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NEWSLETTER: May 2013

In this issue:

Adopt-a-Rose for Mother's Day

Give your mother something unique, personal, and truly meaningful this Mother’s Day. Click here for more info!

Share this on Facebook for a chance to win one free rose adoption!

Spring Celebration

Thanks to all who joined us for the April 20th 10K/5K/1K runs, trail opening, and Spring in Guadalupe Gardens festival.

We are grateful for the underwriting support of San Jose Water Company, City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, San Jose Mercury News, NBC11, GreenWaste Recovery, Seven Flags Automotive Group, ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, and Best Electrical Co. We also appreciate the Environmental Services Department grant that allowed this to be a ZeroWaste event.

We also appreciate Minh-Chau Nguyen from Congresswoman Lofgren's office, Supervisors Dave Cortese and Ken Yeager, Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Member Tony Estremera, San Jose Councilmembers Kansen Chu and Sam Liccardo, Cisco's Ricardo Benavidez, and PRNS Acting Directory Julie Edmonds-Mares for joining us for the trail ribbon cutting. Please help us spread the good news that the trail to Alviso is open!

Bike to Work Day

We are expecting a big jump in the number of people using the trail to get to work on Thursday, May 9th. If you are one of them, stop by our Energizer Station on the lower trail, just north of Coleman Ave, from 6 - 9 am.

Window on the River Park

We rely on individuals, corporations, and foundations for operating support for our education, advocacy and stewardship efforts.

Window on the River Park, our annual fundraiser, will be held on Thursday, June 13th and is generously hosted by Adobe Systems, Inc. For sponsorship opportunities, click here, or to buy a ticket click here.

National River Clean-up

Join us for a day of environmental stewardship on Saturday May 18th from 9:00 am to noon as we remove debris from the river channel. We have already collected thousands of pounds of waste from the Guadalupe River this season! We need your help to stay on top of this ongoing effort. Please wear a hat, sunscreen, closed-toe shoes, and bring a refillable water bottle.

Homeless encampments are the largest source of trash in the river. Thanks to increased enforcement efforts by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, there are fewer encampments, but we need the ongoing presence of park rangers to keep the park clean and safe.

Call to Action: Please contact the San Jose City Council to advocate for the restoration of Park Rangers to Guadalupe River Park & Gardens.

Beaver Fever

We have extra motivation to keep the river clean: a beaver family has taken up residence. Thanks to Greg Kerekes we are able to share this video of the crepuscular critters.

Call to Action: please contact Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Chair Nai Hsueh to thank the board for allowing the beavers to stay.

Volunteer Corner

Meet Board Member Sheryl Hinshaw
Sheryl is a CPA and partner with Johanson and Yau Accountancy Corporation, where she specializes in tax planning and compliance services for individuals, estates and trusts. Sheryl earned her undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara and a Master's in Taxation from Golden Gate University. She is a longtime volunteer treasurer at the MIT/Stanford Venture Laboratory and has shared her expertise with many non-profit boards. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, Sheryl enjoys the local arts and environment, and the small wineries of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We are thrilled that Sheryl joined our board!

Meet Volunteer Diana Hanger
Every Spring the Conservancy gets a rush of school students excited to learn and explore in the outdoors, and this semester we are fortunate to have Diana Hanger as one of our Educational Aides. Diana is from Orange County and is currently working toward majors in English and Environmental Studies at Santa Clara University. Diana says the river field trips are her favorite classes as students learn about the food web and the importance of keeping the rivers clean. "Seeing them soak up the river experience is priceless," she says. Diana hopes to continue her career in education after graduation as a way of empowering our society's youth. Thanks to Diana for helping make the river park a great place to learn.

Upcoming Events

Homeschool Series

Special Astronomy Opportunity
May 4th 8:00pm
Special edition at Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space, click here for more.

The Spectacular Sun!
May 8th or May 9th

Never Get Lost: Making Sense of Maps
May 15th or May 16th

Guadalupe Geocachers
May 29th or May 30th

Click here to sign up!

 

 

Garden Planning

Wednesday, May 8th
7:00 to 9:00pm
$10/members, $15/non-members

This is our final class in the sustainable vegetable gardening class, now open to additional class attendees. Did you know that our Mediterranean climate is perfect for year-round gardens? Join Master Gardener Dee Brown for an informative class about planning your own garden. She’ll explain strategies for planting a bountiful garden in the space you have and help you avoid common problems in Santa Clara Valley gardening. More info.

 

 

Container Gardening Workshop

Saturday May 18th
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
$10/members, $15/non-members

Join Master Gardener Laura Westley as she shows you how to garden anywhere using containers. With containers we can bring great tastes, textures and smells closer to us, and keep gardening manageable by choosing plants and container sizes that meet our needs. During this talk you'll learn the basics of container gardening: soil, water, fertilizer, container materials (clay, plastic, etc.), container sizes, and common pests. Then you'll learn about a wide variety of plant that do particularly well in containers, with special emphasis on fragrant plants, plants that are fun to touch, and edible plants - herbs, fruits and vegetables. This workshop includes a hands-on planting demonstration. More info.

 

 

Bike Ride to Alviso

Saturday, May 18th
9:30 am to 1:00 pm
$10/members, $15/non-members

Been wanting check out the trail to Alviso but reluctant to go on your own? Join GRPC Executive Director Leslee Hamilton for a leisurely roundtrip ride to check out the trail's interpretive plazas and other destinations. Bring water, helmet and a sack lunch. More info.

 

 

Nature Inspired Yoga in the Park

Session 1: June 6th through June 27th
Session 2: July 18th through August 8th
Thursdays 6:15 to 7:15 pm
$25/members, $30/non-members, $10 drop in

With warmer weather and longer evenings on the horizon, it's time once again for Yoga in the Park. Join us and our favorite yoga instructor Kristin Strellis for a gentle yoga class designed to improve your flexibility, balance and relaxation. All necessary equipment is provided. All you need to bring is yourself, dressed in comfortable clothing, and any stress or worries that have accumulated throughout the week to release outdoors in the beautiful Guadalupe Park. This class will be taught outside. More info.

 

 

Legacy Giving

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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