What event happened on Tuesday, January 29th, 2019?

CORE had the pleasure of attending the Santa Cruz Parks & Rec Leadership Meet and Greet. It was hosted by the Coastal Watershed Council. Their mission is “to preserve and protect coastal watersheds through community stewardship, education, and monitoring.” The event was held outside next to the San Lorenzo River walk and bike path. Laurie Egan, the CWC Programs Director, greeted guests. CWC provided refreshments and small bites, and the sun was shining. This made for a perfect evening.

Needless to say, it was a great start to the year. More than 50 attendees had the opportunity to connect with each other, Parks & Rec, and CWC. This was a unique event not only because of the opportunity to talk to so many astounding Santa Cruz figures but also because the event included an interactive activity. Alev Bilginsoy, the CWC Community and Science Manager, and Geoffrey Miller, the CWC Development Associate, introduced guests to an activity designed to voice opinions about what feelings and accommodations the River Walk should represent.

Community Role

Then, Greg Pepping, the CWC Executive Director, gave opening remarks. Pepping discussed the projects and desired future outcome for the San Lorenzo River and River Walk. He noted that everyone plays a part in conserving, protecting, bridging, and celebrating our community. From this, CORE was able to make connections and share about Workplace Wellness as well as CORE45.

Pepping talked about the need for more community engagement and involvement with CWC and introduced the new Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Department Director, Tony Elliot, and the new Parks Superintendent, Travis Beck.

Parks & Rec Positive Changes and Growth

Moving forward, Elliot talked about a focus on taking action within his new role as well as a desire to pursue more ways to engage the city since it already has an established community. He also mentioned that a national level goal of Parks and Rec is health and wellness which is something that CORE is excited about. We cannot wait to see what types of collaborations that CORE, Parks & Rec, and CWC can partner on in this coming year!