Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.
Pick the Coast Clean
Coastal Cleanup Day is Saturday, September 21 from 9 a.m. to noon, a day to head to local beaches, rivers, and streams and help rid them of shoreline spoilers like food wrappers, cups, and lids. Bike, carpool, or use public transportation to get to volunteer sites. Don’t forget to bring gloves and a bucket or reusable bag. Here are more tips on how to prepare for the annual event that supports clean water and healthy marine life goals. Remember to scour the Monitor’s coverage for news about other local efforts to eliminate trash from Bay Area waterways.
Blaze a Trail
Niles Canyon Road (Highway 84) will be closed to cars on Sunday, September 22, clearing the way to hikers, runners, and bicyclists for the “Stroll and Roll.” The event is intended to help raise awareness about efforts to build a public trail through the canyon. A project study was released two years ago, highlighting opportunities for creating a Class 1 trail that’s separate from but follows along the north side of Niles Canyon Road, effectively linking Fremont with the Town of Sunol. Proceed here to learn more about the event and proposed trail.
Get Real
Head to a community meeting Thursday, September 5 in Santa Clara on the future of the El Camino Real Corridor with Greenbelt Alliance, Livable Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara Community Advocates. The event is an opportunity to provide input and ask questions about sustainable transportation, affordable homes, and future development plans affecting this vital corridor that spans the length of the Peninsula and South Bay. City officials from San Mateo, Redwood City, Santa Clara, and San Jose will be on hand, in addition to several other speakers. Register here.
Fire Danger Discussion
Wildfires have wreaked havoc in Northern California, and now are leaving ruins and records in the faraway Amazon rainforest. The devastation comes with big repercussions for the global climate. Consider that when forests burn, carbon storage — along with biodiversity and the Amazon’s indigenous culture — is lost. That’s according to a September 24 Climate One event description for “Scorched Earth: Culture and Climate Under Siege.” Leila Salazar-López (pictured), executive director at Oakland-based advocacy group Amazon Watch, will help explain tree loss at the hands of wildfires and deforestation each year. Buy tickets here.
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