We are excited to announce a new event at Pie Ranch in partnership with the San Mateo Resource Conservation District and the Amah Mutsun Land Trust. Come join us on Saturday, October 16, 2021, 1pm - 5pm, for the first-ever EUC-A-THON!
What is a Euc-A-Thon? Similar to a walk-a-thon fundraiser, this is an opportunity to raise funds for a cause while spending time outdoors. You have the opportunity to collect sponsorships and raise money for land restoration work at Pie Ranch. All funds raised will be shared between the three organizations collaborating on invasive species removal and revegetation with native plants! Instead of every mile you walk, you will collect donations for every eucalyptus sapling you pull out of the ground. Hooray for regenerative land restoration!
Support staff from all three organizations will be on site to help you achieve your goal. For example, if you get sponsored to pull 100 saplings at $1 each, you will raise $100 for native plant restoration on our coastside. If you have 10 sponsors, that would raise $1000! You can customize the amount of saplings and sponsorship rate that works for you and your friends and family.
Why remove Eucalyptus? Blue gum eucalyptus were brought to California from their native Australia in the late 1800’s because of their ability to grow quickly, and those who initially planted them had hopes that they would make useful timber. Unfortunately, their spread and displacement of native plant communities substantially altered our wildlands. Blue gum eucalyptus are an invasive species, and invasive plants are a huge threat to California’s biodiversity, second only to habitat loss. In addition to altering native plant communities, eucalyptus impact water and nutrient cycling, and they generate higher fuel loads than native plants and increase wildfire hazards.
At Pie Ranch, the oily dry leaves, small branches and bark were a fire vector that increased the intensity of the fire that came through our farm in August of 2020. Adding insult to injury, the fire also helped the thousands of eucalyptus seeds that were on the ground to germinate, creating a blanket of young saplings.
That’s where you come in.
Please click here to learn more and sign up as a Euc-A-Puller participant. From there, you will create your own fundraising page to share with your community so they may sponsor you and donate to native plant restoration efforts on your behalf! For every eucalyptus sprout you pull, you are contributing to the land’s recovery and resilience!
All participants in the Euc-A-Thon must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon registration.
Please encourage others to sign up and help fundraise! If you have any questions, please reach out to raul@pieranch.org.
Thank you and we look forward to pulling together!