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20 UCOP volunteers turn out to clean up Channel Park

Channel Park cleanup crew

The OP team that volunteered for the Earth Day cleanup at Channel Park included (from left): Chris Reiser (Gemma’s husband), Saphonia Foster, Jeff Warner, Ryan Chan, Charlotte Strem, Matthew Leet, Jeannie Urban, Gemma Reiser, Amal Smith, Kay Coelho, John Fox, Doug MacNeil (Tracy’s husband) and Tracy FitzGerald.

Earth Day is behind us for this year, but its effects live on.

A team of 20 eager UCOP volunteers and their families came to work the morning of Saturday, April 26, to clean up Channel Park, a segment of the channel between Lake Merritt and the Oakland estuary that is also a wildlife refuge.

They edged sidewalks, cleared overgrown plants and removed trash, making the area more enjoyable for the Lake Merritt community and the wildlife that inhabits the open space from the lake to the estuary.

“You may not be aware of how many people walk through the park on their way to Laney College, jog through the park or use it as a shortcut from 7th to 10th,” wrote Judy Johnson, Channel Park steward for the Oakland Parks Coalition, in a letter thanking the volunteers.

Next time you’re in the area, check out the park (see map) for a walk, some egret watching or to enjoy a few quiet moments.

UCOP Earth Day activities also included a fair, a recycling drive and brown bag as well as two poster sessions featuring students from UC Berkeley’s Student Environmental Resource Center presenting their projects.

A big thanks to the OP Staff Assembly Earth Day Committee, whose members conceptualized and coordinated the month’s activities; they were Darlene Alvarez, Ryan Chan, Lifang Chiang, Tracy FitzGerald, Peter Forde, Jeannie Malanowski, Annette Morrison-Politeo, Gemma Rieser and Jeanie Urban.

 


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  1. Jeanie Urban May 6, 2014 Reply

    Re: Earth Day events… Big “KUDOS” to Tracy FitzGerald; she made most, if not all, of the OP Earth Day activities possible through her leadership. I never had so much fun pulling ice plant! Cheers to Tracy and OP Staff !!!

  2. Tracy FitzGerald May 6, 2014 Reply

    Thank you Jeanie for the kind words.

    This was definitely a work of love, partly due to the great team that worked on all of the events. The week of events would not have happened without all the great ideas and follow-through that the team provided.

    My hope is that we can create more events like this that promote communication and team building and highlight the variety of departments at UCOP.