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Volunteers Have More Fun...Scout's Honor!
Here at the Markham we are very lucky to have volunteer help in all shapes and sizes, ranging from our Tuesday 'regulars', to big annual group efforts during the Week of Caring, to the good deeds of Eagle Scouts...
Mostly our volunteers are all present and accounted for, hard at work at the Markham - but sometimes a field trip beckons....
Road trips:
Our intrepid troop of volunteers going walkabout....
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Markham volunteers afoot and afield....
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On a pretty perfect day in late July, our folks had a double header, visiting the beautiful Blake Garden in Kensington and the fascinating Sunol Water Temple AgPark.
The Blake Garden, located only 4 miles from the UC Berkley campus, supports teaching and research in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, and displays both new and historic garden designs. As is true for the Markham, the garden contains a large diversity of plant materials that grow in our Mediterranean type climate.
There was plenty to learn at the Sunol Water Temple AgPark, which as created in 2006 as a partnership between San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and SAGE. The AgPark fosters sustainable farming and public education programs, while protecting natural resources in the Alameda Creek watershed. The AgPark is located in the beautiful Sunol Valley at the confluence of two wild creeks, on 18 acres of prime farmland that SAGE leases from SFPUC.
Our volunteers give both places an enthusiastic 'thumbs up" and recommend that you visit them.
Working in the nursery:
Tuesday mornings are a good day to find Niccole hard at work...
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Volunteer Niccole Ferguson
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When asked what she does at the nursery, Niccole responded, "a little of everything!" One of our youngest volunteers, Niccole has dug, planted, repaired, built, and taken apart everything that's needed a bit of elbow grease and a spade or hammer.
Niccole began volunteering as part of a work experience program, in August of 2011, while pursuing an AA certificate in Horticulture from Las Positas. She hopes to go on for a degree in Agriculture.
Eagle Scouts volunteer for infrastructure project:
Walking through the park, Jay Patel and his mother wondered..."What are those trees?"
Well, that was a problem...
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Left to right, Scouts Patrick Murray, Andrew Wood and Jay Patel
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The Markham actually has a very good answer for that question, in the form of an excellent brochure -the " Markham Tree Walk" (downloadable from our website ) - but many of the associated numbered wood identifying posts were rotted out or completely missing.
Eagle Scout Jay Patel and members of Troop 444 put in several days digging, constructing and labeling new post markers to ensure that you can now visit the park and, Tree Walk map in hand, go looking for a Ghost Pine, a Bottle Tree, and the difference between two Redbuds (one Eastern, one Western) .
Working with partner organizations:
Sometimes, our volunteers are over at the neighbors...
Don't forget to mark your calendars to attend the
Contra Costa Mater Gardeners Sustainability Fair
taking place Sept 7, 2013 at CCMG 's Our Garden.
There's a lot on the schedule, with lectures from 10 - 2:00, and demos on everything from losing your lawn to keeping your bees.
We'll be having a table there, so please stop by and say "Hi". And, if you should happen to be interested in volunteering, we could certainly use some help with web site maintenance, marketing, and all the usual garden related tasks... and we do have fun!
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