California Volunteers, Butte County Engage Volunteers in Climate Action During Community Event

California Climate Action Corps Fellows and volunteers fight climate change through county-wide action

CHICO, Calif. – Tackling climate change head on today, California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday joined Butte County Supervisor Tami Ritter, California Climate Action Corps Fellows and volunteers for Community Climate Action Day Butte County, a county-wide day of climate action.  

Event partners included Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), City of Chico – Climate Action Commission, Butte County Supervisor Tami Ritter, 530 Food Rescue Coalition, Verizon, Chico State, Butte County Resource Conservation District, Butte County Fire Safe Council, Butte Environmental Council, Mechoopda Tribe of Chico Rancheria, Paradise Recreation and Park District and U.S. Forest Service.

“Volunteers, fellows, businesses, and local and state leaders joined together today to take action against our greatest existential threat — climate change. It is a testament to the power of service to unite us and create real, lasting change,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “California will continue to organize, lead, and engage our communities in climate action because we need everyone involved.”

California Volunteers, Butte County Engage Volunteers in Climate Action During Community Event

During the event, more than 160 volunteers collectively put in 640 hours planting trees, watering plants, preparing compost, and visiting neighborhoods to share actions residents can take at home to reduce their carbon footprint.  

“The future of Butte County and our climate work depends upon the sustainability work that we do today,” said Butte County Supervisor Tami Ritter. “Working hand in hand with California Volunteers and local leaders including Butte Environmental Council, Butte County Resource Conservation District, Fire Safe Councils, and the South Chico Assistance Center, our community is well situated to implement sustainable practices to help protect our natural resources, mitigate and adapt to the changing climate, and to promote biodiversity, all with a shared purpose.”

Governor Gavin Newsom launched California Climate Action Corps as the nation’s first state-level climate service corps with the mission of empowering Californians to take meaningful action to protect their homes, health, and communities against the harshest impacts of climate change. The program is led by California Volunteers, Office the Governor.

The climate action day was held in conjunction with the Butte County Fire Safe Council’s annual Adopt-A-Forest event focused on forest health and wildfire resilience.

“CORE believes that community building is key to engaging with local residents who have been impacted by the worst effects of climate change,” said Ann Lee, Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) Chief Executive Officer. “Our goal is to take our experience in disaster relief and recovery and identify these at-risk areas. CORE works throughout the state with climate action leaders like the California Climate Action Corps, local governments like the City of Chico, and motivated citizens like those of Butte County to build solid partnerships through events like this for a more resilient and adaptive future for all Californians.”

“The growing threat of climate change is no stranger to Butte County and the City of Chico, our region has already begun to experience the impacts of climate change. It’s important now more than ever that we all do our part to create a resilient community and work together to focus our efforts on local urban greening, wildfire resiliency, and organic waste and edible food recovery efforts,” said Molly Marcussen, City of Chico Associate Planner (Long Range/ Sustainability) . “The City of Chico’s Climate Action Commission is proud to partner with California Climate Action Corps to kickstart much-needed climate related community service projects and we look forward to seeing the impacts that this day of service will have across the Butte County area.”

In the upcoming year, four partner organizations will host 12 California Climate Action Corps Fellows to serve the community in Butte County.

“The California Climate Action Fellows at Chico State bring enthusiasm, ideas and energy to our campus and communities to advance urban greening, wildfire resilience, environmental education, and emergency preparedness,” said Emilyn Sheffield, Climate Corps Director for Chico State’s Call to Action. “We are proud of our fellows and excited to support the first Butte Community Climate Action Day.”

In Butte County, California Climate Action Corps Fellows, from November 2021 through August 2022:

Completed 138 days of wildfire prevention activities.
Engaged 758 volunteers for 1,528 hours of climate action.
Engaged 4,921 people through climate-related outreach and education.
Built three compost systems.

Learn more at ClimateActionCorps.ca.gov.

LIVESTREAM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRPoCZY-qus

CLIPS & B-ROLL:

Tree Planting B-Roll

What others are saying:

“At Verizon, we’ve instilled environmentally focused values into our culture with the continued support of our Green Team so employees can volunteer to make a difference in the communities of their choice,” said Rudy Reyes, Verizon West Region Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. “Today, our employees are proud to join forces with California Volunteers, Butte County, California Climate Action Corps Fellows, and so many others to celebrate the Community Climate Action Day as we work forward together to protect our planet for future generations.”

“The Butte County Resource and Conservation District’s mission is to protect, enhance, and support Butte County’s natural resources and agriculture by working with willing landowners and citizens through education, land management, and taking action through on-the-ground projects,” said Dallas Koller, Butte County Resource and Conservation District Fire and Forests Project Manager. “Events like this are important in helping us achieve these goals.”

“The 530 Food Rescue Coalition is thrilled to be part of Butte County’s Community Climate Action Day. We look forward to helping the community understand the negative impact of food in the landfill, and also to empowering individuals to end food waste and end hunger by volunteering to be a food rescue hero throughout the year,” said Sheila McQuaid, Program Manager for 530 Food Rescue Coalition. “Collective action can really make a huge difference. During the event, the 530 Food Rescue Team, including our California Climate Action Corps Fellows, provided information and assistance about becoming a food rescue volunteer or food donor.”

“The Plumas National Forest is proud to work with volunteers and area partners as part of the Butte County Community Climate Action Day event,” said Feather River Ranger District Fuels Battalion Chief Jason Miller. “It is a great opportunity to connect with work being done on the ground and participate in meaningful forest health and recovery projects.”

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Led by California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, California Volunteers, Office of the Governor empowers Californians to take action to improve their communities. #CaliforniansForAll is a California Volunteers service initiative launched in response to COVID-19 to establish a volunteer corps to support the state’s response to emergencies and disasters.