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NEWSLETTER: December 2013

In this issue:

Super Bowl Sunday Run, 9am

Kick off Super Bowl Sunday in San Jose with the Super Guadalupe River Run! Don't fumble the opportunity to burn some calories. Whether you go long for 6.2 miles, run a 3.1 mile buttonhook, or tackle the kids' 1K quarterback sneak, you'll earn your guacamole on the Guadalupe. Click here to register.

Giving Tuesday

We are helping to create a new tradition - #GivingTuesday - a day for giving back. On Tuesday December 3, 2013, global charities, families, businesses, community centers, students and more will come together to invest in their community.

Just find a way for your family, community, company or organization to come together to contribute something, and then tell everyone you can about how you are giving.

There are many ways you can help us:

Please consider an end-of-year gift to help us:

  • Connect children to nature by providing field trip programs, with environmental education activities tied to state standards.
  • Produce excellent events -- Pumpkins in the Park and Super Guadalupe River Run -- that get people into the park and enhance the quality of life in San Jose.
  • Advocate for the expansion and upkeep of the downtown trail - the backbone of the city's trail network.

Other ways you can help include corporate matching. You might be able to double your contribution if you work for one of the many generous companies in Silicon Valley that offer a matching gift program! Stop by our office to pull a tag from our holiday tree (critter care, dip nets, waterproof boots, office supplies).

Volunteer - bring a group for a river clean up or to help in the gardens.

Pool of Genes

We are grateful that Bracey and Richard Tiede rescued the Pool of Genes fountain last year from its ignominious conversion to a planter. The Tiede's have generously donated funds to support its annual operation for another year. When asked why, they responded, "Because it's such a cool piece of art and deserves to be seen by the community." Thank you Bracey and Richard!

Salmon Spotted

Chinook Salmon have returned to spawn in the Guadalupe River! Dan Periat, a fisherman who lived on River Street 43 years ago, was moved by a Mercury News story to send in a donation to support our conservation work, writing, "this is the best news I've heard in a long time." Here's a brief video taken by Education Coordinator Richard Tejeda. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, we can reveal that the park is also home to wild turkeys.

Volunteer Corner

A hearty thanks to all the volunteer groups that toiled to make GRPG a more beautiful place this past November:

Alpha Phi Omega (of SJSU), California San Jose Mission, Cisco Systems, De Anza College ACF (Active Community Engagement), Mission Bay, Morgan Autism Center, and Piedmont Hills High School.

And that is only the groups! We also appreciate the scores of individuals who come out weekly to make a difference.

 

Meet Volunteer Michaela Rhine
Raised in Los Gatos, Michaela aspires to bring about change in the world as a Global Studies minor. Her leadership with groups certainly shows what she can do! Michaela has taken the initiative in leading volunteers for us in the Heritage Rose Garden and Historic Orchard.

She also loves to hike, sing in her car, and hang out with friends and family. In her own words, "I never realized how much fun gardening could really be!" Thanks Michaela, we look forward to seeing you this winter as well!

So many ways to give:
Adopt A Rose, General Donations, The Donor Walkway, Memberships, Endowment, Critter Donations

Mail checks to:
438 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA 95110

Or call:
408-298-7657

Upcoming Events

Homeschool Programs

Geography: The Why of Where

This month we turn our focus to geography--the science that studies the Earth and how it has changed over time. We'll explore the physical, human, and biological systems that define a place like the Guadalupe River Park.

December has three Weds/Thurs sessions, the price is: $25 per student per three-class series for members, $40 per student per three-class series for non-members.

The World Next Door
December 4th/5th

Making Sense of Maps
December 11th/12th

Orienteering
December 18th/19th

More info.

Annual Holiday Wreath Workshop

Saturday, December 14th
10:00 am to 12:00 FULL! or
1:30 to 3:30 pm
$25/members, $35/non-members

only 5 spots left!

Get ready for the holidays the old-fashioned way by making your own wreath! Master Gardeners, led by Milli Wright, will show you how to create one. All basic materials will be provided, but if you have some special greenery, lights or ornaments that you would like to incorporate into your wreath, feel free to bring them along. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. More info.

Rose Pruning Classes

Wednesdays & Saturdays
January 4th through February
8:30 to 11:30 am
Free!

Hands-on rose pruning lessons will be offered at the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden every Wednesday and Saturday, beginning Saturday, January 4th and ending February 26th. Lessons begin promptly at 8:30 am.

Come to learn, engage with community members, and have fun! Please bring leather gloves and bypass shears, if you have them; loaners are available if needed. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring a full water bottle. Meet in the center of the garden. More info.

Dormant Fruit Tree Pruning

Saturday, January 18th
9:30 -- 11:30 am
$10/members, $15/non-members

Learn how to prune your fruit trees with professional landscaper Sean McGrail. Gain hands-on experience by practicing your newly learned techniques on Guadalupe River Park & Garden's Historic Orchard, a 3.3-acre site planted in 1994 to showcase the varieties of fruit trees such as cherries, apricots and prunes that once made the Santa Clara Valley famous as the "Valley of Heart's Delight." More info.

Christmas Bird Count

Sunday, December 15
8:00 am to noon
Free!

Join us for the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, a census of early winter bird populations. More than 50,000 volunteer observers across the Americas take part in counting birds in their particular area. The result is over a century of data that is used by scientists to monitor changes in the bird population over time. Please join us to complete the census of birds in Guadalupe River Park & Gardens from Coleman Ave to Hwy 880. No experience is necessary. Click here to sign up.

Legacy Giving

If you are over 70 1/2 years old and have an IRA account, you can make a tax-free charitable donation of up to $100,000 until December 31, 2013.

The advantage is that the transferred amount does not count as taxable income but does count toward your required minimum distribution. Please note, to qualify as an IRA Charitable Rollover, the distribution must go directly from your IRA custodian to the charity.

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