Civic Center Floating Island Unveiling

On Friday June 3, 2016 at 4 PM please join the Gallinas Watershed Council (GWC) and Marin County Supervisor Damon Connolly for the official unveiling of the Civic Center Lagoon FLOATING ISLANDS.

GWC volunteers will kayak to the islands and remove the temporary fencing around the two Floating Islands to reveal their full glory. The fencing was to keep birds from ruining the islands while the native plants were getting established.

The floating islands are biofilters that were launched in October 2015 during the annual Bioneers Conference. They demonstrate how to clean the water of the lagoon using biomimicry, where nature-based technology works to remove excess nutrients.

We will meet on the Children's Island in the Civic Center lagoon at 4PM. This event will take 30 minutes.

Learn more:

www.gallinaswatershed.org/civic-center-floating-island-unveiling-june-3-2016/

Kahl Consultants owner Alex Kahl made front page news when his volunteer project was featured by the Marin Independent Journal this weekend.

Bio-filtering islands launched during Bioneers Conference. Alex helped install floating island Biofilters at the Marin County Civic Center lagoon:

www.marinij.com/environment-and-nature/20151016/bio-filtering-islands-launched-into-civic-center-lagoon-at-bioneers-conference

 

The hands-on activity at the Bioneers Conference was the culmination of what started out as a class  project for the Environmental Forum of Marin in 2014. Alex and his Master Class 41 classmates Aurora Mahassine and Dan Monte together with over 100 volunteers planted and launched two floating islands in the Civic Center lagoon.

Alex is extremely grateful for everyone who was part of the team that made this project a reality, including:

Gallinas Watershed Council

Environmental Forum of Marin

Marin County Supervisor Damon Connolly & Aide Chris Callaway

Marin County Dept of Public Works (Liz Lewis and Laurie Williams)

Marin School of Environmental Leadership LEAD students (Elly, Sophie, Ben Cole, Evan, and Max)

MarinLink

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association

It would not have been possible without financial and in-kind support from:

• The Watershed Nursery
• Embassy Suites Hotel
• Autodesk

Last but not least, a big thanks to all who contributed to the fundraiser on Indiegogo:

www.indiegogo.com/projects/civic-center-watershed-restoration#/story

GWC will be at the County Fair for Watershed Demo on July 1, 2015

Visit Gallinas Watershed Council at the Marin County Fair Garden Tent and learn from Floating Islands West what a floating island can do to improve water quality at the Civic Center lagoon.

Kids 12 and under were FREE at the Marin County Fair on July 1, 2015. Kids love our watershed model. Even a few local politicians have learned about watersheds (see 2014 photo with Al Boro and Damon Connoly).

• Learn about water
• Fun and interactive
• Spray “rain” on a watershed to follow the flow of water and spills
• Outdoors learning for all ages
• Demonstrates common sources of pollution
• Find out how to reduce human impact
• FREE!

See details here:
www.gallinaswatershed.org/county-fair-watershed-demo-july-1-2015.html

Gallinas Watershed Council in 2011

Efforts by the Gallinas Watershed Council to promote watershed planning for the zip code 94903 area (North San Rafael) finally paid off as Marin County launched a serious effort to begin this process in 2011.

Other watersheds in Marin have had their cities such as Ross, Fairfax, Corte Madera, Larkspur and Novato stepping up as major partners.

We hope San Rafael will do the same. Upstream impervious development and creek channelization leads to downstream flooding; a whole watershed approach will create systemic improvements so that those at the end of the line are not shouldering the burden alone.

GWC highlights from 2011:

Jan: Participated at the Bay Area Environmental Education Resource Fair

Feb: Held our 1st community watershed workshop at Northgate Mall
Gave tours of the creek with local politicians and journalists to draw
attention to the significant value of the wetlands
Attended a LOT of meetings around the bay dealing with Sea Level Rise,
Climate Change and Watershed planning

May: Began developing our watershed plan vision
Became an official creek group within North Bay Watershed Association
Promoted Marin County’s Watershed plan to local agencies
Made watershed presentations with Liz Lewis to Santa Margarita,
Contempo Marin and Mont Marin Homeowners’ Associations

Sept: Held our first Watershed Education Bike Tour and BBQ
Presented Gallinas Creek info at the Santa Venetia Labor Day Picnic

Nov: Presented watershed appropriate planning information at the SMART
Civic Station Area Design Committee community meeting
With Diana Connolly developed the Gallinas Creek Watershed Survey
www.surveymonkey.com/s/ gallinascreekwatershed
Submitted a letter and spoke out to SR Planning Commission
addressing the serious flaws in the FEIR for the airport soccer development

GWC will continue to monitor proposed developments and speak out against inappropriate development. We will be watching as the Phase 2 Stormwater Pollution regulations come into effect and help support city and county efforts to keep our waterways free of trash and toxic chemicals.

We will also keep reminding everyone of the effects of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise on our area and promote ways that work with, not
against, nature.

As always we can use your help, personally and financially, as we work to protect our local natural environment. Join our email list at www.
gallinaswatershed.org to stay in touch with important issues or join us for a kayak tour, bike ride or headlands hike that celebrate this beautiful
landscape we are so fortunate to live in. We usually meet on the third Monday of the month and would love to have you join us!

To volunteer for Gallinas Watershed Council call  415 578 2580.

My Earth Day Marin offers outdoor community service projects to protect the environment, creeks, watersheds, and fish and wildlife in Marin County

About Us

The "My Earth Day Marin Coalition" was founded by the Marin County Parks and Open Space District, the City of San Rafael Volunteer Program, the San Rafael Clean Program, the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin, and the Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program. Together we sought  to increase the number of service projects in Marin, abate litter in our watersheds (beaches, creeks, parks, open space preserves, cities and towns), remove invasive plants, restore trails, watersheds and sensitive habitat areas, remove graffiti, encourage community involvement, inspire youth, and enjoy our beautiful, natural environment!

Inspired by the incredible success of California Coastal Cleanup Day, we saw Earth Day as an opportunity to organize, promote and publicize multiple environmental service projects in Marin. Together, we organized large groups of volunteers who participated in cleanup events at several different locations.  For example, at Pickleweed Park in San Rafael, over 100 people removed countless pieces of litter from local streets and beautiful marsh areas bordering the bay. Local Rotary Clubs prepared and served food to smiling volunteers, musicians donated their time and skill on stage, fruit smoothies were made by bicycle pedal powered blenders, knowledge was gained and great differences made, a solid stepping stone was set!

The My Earth Day Marin Coalition is dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities for people of all ages and experience levels to get involved in their community and environment.  Our list of partner agencies and project opportunities continues to expand. 

We are now grateful to have planning and other assistance from the Marin County Community Development Agency, the Marin Municipal Water District, the Marin County Department of Public Works, and the San Rafael Department of Public Works. We’re promoting our own Earth Day service projects as well as those of many amazing organizations throughout Marin, including, but not limited to, the Marin Audubon Society, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model Visitor’s Center, City of Novato, City of Mill Valley, Gallinas Creek Watershed Council, Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, Conservation Corps North Bay, Friends of Corte Madera Creek, Willow Creek Academy Charter School, Safe Passage Along Lucas Valley Road, and the Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary.

And we could not have produced our website without a Marin County Parks and Open Space District volunteer, Alex Kahl of Kahl Consultants (http://www.kahl.net), who donated his time to design and build the site. We’re grateful to all the agencies and volunteers who work to abate trash and care for our natural environment on Earth Day!

For more information about activities and events visit http://www.myearthdaymarin.org or call 415-499-3778.