This winter the Friends worked extra hard to apply for large private and public grants to make creek restoration on the Willow Creek Academy (WCA) campus a reality. Board member Emily Schmidt was a sponsor for our application to the Lennox Foundation to design a daylighted creek in the upper campus, and remove the non-native eucalyptus trees to accommodate the restoration. Also included is design of an outdoor classroom to accompany what would be a new, ¼-acre size outdoor laboratory with a year-round creek! The drainage improvements would extend to the staff parking lot and possibly rehabilitate an old well and irrigation system for the campus.
Yesterday, the Friends of the Creek received $100,000 to make progress on these projects. We have another application for State Prop 1 funding for a similar amount of money, using the Lennox funds as match. With this significant endowment, as well as a $4,500 grant from the Rose Foundation, we are aiming to make our organization a little less informal, with membership, open meetings, and enhanced reporting moving forward into our Seventh Year as an organization. We will be working to strengthen our connections to the community, both in the school and the watershed, and we ask that you seriously consider a more active role with us in restoring creeks to Sausalito. There is much interest in the philanthropic, investor, and government funding sectors to invest in these multi-benefit environmental and educational projects for our present and future generations, and we need your help and enthusiasm!
We appreciate folks’ contributions to the Friends of the Creek over the years, as donations are tax deductible and can be done via our website.