Accomplishments of
RisingLeaf Watershed Arts

• Established RisingLeaf Watershed Arts.

• Painted mural of the Northern Salinas Valley Watershed, Kammann Elementary School, Salinas.

• Consulted on landscape design and school beautification and implemented three native plant gardens on the campus of Kammann School, Salinas.

• Created installation, "Water, the Gift of Life," Day of the Dead Exhibition, National Steinbeck Center, Salinas.

2002

• Organized First Annual River of Words Poetry Reading, in partnership with Upwellings Ministry, Thunderbird Bookstore, Carmel.

• Sponsored nature study/landscape painting event for children and families, Ft. Ord.

• Sponsored nature study/landscape painting event for children and families, Carmel River Lagoon.

• Created and printed greeting cards with watershed/life affirmation theme.

• Presented interactive information display, 2002 Earth Day, Earthbound Farms, Carmel Valley.

• Presented interactive information display, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Tenth Anniversary Ocean’s Festival, Custom House Plaza, Monterey.

• Co-organized "Gathering of the Waters" in partnership with Upwellings Ministry, Carmel Valley.

• Adopted two miles of Carmel Valley Road for trash clean-up.

• Participated in Carmel River Watershed Conservancy trash clean-up of Hitchcock Creek.

• Initiated proposal for bike-ride fundraiser.

• Installed "Water: The Gift of Life" for Altars of the World show, hosted by All Saints Church, Carmel.

• Wrote monthly articles about watershed health featured in "Carmel Valley Country."

• Created drawings for the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Calendar project.

• Organized Second Annual River of Words Poetry Reading and Art Show, in partnership with the Habitat Project of Carmel Middle School, Thunderbird Bookstore, Carmel.

• RisingLeaf granted nonprofit, tax-exempt status.

• Produced “Walkabout” watershed art exploration, Hidden Valley Institute of the Arts, Carmel Valley.

• Organized Second Annual River of Words Poetry Reading and Art Show, in partnership with the Habitat Project of Carmel Middle School, Thunderbird Bookstore, Carmel.

• Organized World Water Day event and Silent Auction, Hidden Valley Institute of the Arts, Carmel Valley.

• Developed “A Watershed Experience” curriculum and worked with six fourth-grade classes to create an Art Creek and establish a native plant garden at Olson School, Marina, and paint two murals; one at Olson School and one at Marina Vista School, Marina. These classes are made possible through the Cultural Council for Monterey County, Professional Artists in the Schools program, Marina Coast Water District and Bob Miller, Principal of Olson School.

• Raised funds for, created, and published the Carmel River Watershed Learning Map.

• Wrote monthly articles about watershed vitality featured in Carmel Valley Country.

• Supported Carmel River Watershed Conservancy’s Steinbeck Watershed Century Bike Ride through procurement and preparation of organic foods.

• Completed Pilot Storm Drain Stencil Project at the mouth of Carmel Valley and Mission Fields area.

• Awarded grant from the Fund for the Environment and the Patricia J. Boles Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County for the “Watershed Experience” classes.

• Prepared and presented power point on “Living Machines” to the Central Coast Commercial Sustainability Network.

• Initiated conversations with the Big Sur Land Trust to establish an ecologically designed Watershed Arts Center in Carmel Valley.

• Organized First Annual Watershed Festival of Life which included a talk on “watershed citizenship” given by Freeman House, author of Totem Salmon, establishing Watershed Hero and Festival poster awards, and the Gathering of the Waters Ceremony.

• Organized talk given by Sim Van der Ryn on Ecologically-Designed Housing and Homes.

• Completed storm drain stenciling project in the Carmel River Watershed.

• Taught curriculum “A Watershed Experience” to 70 students from the J.C. Crumpton School in Marina.

• Organized third annual Palabras Del Rio poetry reading.

• Wrote articles for Carmel Valley Country magazine on watershed health.

• Trash clean-up on Carmel Valley Road.

• Continued conversations with the Big Sur Land Trust to establish a Watershed Arts Center.

• Researched and prepared power point on sustainably built Watershed Centers in the United States including research on Islandwood in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

• Inspired, through the RisingLeaf Watershed Art Center vision statement, discussions and feedback, Berkeley Architect Craig Henritzy and his students at the School of Architecture-San Francisco Academy of Art University to develop conceptual ideas for the Watershed Arts Center.

2005

• Presented Watershed Center research to the Big Sur Land Trust.

• Worked with Camp SEA Lab to define scope of sustainably built “Places for People”, as part of the Big Sur Land Trust’s Carmel River Parkway Vision Plan process. This information provided the basis for which the “Environmental Sustainability Center” concept is included in the Parkway Vision Plan document.

• Inspired, through the RisingLeaf Watershed Art Center vision statement, discussions and feedback, Berkeley Architect Craig Henritzy and his students at the School of Architecture-San Francisco Academy of Art University to develop conceptual ideas for the Watershed Arts Center.

• Presented “Living Machine” power point to the Green Party Monterey Bay which was aired on AMP Channel 27 courtesy of Hebard Olsen.

• Worked with the Carmel Middle School WISE student group (Women in Science and Education) in collaboration with the Big Sur Land Trust’s Carmel River Parkway Vision process record through art and poetry how young people want learn about and experience the Carmel River and watershed.

• Worked with Debbie Delatour and her students at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy in Salinas to develop large painted wood cut-out images and mural piece depicting vegetables for their school garden project.

• In collaboration with Deborah Kelly, organized an experiential hike to Danish Creek in the upper Carmel River watershed.

• Organized the Fourth Annual Palabras del Rio poetry reading featuring poets, storytellers and musicians from Big Sur, the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley and Sonoma.

• Initiated and presented, with the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, a film series focusing on positive and inspirational ways people can support watershed health and cultural change.

• Trash pick up along adopted section of Carmel Valley Road.

• Worked with the Monterey Solar Home Tour to establish the First Annual Sustainability Fair for the Monterey Bay area.

• Organized the Second Annual Watershed Festival of Life, which included Keynote Speaker Stephanie Mills, presentation of the Second Annual RisingLeaf Watershed Hero Awards, and the Fourth Annual Gathering of the Waters Ceremony with Deborah Streeter.

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