Happy Holidays!

Great Holiday Gift Ideas!
The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy offers many great holiday gift items some of which, such as rose adoptions, are donations to us, a non-profit organization. Qualifying purchases would be tax-deductible, and might also be eligible for corporate matching donations.

Patch Pack Greeting Cards
All six cards feature our mascot, Patch Lapin the rabbit; click here to see which pics.

More Gift Ideas
Donations, Memberships, Adopt-A-Rose, Donor Walkway, Gift Certidicates, Greeting Cards, Umbrella, Sun Visor, Watershed Maps, Plane Spotter, Compost Bins

New Program for Homeschool Students!

The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is proud to introduce our new Outdoor Environmental Science Program (OESP) for homeschool students! Each class covers a unique theme within the environmental sciences, and your child can sign up for an individual class, come to several classes to cover a unit, or attend all the classes to build an interdisciplinary understanding of nature and science. Here is a quick preview of our upcoming classes, always Wednesdays, always $10/child:

Wiggly, Squiggly Worms, January 19th
Junior Geocachers, February 16th
Rock Your World, March 16th
Flower Power, April 13th
Fishy Mysteries, May 11th

For more information about the OESP program, click here.

Staff Changes
Unfortunately, Linda McCabe, our education coordinator since 2007, is leaving the area – and us. In addition to her ongoing education responsibilities, Linda played a critical role in getting Guadalupe Community Garden up and running, leveraging her Master Gardener credential and connections. She has been instrumental in fostering local partnerships that have expanded the reach of our programs. Linda is a consummate team player and will make an impact with some lucky organization in Phoenix.

Assuming the coordinator role is Stephanie Lind, who worked with our field trip program in the spring and came on full time as our Silicon Valley HealthCorps member in October. Stephanie has a degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Barbara and has experience as a research assistant, camp teacher, and biological technician.

Kate Schaffner (photo below) is replacing Stephanie in the HealthCorps role. A recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Kate earned her B.S. in molecular, cell and developmental biology and worked as an outreach coordinator for UCSC’s Program in Community and Agroecology, an undergraduate training program in sustainable gardening, composting and environmental education.

We're sad to be losing Linda but thrilled to have Steph and Kate on staff.

Orchard Update: December
Greetings! My name is Kate Schaffner, and I am the newest Silicon Valley HealthCorps member at the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy. I will work to maintain and enhance the Historic Orchard and Community Garden as places for adults and children to reconnect to San José’s vibrant agricultural history and where their food comes from today. With that introduction, I give you the latest installment of the Orchard Update series.

• With the start of a rainy winter, our wet orchard has settled into its cold-weather dormancy. With their leaves shed and their growth slowed, our fruit and nut trees are collecting the chilling hours (below 45 ºC) they need to bloom and grow properly next spring.
• More>>>

Community Hero

Bank of America recently honored five local activists for their work in the community. Trails activist Larry Ames was very deservedly one of those recognized. Larry was able to direct a $5,000 award to the non-profit organization of his choice; we were very proud that he chose us. Congratulations and thank you, Larry!

Single-Use Bag Ban Ordinance

In our role as stewards, we mobilize volunteers to pick up trash on a weekly basis, so we are very aware of the impact of single-use bags on the Guadalupe River. Plastic bags get swept into storm drains that then empty into the river. The debris that isn’t carried out to San Francisco Bay ends up lodged in branches and plants along the banks the Guadalupe, harming wildlife and creating visual blight.

What: San Jose City Council voting on a single-use bag ban
Where: City Council Chambers, 200 East Santa Clara St.
When: December 14th, 2pm
**Wear blue to show your support for a plastic bag ban!**

Eagle Scout Projects at the Park

Boy Scout Steve Huynh just completed an Eagle Scout Service Project for us. Steve constructed three elevated worm bins that we will use to teach elementary school students the value of letting worms eat your garbage. These bins replace ones that had deteriorated to the point of being unusable; the new design keeps the bins off the ground and at a much better height for students to access. Now all that is left to do is transfer the worms to their new homes!

Michael Searing with Boy Scout Troop 260 just went through his Eagle Scout Court of Honor for a project he completed on the Guadalupe River Trail. Michael’s split-rail fence project was supervised by Park Rangers and is located on the trail just north of Coleman Ave, along the eastern side of the Guadalupe River. The new fence will deter hillside erosion and give the newly planted native grasses a chance to grow.

Meet the Board: Joe Sugg
Joe Sugg has been the Assistant Vice President for University Operations at Santa Clara University for the past 15 years. In this capacity he has directed the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the physical plant, grounds and utilities; led the campus environmental health and safety program; and managed the campus safety and security efforts. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and The University of Texas at Austin, he served 24 years in the Air Force as a pilot, then base facilities engineer, and the five years as facilities manager at Texas A&M University before coming to Santa Clara University. Joe and his wife, Marianne, have one son, one daughter and five granddaughters.

