Annual Report
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2014 - 2015 Annual Report Inspiring Bay Area communities since 1997 LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Watershed Thanks You! Board of Directors Jane Gire, Chair The Watershed Project has an integrative approach to addressing the issues that Scott Kocino, Treasurer affect the health of San Francisco Bay Watersheds, and is committed to Sigrid Mueller, Secretary empowering communities to appreciate and protect our local water resources. Annelise Moore Briggs Nisbet Eric Hyman Our programs work to prevent pollutants from entering bodies of water by creating Bill Walker* awareness about the sources of pollutants that impair the Bay, such as trash and Paul Amato* pesticides. We work with stake holders to eliminate sources of pollution before they Brett Foreman* reach our creeks and shorelines, and educate the public about their personal impact *Ended term during FY2014-15 on their watersheds. Staff Juliana Gonzalez Our programs also provide grassroots-driven solutions to eliminate pollutants of concern from our watersheds. We believe that greener streets are the best low cost Executive Director Martha Berthelsen strategy for healing the Bay. Limiting surface runoff through rain gardens, Public Programs Manager bioswales, tree wells, drought tolerant gardens and rain water harvesting, are Liza Dadiomov solutions that are available to all Bay Area residents and can be implemented block Education & Outreach by block to create more natural systems within our cities. Coordinator Helen Dickson The Watershed Project also supports the restoration of natural systems in our Living Shorelines Program shorelines and creeks by partnering with creek groups and stake holders to clean Manager Amelia Dotzenrod and restore the natural conditions of these natural gems. Our volunteers explore Americorps Intern and restore creeks, shorelines, marshes and the sub-tidal ecosystems of our Bay. In Luis Martinez recent years, we have been especially committed to bringing back the native Green Collar Corps oysters to our Bay, since they are keystone species that can help rebuild the natural Emanuel Peterson resiliency of ourInterns shorelines. Today, our man-made oyster reef is thriving along the Green Collar Corps Richmond Shoreline.Jennifer Braun Tyjohn Sykes Amelia Dotzenrod Green Collar Corps Our integrativeMaire approach Marshall is what makes us unique. We want all residents of the Bay to feel that theyTanisha are partRandhawa of a wonderful ecosystem that starts in the Sierras and the Nidina Sapkota Linda Hunter* hills of their communitiesElliot Thompson and ends in the Ocean. We want all residents of the Bay Derek Hitchcock* to feel that theyLinnaea can makeWeld a difference. Our programs are designed to be inclusive, Lisa Owens-Viani* fun and scaled to the community level. Andrew Whitmore * *Staff for first half of FY2014-15 In the last year alone, we engaged over 2,450 volunteers, and trained 10 youth in green careers through our internship program. We provided curriculum and training Contractors Joseph Clerici, Communications to 55 teachers, who reach 2,700 students annually. We also taught over 1,000 Matt Freiberg, Program Manager students directly in classrooms and through field trips. Together we have helped Kat Sawyer, Program Manager transform our Watersheds. Michelle Ochoa, Bookkeeper Paula White, Project Coordinator We could not have done all of this Hassan Ngadi, Construction without you - our watershed community, and for that we are very grateful. Interns Jennifer Braun Thank you! Maire Marshall Tanisha Randhawa Nidina Sapkota Elliot Thompson Linnaea Weld Juliana Gonzalez Executive Director The Watershed Project WE ALL LIVE IN A WATERSHED: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE YEAR This year, we provided thousands of community members with opportunities to get their hands into the soil, connect with their backyard wilderness in a meaningful way, and reap the benefits through cleaner watersheds. Volunteers helped us clean our local watersheds This year, we engaged over 2200 volunteers in cleanups and citizen science. We removed over 4500 pounds of trash from our local watersheds. Our education team taught over 1000 students in grades K- 12 through multi-visit programs in classrooms, marshes, creeks, and Riparian Lab students search for life in Lake shorelines. We implemented four education programs: Waste Matters, Merritt. This was one of 40 sessions of this after- school program. Riparian Lab, Kids in Marshes, and Bye Bye Basura. Volunteers helped us green our urban watersheds We engaged over 250 volunteers in building three rain gardens in the City of Richmond, added 20 trees to the urban forest for a total of 200, and planted over 250 shrubs and perennials to enhance community green space. Our Green Collar Corps members led people of all ages through our Second Saturday and other volunteer workdays. We collaborated with UC Berkeley students to design better systems for maintaining our urban trees and optimize rain garden designs for the Richmond Greenway. During MLK Jr. Day of Service, volunteers built an Volunteers