Could your neighborhood use some sprucing up? Here’s how to organize a clean up.

• Call (510) 434-5113 with your idea.
• The City will loan you tools for the cleanup day, arrange for trash pickup, and provide other logistical support.
• Projects can be one-time or ongoing (see Adopt-A-Spot/Adopt-A-Block).

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Adopt-A-Spot/Adopt-A-Block

These programs are designed to help you and your neighbors play an ongoing role in maintaining an area that needs a little extra attention.

• Select an area such as a median strip or bus stop and contact the City at (510) 434-5113.
• A City staff person will return your call and describe the city resources available for your project.
• Adopt-A-Spot/Adopt-A-Block programs require a one-year commitment to maintain the area.
• In return, the City will loan tools, gloves, and orange safety vests to volunteers and will arrange for garbage pickup.

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Storm Drain Stenciling

Have you noticed stencils next to City storm drains that read “No Dumping, Drains to Bay”? Most of these were stenciled by volunteers. It’s a simple way to remind residents that storm drains feed into our local creeks and eventually into San Francisco Bay. Call (510) 238-6600 to participate.

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Maintain-A-Drain

During the winter, heavy rains wash a large amount of garbage, litter, and pollution into storm drains. Clogged storm drains cause flooding. You can help prevent flooding by participating in the Maintain-A-Drain Campaign.

• Call (510) 434-5131 and let them know you want to participate.
• Volunteers will receive rain gear and a rake that they can keep.
• The City requires a commitment of one season by the maintainer.

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Adopt-A-Creek

Through the Adopt-A-Creek volunteer program, the City provides a unique opportunity for individuals, neighborhood groups, civic organizations, and businesses to play an active and ongoing role in cleaning, greening, and maintaining neighborhood creeks.

• Participants adopt an area of creek and make a commitment to regularly clean and beautify the area. Beautifying a spot can include: regularly picking up trash; planting site-appropriate native plants, and/or removing non-native plants; studying and reporting on water quality and habitat; and/or removing graffiti.
• The City will provide adopters with site assessment, tool lending, trash pickup and will post a sign recognizing the adopting individual(s) or group.
• In order to qualify as an Adopt-A-Creek: the area must be in need of improvement, the area may not be private property, and the adopter must make a one-year commitment to the area.
• For more information, please call (510) 238-6600 or go to http://www.oaklandpw.com/creeks/aac.htm.

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