World Clean Up Day - Salinas Valley Health and Blue Zones at Natividad Creek Park

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

Salinas Valley Health staff and family joined Blue Zones Project Monterey County at Natividad Creek Park in Salinas on World Clean Up Day (Saturday, September 18). About 40 people tackled several projects to beautify the park and support the Local Urban Gardeners program. In addition to picking up trash, the Salinas Valley Health team helped weed the public community garden designed to increase the availability of fresh, organically grown vegetables and healthy food options for nearby residents. The volunteer group donated more than 80 hours of energized labor to also built an outdoor classroom space for the public to hold workshops and other community classes. Salinas Valley Health Health Promotions brought in tree stumps and arranged them for socially distanced seating. Volunteers sanded and painted the stumps to create a colorful, inviting space for local schools, colleges, non-profit organizations and others to gather and collaborate. Local Urban Gardeners work with Communities for a Sustainable Monterey County and other groups to expand programming for residents and youth on nutrition, organic gardening, composting , water and soil conservation, native plant habitats, eco-literacy, and environmental stewardship. Salinas Valley Health is a co-sponsor of Blue Zones Project Monterey County and promotes community service as one of its core organizational values.