There’s a role for everyone – including you.
Choose how you’ll support the revitalization of local rivers, healthier watersheds and more vibrant communities in Santa Cruz County today.
Volunteer with Your Team
Volunteer opportunities provide corporate teams, community groups and organizations with the perfect platform to enhance teamwork and encourage team bonding, through volunteerism in your own backyard. Our efforts are focused on making sure your team has an enriched experience that is both enjoyable and impactful.
Learn More and Sign Up
Enhance Habitat
The Santa Cruz Riverwalk provides a natural respite in our busy days, right in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz where you can go birdwatching, observe butterflies and watch bees move from flower to flower. This urban ecosystem only thrives if we support it. Take action today and volunteer to help your river thrive by joining CWC to learn how to identify and remove invasive plants, plant native species and maintain a thriving ecosystem along the lower San Lorenzo River.
Volunteer for River Health Days
Attend an Event
There’s something for everyone at the Santa Cruz Riverwalk. From nature tours to fun runs to arts festivals and more, events at the Santa Cruz Riverwalk are a great way to enjoy your favorite activities at the Riverwalk or to try something new. Check out upcoming events hosted by the Coastal Watershed Council and others at the Santa Cruz Riverwalk.
See Events Calendar
Take a Walking Meeting
Have you discovered the benefits of holding walking meetings? As Harvard Business Review describes the benefits can range from increased creativity to more honest exchanges with colleagues to supporting increased focus throughout the rest of your day. So, what are you waiting for?
Plan a Route for Your Next Meeting
Sponsor an Event or Program
Your business is already committed to environmental stewardship. Now, make it known. As a sponsor of the Coastal Watershed Council events, you’ll receive many benefits listed including recognition, opportunities for employee engagement and a sustainable environmental legacy for Santa Cruz.
Learn More about Sponsorship
Commute on the Riverwalk
Walking or riding the Riverwalk is a great way to beat traffic, get some exercise, de-stress and enjoy nature on your way to and from work. From the Riverwalk it’s easy to get downtown, to the Harvey West neighborhood, to West Cliff Drive, Arana Gulch and more.
Donate
Because of supporters like you, we are making incredible strides toward making the San Lorenzo River a vibrant, healthy and nourishing community space in the heart of Santa Cruz. Every dollar you give, gets us cleaner water, healthier habitat and a more engaged community around this important freshwater resource. It’s easy to donate online or mail a check to 107 Dakota Ave., Suite 4, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 today!
Host a Community Meeting
If you live, work or play along the lower San Lorenzo River, you have a unique opportunity to make a difference for the river. Learn how you can engage your neighbors and your colleagues in taking action that has a significant impact on the water quality, habitat, access and safety of the river and Santa Cruz Riverwalk today.
Stop Urban Runoff
Urban runoff is surface water that comes from rain or human sources and collects pollutants from the urban landscape. It comes from all kinds of sources throughout the watershed, including impervious surfaces that speed up runoff and prevent the natural processes that would normally protect clean water.
Make Sure Only Rainwater Goes Down Your Storm Drain
Visit the Santa Cruz Riverwalk
Walk, bike and ride the Riverwalk! Easily accessible from your favorite places like downtown Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Tannery Arts Center, you can visit the Riverwalk today. Enjoy park amenities like the pump track, disc golf course and playground. Teach your kids to ride their bikes. Take your dog for a walk. Discover your new favorite park!
Plan Your Next Visit
Monitor Water Quality
The first step to addressing pollution is knowing where it comes from. That’s why the Coastal Watershed Council trains volunteers like you to monitor water quality. Join CWC for events like Snapshot Day, the longest-running and largest annual water quality monitoring event in the state and help drive data-driven solutions for cleaner water today.
Volunteer to Become a Community Scientist
Pick Up Pet Waste
Pet waste from dogs impairs water quality in local streams and hurts our environment. Pet waste does not biodegrade like other animal waste and can contain harmful bacteria and viruses like E. coli, giardia, salmonella and cryptosporidium. When left behind, bacteria and viruses from pet waste can easily be carried by rain or runoff into the nearest storm drain or creek and eventually flow untreated to the San Lorenzo River and Monterey Bay. So pick up your pet waste in your home or backyard every time.
Be Your Pet’s Poop Fairy
Inspect Your Pipes
Leaky pipes under your home could be hurting the San Lorenzo River. A sewer lateral is a pipe that moves waste and sewage from your home to the sewer main under your street. Over time, sewer laterals age and begin to crack and when they do, it seeps bacteria-laden sewage into the ground which can pollute ground water with harmful bacteria. If you have older pipes or if you are not sure the last time your pipes were checked, now’s the time! An inspection by a plumber can prevent sewage spills, protect the river and save you money!
Learn More About Your Sewer Lateral