We're asking YOU to support local youth in our Annual Greening Richmond Together Campaign! Tuesday, Nov 22nd - Nov 29th, we're having an online #GivingTuesday fundraiser to support getting local youth out to National Parks all over the country. This is a vital part of our Green Team's environmental education and restoration work. Whether you can give a lot or give a little, your support will make a difference to our kids. We're calling on our community to support work that supports the growth of youth! Thank you!

What makes #GivingTuesday donations special is that they have the opportunity of being matched by other donors; so you can make your support go that much farther! If you wish to contribute now, you can donate at: 

We had a great time celebrating service and planting trees in Plaza One Park last Saturday. Groundwork Richmond has several new youth Green Team members who have recently enrolled in the program and, for some of them, this was their first tree planting. We came together with the Green Team & local community friends to give about 20 trees new homes in the park, and sat down afterwards with celebratory pizza to enjoy our accomplishment! #CommunityLove #GoGreenTeamGWR #ProudofYou #ChangingPlacesChangingLives #GroundworkRich

At the beginning of this month, we took our Green Team to stay at National Park Service cabins in Point Reyes National Seashore. We were invited there to help with this year's 35th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest, but we also had a chance to go kayaking with the team. The winds were too strong on the day we went kayaking, so we found a little protected cove to launch from and it started to get sunny right in time for lunch. On the day of the Sand Sculpture Contest we made tacos for all the volunteers and helped with parking duty. The volunteers loved the tacos (they were amazing thanks to our honorary GWR team member, Javi) and overall the kids loved the trip. Experiences like this give them the chance to bond; in making their meals together, going out on the water, hiking, working together, and so on. For many of our team members, work is when they get to go out into the natural wonders that they wouldn't have had the chance to see otherwise. We are so grateful to our partners at the Point Reyes National Park Service for sharing this experience with us all and inviting us back next year! #SummerKayakingAdventures #GoGreenTeamGWR 

Our our Green Team is finally ready to begin the mural project that they will be working on for the following weeks. Thanks to our amazing instructor Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez (Richmond Art Center) and Project Manager, Lorenzo Plazola, they have really been enjoying their past couple of Saturday mornings learning about art hands-on! #GoGreenTeamGWR #GroundworkRich #RichmondArtCtr 

Our Green Team - along with various trusts such as Groundwork USA, Groundwork Providence, Groundwork acksonville, Groundwork Lawrence, and Groundwork Dallas - went to Yellowstone National Park to do a series of educational trainings and trail restoration work.
It was an amazing opportunity for professional growth, as well as a life-changing trip for everyone involved. This is a short video we put together to celebrate our Green Team's completion of this 8-day program from August 6th-14th!

#GoGreenTeamGWR

We had a very successful kayaking trip at SF Maritime! A total of 19 green team members had the opportunity to enjoy the great weather and kayak around the Bay!  They all did amazing team work, some kayaked for the very first time. Two of our green team members fell in the water, but quickly learned how to get back on the kayak by themselves. We had a great day and expect more kayaking trips soon! Stay tuned!

Martin Luther King once said "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

Well, Groundwork Richmond always takes action! Today Monday January 18th, 2016 GWR and the Green Team participated planting trees, mulching, picking up garbage and weeding all along 4th and 16th Street of the Richmond Greenway. It is wonderful to see the Richmond community come together and take all their efforts to restore and renew the environment. The Greenway is a is a three-mile community bicycle and pedestrian rail-trail and little by little by Friends of the Richmond Greenway (FORG), including us, and efforts of dedicated volunteers and community members, it is being transformed into a beautiful place for people to walk or ride their bicycles and spend some family quality time. 

Today, we had about 300 volunteers participate in cleaning up, planting and other activities along the 4th and 16th street. One of our green team members said, "Man....you're asking me if I like to do this? Of course! Groundwork Richmond has become like family to me. You guys are great and I feel so blessed to be able to work with you guys and to work for the community!"- Rocky Y. Our current VISTA also mentioned, "I love my job, not many can say that! Being able to give back to the community is amazing and so is working with the green team! I love to see our Youth engage so happily in these activities. They have a wonderful attitude and it is very rewarding to hear they are comfortable with us and that they love GWR! That means we are doing a good job and most importantly, we are helping them!" -Sandra F. 

The day started with coffee and donuts, it then proceeded by getting hand in the dirt, muddy shoes, dirty T-shirts, clean streets and beautiful plants and trees being planted. It ended with a moment of silence and with smiling faces all over the place, as everyone looked around and saw the fantastic work they had done! We want to thank the Green team, all volunteers, staff, Parks and Landscaping Superintendent Greg Hardesty and staff (Jesus and Shannon) for making this a great day on the Richmond Greenway! 

If you would like to check out more pictures you are more than welcome to do so at Groundwork Richmond on our Facebook Page! Hit that Like button! Thank YOU!

Sarah Calderon, Groundwork Richmond's Executive Director, has done so much for the green team and co-workers. To end the year and start a fabulous 2016, the green team and Groundwork Richmond's staff, wanted to show her how much she is appreciated for all she does. Without her, none of this would be possible. Sarah Calderon, this is for you!