On Sunday, April 21, 2013, with spring in the air and trees full of fruit, the Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project, a grassroots organization that seeks out residents willing to share their surplus fruit, harvested at approximately ten residences on the Westside of Santa Cruz. The group of over a dozen, which included both first-time pickers as well as seasoned veterans, gathered at the entrance to Neary Lagoon on California St. before splitting into teams.
Archive | Environment
O’Neill Coldwater Classic 2012 at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz
The O’Neill Coldwater Classic is an annual surfing competition at the iconic Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California. The 2012 O’Neill Coldwater Classic held local trials on October 31, and the first round began on Thursday, November 1. After a couple lay days — surf conditions were not adequate — the contest resumed on Sunday and finished on Tuesday, November 6.
The event has taken on various incarnations over the past three decades. For 2012, the O’Neill Coldwater Classic was upgraded by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) from a second-tier contest on the World Qualifying Series to a first-tier World Championship Tour (WCT) event in celebration of O’Neill’s 60th anniversary. The O’Neill company, founded in 1952 by Jack O’Neill, is known the world over for revolutionizing modern day surfing with the invention of the first wetsuit, along with many other innovations.
As the second to the last stop on the World Championship Tour, the contest brought out record crowds along West Cliff Drive to watch the best professional surfers in the world compete at Steamer Lane. As a result of thousands of spectators on Sunday, West Cliff Dr. along the lighthouse was closed to cars for the first time since 1990 due to the competition.
Coastal Cleanup Day 2012 at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz High School Cardinals football players pickup trash along the San Lorenzo River below East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz.
Outreach for Yes on Prop 37 to Label GMOs at Wellness Fair in Santa Cruz
On August 25, Tarah Locke, Patti Bond and Melissa DeVera, tabled for GMO-Free Santa Cruz and Yes on Prop 37 at the 2012 Wellness Fair in downtown Santa Cruz. Each year the College of Botanical Healing Arts (COBHA) sponsors “a Wellness Fair bringing together traditional and alternative practitioners, businesses and educational institutions reflecting our diverse Santa Cruz Community. Our aim is to promote personal and community wellness and sustainability through networking and education.”
Pear Picking on the Westside with Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project
On Sunday August 26, fruit pickers, gleaners, and aficionados gathered at Garfield Park on the Westside of Santa Cruz as part of the Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project. Inspired by similar projects across Canada and in the US, Santa Cruz locals began organizing harvests and workshops in August 2010.
The Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project is run entirely by volunteers who help to scout and map trees, and organize harvests and workshops. The project seeks out residents willing to share their surplus fruit, as well as trees on public land or vacant lots, and then sets up designated harvest times. Workshops have included pressing cider, curing olives, and making jam and wine.