The Bay Area Backyard Collective brought together more than 60 volunteers for a day of invasive plant removal with the guidance of our partners at Marin County Parks.
Volunteers from Marmot, CamelBak, Clif Bar, REI and and The North Face hiked a steep incline to reach four areas for Himalayan Blackberry, Barbed Goat Grass and Pioneer Fennel removal in the Terra Linda Sleepy Hollow Preserve.
A White Tailed Kite soared above as Marin County Parks Natural Resource Field Staff Coordinator Pete Frye related the importance of the serpentine grasses for the preserve, adding a note of significance and beauty.
(photo by Amber Miksza)
The work here was demanding and teamwork a necessity. One of my favorite elements of the Backyard Collective is seeing how cooperative volunteers from our member businesses work together for the good of the project. New connections are always cultivated at these events. Our hope is that they continue to grow beyond the day.
Our celebration and Volunteer Fair was located a few miles away at the beautiful Lagoon Playground, overlooked by the Marin Civic Center. After a hard morning's work, volunteers arrived at the park hungry–a good thing as lunch was being served up by Top Dog Catering.
The Volunteer Fair included representatives from the Marin County Parks, the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Volunteers for Outdoor California, eager to discuss upcoming projects and opportunities for action.
We closed the day with words of inspiration and a raffle loaded with goodies from our participating member businesses. Thanks again to all who planned, worked and celebrated with us! For additional photos, visit our Facebook page by clicking here.
(photo by Amber Miksza)