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NEWSLETTER: April 2015
In this issue:
Rotary PlayGarden
We are so grateful for the Rotary's vision, leadership, and generosity! This fantastic park will open in May, once the landscaping is established -- stay tuned for a date.
We are fundraising to cover maintenance costs and appreciate all donations.
Interested in volunteering at the PlayGarden? If so, please send a message to volunteers@grpg.org.
Adopt a Rose
Looking for a distinctive Mother's Day gift? A bouquet of roses will last a week, but a rose bush will bloom throughout the year. With your donation of $50 (no package) or $60 (with package), we will help you select the perfect rose and prepare a gift box for your Mom.
Education Updates
Last year, we received a $83,000 grant from the Lennox Foundation that helped create an outdoor classroom, funded field trips for Title 1 schools, purchased tablet computers and much more. Some Lennox Foundation board members visited on March 13th to see what we'd done with the funds. Imagine our joy when we received a letter last week with the following, "We were so impressed with your facility and programs, we decided to 'round up' your grant from the $72,833 requested to $100,000.” Many thanks to Amelia Norris and her family for their involvement in and support of our programs! The new grant will be used to create family workshops, inject art into our STEM curriculum, develop Maker activities, upgrade technology and much more.
Education Coordinator Cindy Moreno made a presentation about adapting programs to serve people with special needs at the March Mid-peninsula Environmental Educators Alliance meeting.
Due to the drought, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife canceled last year's aquariums in the classroom program. Though the drought persists, this year they are using hatchery fish instead of native steelhead so the fish eggs we are incubating will be released in San Jose's Lake Cunningham. Stop by to see them!
Volunteer Corner
A hearty thanks to all the volunteer groups that toiled to make GRPG a more beautiful place this past February:
Apple Computer, Inc.
Boy Scout Troop 485
California San Jose Mission
Cisco Systems
Evergreen Valley High School Leo's Club
Hands on Bay Area
Homestead High School National Honor Society
Intel Corporation
Los Gatos High School
Milpitas High School Move Club
Morgan Autism Center
National Charity League, Heritage Oaks Chapter
National Charity League, Saratoga Chapter
Notre Dame High School
One Brick
Piedmont Hills High School Interact Club
Yerba Buena High School Interact Club
And that is only the groups! We also appreciate the scores of individuals who come out weekly to make a difference. We logged more than 1620 volunteer hours in February.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunties
- Rose Garden Workdays
Weds. and Sats. 8:30-11:30 am. More info.
- Monthly River Clean Up
Sat. April 18, 8:30-11:30 am. Sign up.
- Historic Orchard Volunteer Work Day
Sat. April 4th, 8:30-11:30 am. Sign up.
Meet the Board Member Joann Zimmerman
Joann is a Bay Area native and a long-term resident of Santa Clara Valley. A recently retired health care executive, she has provided strategic leadership for local health care systems over the past 25 years. Joann received her Bachelors of Arts in Communication and Public Policy at UC Berkeley; a Nursing Diploma from St. Luke's School of Nursing; a Master's of Science Degree in Health Education and Leadership; and a Certificate of Completion at the Stanford Business School Executive Program. She enjoys being connected with her two grown daughters, regular exercise at the gym and local hikes, experiencing the local arts, and trying new restaurants and food adventures. Thank you for sharing your time and talents Joann!
Meet Volunteer Tyler Watts
Tyler Watts, a San Jose local, joins us every week to help maintain our native plants and compost bins. His passion for the natural world and native plants are a perfect match for us and stem from his days backpacking in the High Sierra and taking classes at De Anza College. Tyler spent 5 years in the United States Army. When he isn't busy here spreading his smiles and tending to our compost, he can be found taking long strolls and reading history and sci-fi novels. This month marks his one-year volunteering anniversary with us; thank you Tyler! |