Check out our Project Archive to read more about our past work in the area, or read on for more on our current projects.

If you’re interested with us volunteering with us or know of a good place to plant, check out our Calendar for weekly meetings and events.

Garden Matchmaking

 In March of 2010 One Cool Earth launched a local garden networking program.  Garden Matchmaking, in a word, connects people who have and need land and gardening resources.  Garden Matchmaking benefits people who need land, labor, plants, seeds, or tools; and people who have under-utilized land and are unable, for lack of time, know-how,  resources, or physical constraints, to personally begin a garden.  So how can you get involved?  Check out our calendar for upcoming garden installations and matchmaking potlucks.  Also, if you have or need land or gardening resources, read more about the program and fill out our questionnaire to be added to our matchmaking database.

 Find Out More –>

Pennington Creek Restoration and Nature Path

Bordering Cuesta Community College on its western edge lies a little-known gem of the campus: Pennington Creek, a live steelhead trout stream. OneCoolEarth is partnering with the college, student organizations, and local environmental and green job groups to restore a portion of the creek bank, creating a nature path including benches and interpretive signs. Once completed, the project will connect the college to a valuable educational resource, as well as provide a living example of sustainable landscaping practices. The project is currently in the planning stages. Please contact us if you are interested becoming a co-sponsor.  Find Out More –>

Whale Rock Reservoir

Lionel and Helper

When you ask a Cal Poly student where his or her tap water comes from, most don’t have a clue. OneCoolEarth has worked for the past several years to connect San Luis with its resources, organizing tree planting and direct seeding at Whale Rock Reservoir, a water supply for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and its environs. Acorns and other native seeds are collected from nearby land and raised in our nurseries or planted directly during the rainy season. Over the years, hundreds of people have helped plant hundreds of seeds in the first steps to stabilize erosion and halt silting of the reservoir. However, many acres remain to be planted, some of which require summer irrigation to get the trees started. Contact us if you are interested in co-sponsoring this project.

Tree-Based Learning

Local elementary, high school and university students are taking their future into their own hands–growing trees themselves that will be planted on school grounds or around their community. OneCoolEarth donates materials for small native plant nurseries at local schools, facilitating local seed collection, growing and planting. Alongside running nurseries, schools participate in grade-specific tree presentations and activities that range in topic from ancient and modern uses of native trees and vegetation, to global and local tree issues, to professional plant propagation. Our program culminates with an on-campus planting to improve campus landscapes, shade sports fields, replant dying non-native trees, and buffer noise and pollution of bordering highways from school grounds. Donations go to support and expand our current programs at nearly one dozen San Luis Obispo area schools. Contact us if you are interested in becoming a co-sponsor. 
Find Out More –>

One Cool Earth in the News

July 15, 2010 Tribune. “Good News – One Cool Earth Plants at Avila Hot Springs.”
July 1, 2010New Times.”Network for gardeners.”
March. 7, 2010 Tribune. “SLO Students Want One Cool Earth.”
Feb. 25, 2010 SLO City News. “New Gardens Sprouting Countywide.”
Feb. 22, 2010 Cuestonian. “Grass Roots.”
Feb. 10, 2010 Tribune. “Ironworker’s love of trees restores county.”
Jan. 10, 2010 Mustang Daily. ” Students to plant 500 trees.

The Man Who Planted Trees, Johnny Appleseed, Wangari Maathai, Lionel Johnston—myths, legends, Nobel Prize winners, or simply inspired citizens–all of them saw tree planting as a solution to the problems of their times.  More easily than you may think, you too can join their number by organizing tree plantings in your own community.  OneCoolEarth is committed to helping you start successful plantings wherever you may live.  Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Aside from spearheading your own planting efforts, you might consider volunteering on OneCoolEarth’s projects, nurseries, and plantings.  The following volunteer opportunities are currently available:

Volunteer Opportunities

Location: San Luis Obispo, CA

Listing Title: Nursery Caretaker

Description: OneCoolEarth is currently seeking a volunteer to water trees at our nurseries.  The job requires about two hours of time once per week during the summer, and less during the rest of the year.  Person must be committed, as the survival of hundreds of our young trees depends on him or her.  Please contact us if you are interested in this position.

Listing Title: Landscape Architect Internship

Description: OneCoolEarth is seeking a student or professional landscape architect with the inclination to design sustainable landscapes for schools, nonprofits, public lands, churches, and private properties. We currently plant a variety of native trees in San Luis Obispo area, but would like more formal plans. Interns will learn about planting techniques and benefits of native vegetation as well as watch their plans carried into reality by school children, college students, ranchers, church congrations, and the community at large. Help make a valuable contribution to the community in the form of a beautiful, lowcost, native, sustainable landscape today!

Required Skills:

Ability to work with our team and clients to create optimal layouts.

Ability to produce attractive visual plans.

Some understanding or simply a desire to understand sustainable landscapes.

Please contact us if you are interested in this position.

Listing Title: Neighborhood Partner

Description: We are looking for people in the neighborhoods of Sinsheimer Park and South Hill to help water future plantings in those areas.  Watering would entail bringing your own container to the site and adopting at least one tree to water twice each month during the dry season.  Please contact us if you are interested in helping out.

Here’s the schedule for the day:

10:00: Meet at the Administration Building by the flag pole at Cal Poly to carpool/caravan to the site.
10:30: Meet others in Cayucos at HWY 1/Old Creek Road and head to Whale Rock
10:45 – 12:30: Water oak trees that have been recently planted (mainly canyon, island and live oaks)
12:30 – 1:00: Lunch. Snacks will be provided, but please bring a bag lunch.
1:00 – 2:00: Hike around the lake: bring a water bottle and appropriate wear.

For more information call Greg at 760-382-5164.
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2010-06-05
End Time: 14:00

Check out http://www.avilahotsprings.com/ for directions to the Hot Springs.
Start Time: 10:30
Date: 2010-05-15
End Time: 13:30

Trees around the border of the lake provide many of the usual benefits that trees bring, such as carbon sequestration, habitat improvement, erosion mitigation and beautification.  However, next to Atascadero lake, the trees would shade the water, lowering water temperatures and potentially reducing the loss of oxygen from the lake, which can cause it to smell bad.  Tree roots would also reduce eutrophication by absorbing excess nutrients from the lake waters.

Stay tuned, future plantings are planned!

Work History:

April 18th, 2010 – Initial planting of 20 trees

Project Status: ongoing…

Updates:

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