Annual Holiday Wreath Workshop
Saturday, December 11th
10:00 to 12:00pm
1:30 to 3:30pm
$25/members, $35/non-members

This annual workshop is so popular; we’ve added an additional time slot. Get ready for the holidays the old-fashioned way by making your own wreath to adorn your front door! Master Gardener Milli Wright and friends will show us how to look through our gardens to find unusual items that can be incorporated into the wreaths. After a basic design lesson, and examples of other clever projects, you will be ready to create your own personal gift for your home. All basic materials will be provided, but if you have some special greenery, lights or ornaments that you would like to incorporate onto your wreath, feel free to bring them along.

December is for Giving
Friday, December 10th
3:30 to 5:00pm
$10/members, $15/non-members

The holidays are here! What a great time to make a gift for someone special! Come join the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy and together we’ll get creative by reusing and recycling crafty materials. You’ll be able to create your own unique gift to take home for a special person. Weather permitting, we’ll take a walk in the park to see and appreciate the gifts nature has given us.

Christmas Bird Count
Sunday, December 19th
9:00 am to Noon
Free!

The Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is an all-day census of early winter bird populations that takes place every year between December 14th and January 5th. More than 50,000 volunteer observers across the Americas take part in counting all birds in their particular area. The result is over a century of data on bird populations from North to South America. This data is crucial because it is used by scientists to monitor bird population changes over time.

This year the San Jose Count will take place on December 19th. Join the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy to complete the census of birds in the section of the River Park from Coleman Ave to Hwy 880, and in the Guadalupe Gardens. Please contact linda@grpg.org or call 408 298-7657 if you would like to help with the count. No experience is necessary.

Dormant Fruit Tree Pruning
Saturday, January 22nd
9:30 to 11:30am
$10/members, $15/non-members

While waiting for the weather to get warm enough for planting, why not sign up for a pruning workshop in the Historic Orchard with Sean McGrail, Pruning Specialist. Tools, techniques and basic pruning concepts are taught, and you will get to practice what you’ve learned and support the Historic Orchard by actually helping to prune different varieties of fruit trees. The Historic Orchard is a 3.3-acre site planted in 1994 to showcase the varieties of fruit trees that once made the Santa Clara Valley famous as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight”. The orchard contains over 250 fruit trees, including cherries, apricots, prunes, apples, and more. It is maintained by dedicated volunteers.

Renovating your Landscape
2 Saturdays, February 5th and 12th
10:00 to 1:30pm
$35/members, $45/non-memb

Bon Appétit! Talk Culinary Herbs with Joan Cloutier
Saturday, February 26th
10:00am to 12:00pm
$10/members, $15/non-members

Sustainable Vegetable Gardening
Wednesdays from March 2nd
through April 6th
7:00 to 9:00pm
$60/members, $70/non-members
Instructor: Ann Northrup

Composting Classes
Wednesdays, April 13, June 1
July 6, August 3
6 to 8 pm
Free!

In the Photo Gallery

GRPG FlickR Group

California Rose
(rosa californica)
The California Rose is a deciduous native shrub that’s geographical range runs from Oregon into parts of Northern Mexico. It is found in semi-dry environments such as chaparral, woodlands and the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is most commonly found along stream banks and has adapted to seasonal flooding. It grows along our Guadalupe River and can easily be seen from the trail. Known as the California Wild Rose, it has 5 pink pedals, yellow filaments and stamens, a thorny stem and simple leaves that are serrated around the leaf margin. The hips are red and edible or used to make tea because of their fragrance. The hips also provide nutrients and energy to squirrels, deer, coyotes and other wildlife. Their fruits attract insect pollinators and their thorns provide a place for smaller mammals and birds to build nests and escape from predators. They form dense thickets by using rhizomes, which entails them sending out an underground horizontal stem that will sprout and form a new shrub. Come see our Native California Rose in its natural environment and while you're here be sure to check out our Rose Garden, which has 2,600 different species of roses!! The largest collection in the Western Hemisphere!

By: Richard D. Tejeda, CIG
Guadalupe River Park Conservancy
Education Assistant

Legacy Giving

As a supporter of Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, you care about our mission. But what happens to your support when you pass on? If you remember Guadalupe River Park Conservancy in your will or revocable trust, you will help us continue the work that you value, far into the future.

Why Should You Include a Charitable Gift in Your Will (Or Living Trust)?

1. It’s simple to do. It can be as easy as including language stating, “I give $20,000 to Guadalupe River Park Conservancy.”
2. You can change your mind. We won’t receive the gift until after your death. During your lifetime, you can amend anything you choose, i.e., beneficiaries, amounts, etc.
3. Tax-wise, it could be beneficial. Gifts to qualified charitable organizations reduce the value of your estate for estate tax purposes. 
4. It’s an easy way to support Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, and we’d be grateful for your gift. Bequests of every size build our future financial strength.

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Guadalupe River Park Conservancy
438 Coleman Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 298-7657
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