Clean and Green Day

The first Belvedere Clean and Green Day was held in conjunction with the twentieth anniversary of the Belvedere Community Foundation and was in part inspired by the 1990 Landmarks Society publication, A Pictorial History of Belvedere 1890-1990, which included a photo of Belvedere residents sweeping Woodwardia Lane. What better way to sustain Belvedere’s legacy of public service and generosity than to resurrect this tradition of a citizens’ clean-up and beautification day?

Clean and Green Day began with the planting of daffodils and has expanded to a biannual event that tackles projects around the city. Neighbors of all ages come out to show Belvedere some love. Families gather at lanes, parks, open spaces, and the city playground to practice good stewardship and learn about sustainability. Clean and Green days have been planned either for a day in spring, close to Earth Day, or in the fall, which is the best time for planting projects.

In 2017, Clean and Green Day expanded its scope to address two of Belvedere’s most intractable landscaping challenges: deer predation and drought. On the Thursday before Clean and Green Day, Belvedere Parks and Open Space Committee Chair Anne-Marie Walker, a Marin Master Gardener, gave a presentation at City Hall that featured a selection of deer-resistant plants that can survive without irrigation. On Clean and Green Day, volunteers planted demonstration gardens at Five Corners, Centennial Park, and Tom Price Park. These gardens showcase plants that residents can use to replace the defoliated Algerian Ivy that has become a new food source for deer during the drought.