Greening Bernal One Project at a Time

I moved to Bernal Heights in January 2000, but then moved away from 2012 to 2022. My family and I lived in Berlin for six years, followed by four years in Barcelona.

I initiated my community greening project on Ogden Avenue, between Folsom and Gates Streets, in 2021. Then, there was so much interest that people started contacting me from various parts of the City to see if I could help them with their project. I believe they valued my background as a civil engineer, which enabled me to assist them in evaluating the feasibility and constructability of their projects. I visited various sites and determined whether their green ideas could be realized. At that point, it just made sense to start my organization, which I did in November of 2022.

• We are shutting down the 400 block of Ogden Avenue, between Folsom and Gates Streets, to through traffic and turning the area into a park.
• We are expanding the Good Prospect Community Garden, located on Prospect Street between Cortland and Santa Marina, by adding more garden plots and improving the site with additional landscaping and a gathering area.
• The vacant lot on César Chávez Street, next to the 101 southbound ramps, will be transformed into a cyclist way station, as well as a site to honor the memory and legacy of César Chávez.
• We are collaborating with the Carolina Street Median project to enhance the landscaping and create a vista point at the south end of the median.

How do you measure the success of a green project beyond the completion of the physical space?

That it stays active means people gather there, children play and explore, and the community works together to take care of the site. So often, the biggest challenge in any greening project is not acquiring funding or even getting the green space built, but rather ensuring it is maintained afterward.

• It starts with design, for example:
  • Minimizing grading to the extent possible, without disrupting the existing topography.
  • Designing bio swales, which collect runoff and return it to the groundwater supply
  • Specifying sustainable materials such as porous cement, which allows water to seep back into the ground; recyclable and/or repurposed materials, such as fallen tree trunks to make benches; repurposing demolished materials, such as concrete, which can be used as base material or to line swales.
  • Rainwater harvesting involves capturing rainwater and using it for irrigation.
• During construction, we ensure:
  • Dust control and pollution are minimized.
  • Controlling waste management and recycling
  • Limiting materials used to reduce waste

• Stormwater runoff is used for irrigation through rainwater harvesting
• Stormwater runoff is captured in bioswales, which reduces the amount flowing into the combined sewer system.
• More trees and plants help increase the tree canopy, which improves health and serves as a screen.
• They reduce the heat island effect, which is caused by hardscape materials, such as concrete and asphalt pavement.

• By volunteering to help in the design and/or maintenance of the new green spaces
• By donating to their favorite green project to buy plants, playground equipment, benches, etc.

At our website: www.greeningprojects.org