Creek Week 2013 Is September 21st-29th

14th Annual Creek Week includes events and activities for all ages!

Scheduled for September 21st – 29th, Creek Week is an annual celebration of our local watersheds, and an opportunity for community members to learn more about local creeks and the ocean through hands-on activities and volunteer events.

Creek Week festivities will kick-off Saturday, September 21st to coincide with Coastal Cleanup Day, and will continue through Sunday, September 29th. This 14th annual event raises awareness of the many ways to enjoy, protect, and restore our local watersheds.

Creek Week is coordinated by the City of Santa Barbara Creeks Division, County of Santa Barbara Project Clean Water, the City of Goleta, and the City of Carpinteria, with fun and educational events planned and hosted by many community groups and environmental organizations. Included in the week-long calendar of over 30 Creek Week events will be creek and beach clean-ups, habitat restoration efforts, guided nature walks, project tours, and more.

This year, we are also celebrating our winning Creek Week Logo Contest design, created by local artist Michele Janée! Michele’s design was selected from over 50 submissions from artists in the community ages 5 to 60 plus. The design will be featured on Creek Week t-shirts, free to participants at clean-up and restoration events, while supplies last.

Events hosted by the City of Santa Barbara include:

· On Tuesday, September 24th at 9:00am, the Creeks Division invites community members to view a demonstration of the recently completed Stevens Park Storm Water Infiltration Project, and to help install native plants along San Roque Creek at the park. Gloves and tools will be supplied, and light refreshments will be provided.

· On Wednesday, September 25th at 9:00am, the Creeks Division and the Santa Barbara Zoo will host a clean-up of Sycamore Creek near the Zoo along with storm drain marking in the neighborhood. All tools and supplies will be provided, and the Zoo will provide great prizes for volunteers!

· On Wednesday, September 25th at 10am, the Water Resources Division will lead a tour of the El Estero Wastewater Treatment Plant. See how Santa Barbara’s wastewater is cleaned through a series of biological, physical, and chemical processes to become recycled water, biosolids, and energy for the plant.

· On Thursday, September 26th at 10:00am, the Creeks Division invites community members to view a demonstration of the recently completed Westside Neighborhood Center Storm Water Infiltration Project. Light refreshments will be provided.

· On Saturday, September 28th, join the Creeks Division for a tour on the Land Shark! We’ll visit and discuss the Oak Park Storm Water Infiltration Project and the Mission Creek Fish Passage Project at the Caltrans Channel, then venture into the ocean where we’ll discuss the Mission Lagoon and Laguna Creek Restoration Project.

For a complete list of Creek Week events, call 897-2606, visit www.sbcreekweek.com, or “Like” Creek Week on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sbcreekweek.

Contact: Cameron Benson, Creeks Restoration/Clean Water Manager

Phone: (805) 897-2508

Email: CBenson@SantaBarbaraCA.gov