In honor of science, spring and Earth Day, which is really every day, here are some great  ways that you as an individual can make a positive impact on the natural world.

Sustainability and Biodiversity

One of the major challenges we face today is the strain we are putting on our planet’s life sustaining resources, breathtaking biodiversity of species, and soul enriching natural spaces.  The good news is that we make choices every day which can have a positive impact on the natural world–whether it be buying products with less packaging, avoiding rodenticides which could eventually be ingested by raptors, or eating sustainable seafood or palm oil.  You can download the Seafood Watch app onto your smart phone for easy reference while shopping or dining.  Learn more about choosing sustainable seafood here: https://www.seafoodwatch.org

Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated around the world every year on April 22 to raise awareness of environmental concerns and inspire citizens to take action. The first Earth Day in 1970 was the brainchild of Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator. Nelson said that “Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.” Learn more: www.earthday.org

National Volunteer Week

During National Volunteer Week, we have a chance to celebrate “the impact of changemakers…and inspire others to serve.”  We would like to thank all our dedicated CuriOdyssey volunteers and give special recognition to Elsa Valenzuela, this year’s recipient of our Volunteer Leadership Award. Elsa has volunteered with us for 10 years and has logged over 2100 hours, primarily by assisting the animal keepers and helping to educate our guests, and most recently by volunteering with our marsh conservation projects.

CuriOdyssey Conservation Volunteers

Most CuriOdyssey volunteers donate 40 or more hours per year, but not everyone has the ability to volunteer on such a regular basis. Conservation projects provide the perfect opportunity for one-time or short-term service. Cleanups, habitat restoration projects, and stewardship programs also provide opportunities to volunteer alongside family, friends, and co-workers. CuriOdyssey is proud to partner with the County of San Mateo Parks Department on conservation projects at Coyote Point Park. Learn more about all the conservation volunteer opportunities through San Mateo County Parks:  https://parks.smcgov.org/san-mateo-county-parks-volunteer-events

2017 Coyote Point Earth Day Cleanup Results

  

On Earth Day last Saturday, over 250 volunteers picked up thousands of pieces of trash and recyclables at Coyote Point Park, totaling an estimated 4.5 cubic yards. The most common items collected were food wrappers and beverage containers, along with a lot of Styrofoam and cigarette butts. Participants included individual community members and families, large groups from Burlingame High School and Girl Scouts, and volunteers from GAP Stores, PG&E, WellsFargo, Kaiser, and Oracle. Thank you to all who participated. Please join us next year!