helped us bring back native oysters entire rain garden along the Richmond This year we celebrated the second birthday of our artificial oyster reef at Greenway in only 5 hours. Point Pinole. With 15 dedicated volunteers, we finished the first full period of monitoring, and found that the reef balls have almost 400 oysters growing on them per square meter. We grew our Wild Oysters education program, engaging inner-city high school students in scientific studies. We organized the 6th annual Bubbles and Bivalves fundraiser, bringing together the best of the best when it comes to restaurants, wineries, breweries, and people in the oyster community. Volunteers helped us build our capacity We provided opportunities for high school students, college students, and adults exploring new careers, to gain experience in projects that further our mission. Ten interns worked with our staff this past year to teach students, Over 150 High school students used our oyster raise funds, develop communications, plan and put on special events, help reef as an outdoor classroom through 5 design and build rain gardens, and monitor oysters. classroom visits and 2 field trips. “I tend to get discouraged by all the bad news we hear and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles facing us and our environment. Seeing that many people out, and willing to participate gave me hope that people care and want to contribute to a solution.” – Nancy, Coastal Cleanup Day volunteer FINANCIAL REPORT Rainmakers Edward and Carol Lyke Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Escuela Primaria Vicente E. Ibarra Linda Abe Cathy Marinelli Manzanillo-San Pablo Sister City Fairmont Elementary Paul Amato Bertha McKinley Committee George Washington High Michal Crawford-Zimring Sigrid Mueller Mead Foundation Kensington Elementary Linda Hunter Elizabeth O’Shea National Fish Wild and Wildlife Lake Elementary Eric Hyman Antonio Piccagli NOAA Leadership Public School Janet Johnson Sarah A. Pope Raymond Family Foundation Mission High School Scott Kocino Holly Reed RecycleMore Oakland High School Briggs Nisbet Will Rostov San Francisco Estuary Partnership Ocean View Elementary Lori O'Brien Janice Sanz San Francisco Foundation Richmond High School Timothy O'Shea Daniel Schickele San Francisco PUC SF State University Louise Pellerin Susan Schwartz San Pablo Community Foundation UC Berkeley Kathleen Rolinson Gary Scott Schwemm Foundation Universidad de Colima Greg Wentworth Birute Skurdenis Strategic Growth Council Aaron Willems Elizabeth Sojourner Sydney Stern Memorial Trust Partners Laura Stec The Nature Conservancy California Coastal Commission Donors Martin Strain The Uplands Family Foundation California Urban Streams John Babinecz Marc Sugiyama WM CA-Philanthropic West Partnership Leslie Bandy Catherine Sutton City of Richmond Mary Barnsdale Catherine Tait Gifts in-kind Contra Costa County Family Donald Bastin Calvin Tam Aquarium of the Bay Services Center Ezra Bergson-Michelson Ann Vansteenberg Barrel Head Brewhouse EarthTeam Holger Berthelsen Ralph Warner Cannonball Wine Company East Bay Regional Park District Susan Bolender Bruce Wolfe Chelsea Events and Floral Design El Sobrante Boys and Girls Club Karen Boostrom Franklin Zimring Chandon Groundwork Richmond Elizabeth Brusati Elke Vineyards Hog Island Oyster Company William Buck Corporate & Business Support Epic Roasthouse Lily Spruce Richard Bush EBMUD Farallon OASES Rodney Butler El Cerrito Garden Club Fish Office of Supervisor John Gioia Denise Carey Jack’s Oyster Bar Hog Island Oyster Company Pogo Park Darlene Ceremello Land and Sea Restaurants Innovation Hangar San Pablo-Wildcat Watershed Peg Champion Mechanics Bank Pier 39 Council Karen Cleek PG&E Radio-Coteau Oakland Unified School District Dimitri Dadiomov Restoration Design Group Rock Wall Wine Company San Francisco Unified School Anne Daftary Seventh Street LLC Saltwater District Jennifer Doak United Way Snap Fiesta SPAWNERS Leonard Edmondson Veolia Waters Sous Beurre Kitchen Tomales Bay Oyster Company Rebecca Ellery Wareham Development Speakeasy Urban Tilth Sylvia Falcon Waterbar Tap [415] West Contra Costa Unified School Beverly Farr Tomales Bay Oyster Company District Robert Flasher Foundations & Government Support Three Twins Ice Cream Zoe Francesca Benevity Community Impact Fund Twenty Five Lusk Nancy Fiore Alameda County Clean Water Program Waterbar Brett Foreman California Department of Conservation Wooden Table Baking Company Natalie Friedman City of Albany Kathy Geritz City of Richmond Schools and Universities Joshua Gies City of San Pablo Albany High School Jane Gire Clif Bar Family Foundation Casa Hogar Los Angelitos Juliana Gonzalez Contra Costa County Contra Costa College Heather Haxo Phillips Dean and Margaret Lesher Family Downer Elementary Diane Ichiyasu Foundation Escuela Primaria Emiliano Zapata Joanna Klassen Pace East Bay Community Foundation 4% 4% 2% Foundation Contributions Government Grants Administration 7% 25% Government Contracts 11% 10% Donations Development Corporate Contributions 39% 19% 79% Other Fee for Service Programs Fundraising Events Revenue 2014-15: $542,616 Functional Expenses 2014-15 .