Visitors to the third annual Ramona Earth Day Festival on Saturday learned how they can help the environment and heard an announcement about a $10 million grant for a proposed free shuttle in Ramona.
Hosted by the nonprofit Sustainable Ramona, the event that celebrates national Earth Day on April 22 has grown dramatically in the past few years, said Joyce Strand, president and co-founder the group.
“There were more people than anticipated and certainly it was a larger crowd than we’ve ever had,” said Strand at the event held for the first time at Begent Ranch after two years at the Ramona Community Garden.
One of the popular attractions this year was a clue-based activity that involved reading Strand’s “Mystery at Sustainable Ramona” book and learning about sustainable practices. Another invited children to a treasure hunt that engaged them in learning about practices such as “recycle, repair, repurpose” at the festival booths.
“The theory is, let’s learn about sustainability and have fun,” Strand said.
Several speakers gave presentations on recycling, home electrification and sustainability.
One of the highlights of the event was an announcement by Ramona Municipal Water District General Manager Erica Wolski about the potential for the shuttle system. Wolski said the water district heard unofficially last week that it is securing a $10 million grant from the state Strategic Growth Council.
The concept is to have a free transportation service available to youths, seniors and disabled people, Wolski said. The grant would fund the program for four years.
The idea was proposed by Sustainable Ramona member Rose LaRosa, but it complemented the grant the water district was submitting for Wellfield Park improvements, she said. At a minimum, the route has to stop at the park, and Main Street would be included. But a survey will determine the exact route, she said.
Wolski plans to accept the state grant in Sacramento this week.
Early plans for the shuttle, which could be up and running by the end of this year, involve asking residents this summer for suggestions on preferred routes and operating hours, Wolski said. The shuttle is expected to be operated by FACT, or Facilitating Access to Coordinated Transportation. The nonprofit organization was formed in 2005 to improve mobility for seniors, persons with disabilities, veterans, low-income people and other disadvantaged populations in San Diego County.
The grant money will be used to purchase two shuttles and pay for costs associated with maintaining the vehicles and paying two drivers, Wolski said. The shuttles would be housed at Wellfield Park behind the Ramona Senior Center, she said.
Wolski said the grant is expected to cover rider fees for eight hours per day Monday through Friday, but a fee or donation may be requested to operate the trolley additional hours on weekends and evenings. Those who are not disadvantaged may be asked to pay a fee to long-term operations, she added.
Wolski also announced a $600,000 grant from the state Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to create a Ramona-Barona Climate Adaptation Plan. Wolski said an announcement will be made soon about forming a committee to identify needs in Ramona related to agriculture, wildfire mitigation and emergency evacuation routes.
“Once we get a plan it’s easier to get funding for projects,” Wolski said at the festival, adding that the water district will collaborate with the Ramona Chamber of Commerce, the Barona Band of Mission Indians, the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association and firefighting officials and volunteers.
Penelope Fox, a Ramona resident of 30 years and educator, talked to festival-goers about how she is seeking collaboration from residents, organizations, media and arts professionals along with libraries, farmers and ranchers, businesses, science researchers and inventors to focus on environmental projects.
She said she is in an “idea stage” for now, but wants to work to educate children so they can be lifelong stewards of the Earth. She envisions a free community endeavor that could evolve as an after-school or weekend program, events such as a music program, interviews with experts, art contests, or coordinated themes for libraries and storefronts.
“I’m presenting about ecosystems in the hope of getting people interested in belonging to the movement,” Fox said.
At a booth overlooking the Ramona Grasslands County Preserve, Charlene Penner demonstrated how to eat wild edible plants. The Ramona resident said she adds edible plants to her salads and teas. She also uses some of the plants for medicinal purposes such as suppressing coughs or stimulating digestion.
She had a display of jars filled with mustard, horehound, chickweed, wood sorrel, sow thistle, stinging nettle and mallow.
“I never buy them in the store, I just go out and pick them,” she said. “It’s not that I’m saving money or time, but I like the quality of what grows on its own in nature.”
Ramona Barn Owls owner Stacey Mae Rudge displayed a barn owl box and showed pellets of bones and fur coughed up by owls.
“Kids break them apart and see what the owls have eaten,” Rudge said. “The hawks eat snakes and squirrels, bats eat insects and pollinate plants and the owls eat everything else — bunnies, gophers, rats and mice.”
An art display showcased a variety of artists in Ramona and San Diego County. Set up by 2Create Gallery in Ramona, the display included PhotoShop enhanced landscape photographs by Ramona resident Susan Bainbridge. She said her photos are manipulated to have an ethereal look similar to a Chinese watercolor painting.
“It’s an emotional interpretation of what you’re looking at,” said Molly Begent, owner of Begent Ranch and 2Create Gallery art gallery in Ramona.
