recycling, and disposing; and
• E-waste and mattress collection events!
As of mid-July, CCNB has partnered with the Mattress Recycling Council to accept used mattresses at their Cotati location every Monday to Thursday between the hours of 7:30am to 3:30pm free of charge. Not only do they collect e-waste free of charge, they even go to your location and haul it off for you! Follow this link for more information on the CCNB Zero Waste program and to view their events page:www.ccnorthbay.org/zero-waste.
You can contribute to the health of the Russian River ecosystem by participating in creek and river cleanup events throughout the watershed. To view Creek Week events in your area, visit www.rrwatershed.org’s Blog.
This article was authored by Jon Caldwell, City of Cotati, Department of Public Works, on behalf of RRWA. RRWA (www.rrwatershed.org) is an association of local public agencies in the Russian River Watershed that have come together to coordinate regional programs for clean water, habitat restoration, and watershed enhancement.
