On Monday, January 16th many Santa Cruz residents had a day off work in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. A famous quote of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'” It’s in that spirit, of doing for others, that 500 volunteers participated in 10 projects throughout Santa Cruz County.

One such project took place at the Santa Cruz Riverwalk, on the corner of River St. and Water St. with employees from Plantronics, Inc. and their families. The group convened at the Riverwalk to give back to their community and their environment by beautifying and enhancing the habitat in this riverfront green space. Led by Coastal Watershed Council and Ecological Concerns, Inc. the volunteer group planted over 50 native and drought-resistant plants to this area, known as a parklet.

As quoted in this article about the day of service in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, CWC River Scientist Alev Bilginsoy shared, “We do this to get the community to the Riverwalk, to make it an accessible community asset. It was really fun to meet with new people and talk about the river as a community asset, and to educate people about the role of the river in the community — for drinking water, as an ecological hub and a hub for the community.”

The Plantronics parklet is part of the Coastal Watershed Council’s ongoing Adopt A Parklet program that allows local businesses and community partners to adopt and invest in green spaces in order to revitalize the Santa Cruz Riverwalk. If you are biking or walking along the Riverwalk, stop by and enjoy the new parklet. If you’re interested in getting your own community group or business involved in the Adopt A Parklet program, contact CWC River Scientist Alev Bilginsoy at abilginsoy@coastal-watershed.org or (831) 464-9200.

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