BGC Monthly Meeting -- January 17, 2012

Conservation Mixer -- 2 to 3 pm

Every year our club makes contributions to local organizations with projects similar in spirit to our objectives. Our monthly meeting will focus on two presentations from groups supported by the Berkeley Garden Club. This program is timely because the Conservation Committee will be meeting on Monday, January 30th to discuss this year's donations and all interested members are welcome to attend. For further details, see the bulletin or contact the Chair of the Conservation Committee, Patricia St. John.

Susan Schwartz will talk about Friends of 5 Creeks, an all-volunteer group working hands-on for clean water and healthy watersheds. They work to protect and restore natural areas for the benefit of both wildlife and people on the urbanized east side of San Francisco Bay. They have walks and talks as well as work parties One of the best known is their Weekday Weed Warriors! See their website ( www.fivecreeks.org)for maps and slide shows of some of their restoration projects,and to sign up for their informative monthly e-newsletter.

Allison Chan will talk about Save the Bay, a non-profit organization started 50 years ago by three brave women who had an "impossible" idea – that people, working together, could prevent the Bay from being destroyed. They've led tens of thousands of people in a citizens' movement that saved the Bay from being filled to a narrow river. Save The Bay’s success improved the quality of life and economy of the Bay Area, and inspired new environmental organizations throughout the nation. See their website ( www.savesfbay.org) for more information.

Our club has supported many more organizations, including but not limited to:

Alcatraz Historic Gardens Project
Berkeley Partners for Parks
Berkeley Path Wanderers
California Native Plant Society
Citizens for Eastshore Park
East Bay Regional Parks Foundation
Greenbelt Alliance
Kids for the Bay
Oakland-East Bay Garden Center
Quarry Hills Botanical Garden
Save Mount Diablo
Sempervirens Fund
Penny Pines Plantation
UC Botanical Garden
Friends of Regional Parks Botanic Garden
Native Here Nursery