Oct 8, 2008 2:42 pm US/Pacific
Bay Area Volunteer Leads Restoration Brigade
Jefferson Award Winner: Susan Schwartz
Berkeley (CBS 5) ―
Pulling weeds in the hot sun along the shoreline of the bay is Susan Schwartz's idea of fun.
"Why not?" she exclaims. "Look at this! We have water, we have outdoors. It certainly beats the gym."
Susan has been president of the non-profit
Friends of Five Creeks for the last ten years. We caught up with her on duty with one of its subgroups, the "Weed Warriors." They're clearing out a wall of invasive weeds called broom that has choked out native plants and blocked the view of the bay.
"We're a restoration group," Susan explains. "We're going to have denser cities. We need to bring nature into places where you don't have to drive two hours on a freeway with your internal combustion engine in order to experience nature."
As leader of Friends of Five Creeks, Susan helps organize some forty work parties a year to clean up, restore, or maintain several creeks from North Berkeley to South Richmond.
At one project along the Berkeley-Albany border, they cleaned up 100 feet of Codornices Creek and built a new railing for a bridge above. And when Susan and her volunteers discovered trout in the creek, it led the city of Albany to embark on its own multi-million dollar restoration project nearby.
Susan isn't just active among the weeds. She leads interpretive walks and founded Berkeley Path Wanderers, whose volunteers clear out brush to pave new pathways. She's worked with local environmental groups to strengthen anti-pollution regulations and her efforts helped East Bay MUD to improve its handling of water main breaks.
But Susan, a former Seattle Times reporter who started its first environmental beat, would much rather be wielding a weed wrench at a work party.
She says, ""Afterwards, we have snacks, and look at what we've done. You actually can see what you've accomplished. You've finished something."
Volunteers like Stephanie Antalocy say Susan makes them want to come back.
"I think she makes it very inviting," Stephanie says. "She points out there'll be fun opportunities for kids in the creek or interesting bugs to see."
Susan adds, "A long time ago, an activist told me, 'If you're going to get something done have two projects. One that you'll succeed at that'll keep you going. The other you may or may not succeed at.' This is what we'll succeed at. This keeps us going."
For leading volunteers to restore and maintain East Bay creeks for the last decade, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Susan Schwartz.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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