Give Back To The Bay
Volunteer to plant 30,000 native wetland species this winter
By Tim Gaskin

Dec 10 | archive | subscribe

Upon the one-month anniversary of the tragic November 7 Cosco Busan oil spill, Save The Bay is continuing its work to improve the health of the Bay by restoring vital wetland habitat.  Save The Bay needs hundreds of volunteers to help meet its goal to plant 30,000 native plants at wetland sites along the Bay.

“A healthy Bay is essential to our quality of life and economy,” says David Lewis, Executive Director for Save The Bay. “The oil spill was a tragedy for the Bay and it’s now more important than ever to continue building healthy wetland areas to improve Bay water quality and provide habitat for wildlife.”

Save The Bay is urging the Bay Area community to “give a gift to the Bay” by volunteering during the crucial winter planting season and is offering 70 volunteer programs.  Timely watering is vital to the success of newly planted seedlings, and planting during the wet season ensures that rainfall will give each plant the water it needs to grow and thrive.  Additionally, weaker solar radiation, diluted Bay water, and seedless invasive weeds make the winter the perfect time to plant.

In the wake of the November 7 oil spill, wetlands serve an increasingly important function as habitat for displaced wildlife during such emergencies, as well as pollution filters that help clean Bay waters.  Additionally, wetlands act as a sponge, providing flood control when water levels are high and are effective in combating global warming.  Save The Bay is working with dozens of partners to establish 100,000 acres of healthy wetlands ringing the Bay by protecting remaining wetlands and restoring former wetlands to their natural tidal marsh state.

Save The Bay is looking for individuals and groups of people to sign up for  winter planting projects  during the week of December 17-21 at any of four sites in Oakland, Hayward, Redwood City and Palo Alto. savesfbay.org/bayevents