Participate in the Community Resilience Challenge

With California suffering through one of the most extreme droughts in history, food prices on the rise and climate disruption just beginning, citizens and local governments across the region are taking action. During the month of May, the Community Resilience Challenge (the Challenge) is mobilizing thousands of individuals and groups across the East Bay and beyond to build a more resilient region through local solutions. Organized by a collaboration of local non-profits, the Challenge engages individuals, schools, organizations, municipalities and businesses to take practical action that will create a more healthy, just and resilient future. It is organized under four themes (Save Water, Grow Food, Conserve Energy, and Build Community) and participants commit to undertaking specific actions or participate in group projects that fall under each theme, such as installing a greywater system, unplugging electronics, planting drought-tolerant native plants, or coordinating a community project.

Known originally as the 350 Garden Challenge, the Community Resilience Challenge was started five years ago by Daily Acts, a Petaluma-based nonprofit whose mission is to transform our communities through inspired action and education, while building leadership and local self-reliance. In 2010, the first 350 Garden Challenge was launched with the goal of creating and/or retrofitting 350 gardens in a single weekend. The Challenge was an overwhelming success during this first year and resulted in 628 garden actions being taken, and has been growing exponentially since then. Daily Acts also began supporting regional and national groups to replicate the Challenge, inspiring Sustainable Contra Costa to bring the Challenge to the East Bay two years ago and to collect an incredible 2,000 Pledges; while the Victory Garden Foundation pushed the Challenge out to a national level and focused on creating edible gardens across the country.

This year, the NorCal Community Resilience Network and Bay Localize have teamed up with Sustainable Contra Costa and the Victory Garden Foundation to try to collect more than 3000 pledges in the East Bay. To date, more than 1200 have already been collected and 30 community groups, municipalities non-profits have signed on as Community Partners to promote the Challenge, including Urban Tilth, Sierra Club-Bay Area and the Sustainable Economies Law Center; and the cities of Pittsburg, Martinez and Antioch.  Meanwhile, Daily Acts continues its Challenge in the North Bay with the intent of collecting 3,500 pledges. Together these 6,500 actions will lead to residents and communities alike saving money and valuable resources, while building stronger and more resilient communities..

All East Bay residents, organizations, businesses and municipalities are invited to participate in this fun sustainability extravaganza by registering individual or group actions online at eastbayresiliencechallenge.org, and by participating in partner events. This year organizers are thankful to business donors providing free incentives to registered participants, such as one yard of free mulch from EcoMulch, 20% off purchases at the Urban Farmer Store and $10 gift cards from Aculpulco Rock and Soil.