District 1 photo by James Seward
By James Seward
District 1 information officer
Over the past year, the team behind District 1’s Local Grant Program has been hard at work guiding its seven Cycle 1 projects to completion.
All seven of the projects were granted to underserved communities throughout District 1’s four counties, and Local Grant Program Manager Preston Allen has been at the helm, working with program partners and engaging with the public to teach people more about the projects taking place in their communities.
Preston has been to more than 10 outreach events since taking on the Clean California local grant manager position nearly three years ago and said he believes these events help community members understand the scope of the projects and the myriad ways they aim to improve their communities.
One project that Preston helps manage is the Peninsula Beautification Project in partnership with Redwood Community Action Agency (RCAA) and Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District. While the primary goal of the project is to enhance public spaces and increase the number of safe outdoor recreation spaces within the Peninsula, the project is proactive about providing engaging opportunities for the community to get involved and participate in different ways including mural painting and beach cleanups.
“Our partners have done an excellent job improving the Peninsula community in a fun and creative way by working directly with community members to paint murals throughout the area and host scavenger-hunt-inspired beach cleanups,” Allen said. “Murals and other forms of public art help to make spaces such as parks feel more inviting, and they also help to reduce the amount of litter in the area.”
District 1 photo by James Seward
On Sept. 21, the Peninsula Community Collaborative, in partnership with RCAA and Clean CA, hosted their Trash and Treasure Beach Clean-up in Samoa to support California Coastal Cleanup Day. More than 65 people participated, including staff from District 1. Participants in the cleanup were given treasure maps to hunt for hand-blown glass fishing floats as they picked up litter along the beach.
District 1’s Clean CA coordinator, Julia Peterson, said the turnout was great. “Participating in events like this help the community by cleaning the environment so we can better enjoy the natural beauty, encouraging working together as a community toward a common goal, and strengthen the awareness and desire to keep litter from occurring throughout our community.”
Deputy Director of Maintenance and Traffic Tom Fitzgerald and Chief of Programming and Asset Management Valency Fitzgerald were also at the cleanup event and focused on removing litter near the Vance Parklet, which was the first Clean CA project completed statewide. In just two hours, the pair picked up enough litter to fill six large bags.
“Events like this benefit our community in so many ways,” Allen said. “Not only do they work to beautify our public spaces, but they provide an opportunity for people in the community to work together with a shared goal.”
While Clean CA Local Grant Program’s Cycle 1 projects are projected to be completed by the end of next year, Cycle 2 projects are currently underway with many more project-related outreach and community events to come.