Congratulations to Kaiya, who the Santa Cruz City Council honored with a 2022 Volunteer of the Year award for her excellent work coordinating volunteers to care for the San Lorenzo River ecosystem at the Santa Cruz Riverwalk Park, owned and operated by the City of Santa Cruz. Kaiya, who joined the CWC staff in December 2021 has already made an incredible positive impact on this ecosystem.
Kaiya has engaged 205 youth and adult volunteers in 390 volunteer hours along the lower San Lorenzo River mulching, weeding and watering around 450 new native plants comprising 12 species! Way to go, Kaiya and this incredible teams of volunteers who is helping to increase biodiversity and ecosystem resiliency along this urban section of our river.
The ceremony was part of CitySERVE’s recognition of National Volunteer Week. Major Sonja Brunner remarked that The week is about “inspiring and recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities, demonstrating that by working together we have the fortitude to work together and accomplish our goals.”
Thank you Kaiya and all of CWC’s incredible volunteers – we couldn’t do it without you!
Cover photo credit: Emily Pomeroy