Wildfire prevention: many hands make light work!
On April 11, the Berkeley Ridge Firewise Groups and HelpBerkeley held their second successful annual neighborhood wildfire prevention day! The weekend was funded in great part by a grant from the UC Chancellors’ Community Partnership Fund (thank you UC!).
We mobilized approximately 219 college students from Cal and Diablo Valley College organized by the Berkeley Project, 100 residents from our own neighborhood, and 25 volunteers recruited by Mayor Ishii’s office. Council Member Brent Blackaby served as a site manager at one of 23 different sites, removing new eucalyptus trees from the hillside. Mayor Adena Ishii delivered pizza to volunteers and hauled trash to a dumpster along with many other volunteers. The rain didn’t stop us! The Berkeley Fire Department loaned us tools and provided a van to help transport volunteers to work sites. (Every single tool was returned to the BFD!) The City’s Chipper Program hauled away the vegetation debris.
That is nearly 350 volunteers taking action to make the Grizzly Peak Mitigation Area and the City as a whole more fire safe, despite the at times heavy rain and wind. Our volunteers, particularly the college students, were enthusiastic about making a difference. We especially want to recognize the incredible work ethic of the Berkeley Project volunteers!
We are not sitting on our hands waiting for the government to save us. Our community is organizing to take action.
We hold many events over the year. If you want to join the community effort to make our neighborhood safer, DM me.
Many hands make light work!