Help us protect waterways from toxic ash runoff

The Post-Fire Watershed Defense Coalition is a team of committed volunteers who have been working non-stop since the wildfires to contain the toxic contaminants of structure and vehicle burns from reaching the pristine waterways within the Santa Cruz mountains.

WHAT WE'RE DOING

* Visiting burn sites where homes and human-made structures once stood, and placing biologically active wattles (sediment barriers) around the perimeter of the burned structures and vehicles

* Preventing soil erosion as well as filtering and breaking down toxic runoff before it enters the watershed

* Putting living organisms back into the soil, helping to regenerate the scarred earth

* Working side-by-side with a pioneering study that explores the efficacy of fungi-inoculated “myco-wattles”  in remediating the heavy metals, plastics and other chemicals from the toxic ash.


WHO WE ARE

* A coalition of individuals, grassroots groups Wildfire Protectors Corps , SC Relief  and Grow the Change along with CoRenewal, a 501c-3 organization.

* Homeowners and renters who lost their homes, as well as caring community members

* This is a real ‘neighborhoods-helping-neighborhoods’ endeavor, and with heavy rains approaching, hundreds of dedicated folks from the various communities of Santa Cruz County and beyond have signed up to volunteer their time, labor, skills and resources to help our fire survivors get it done together.

WHAT YOUR SUPPORT DOES

We are a volunteer-led organization, so 100% of your donation goes directly to our work. We have been paying out of pocked and need support in order to purchase:

* Materials such as bio-wattles, filled and unfilled filtration socks, straw bales, stakes, and tarps to cover burned vehicles

* Safety gear and respirators for our volunteers working amidst these dangerous chemicals


WHERE WE ARE WORKING

* We are working on the areas impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex fires, on the ancestral land of the indigenous people currently represented by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.  

* So far, we have visited sites where homes and human-made structures burned in Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek and Last Chance


WHY NOW ?

The heavy rains will be here soon, and together we can prevent the toxins from reaching these protected waterways! 

Ultimately, your donation allows us to continue protecting the crystal-clear watersheds that we all depend on.

Thank you so much for your service!

Learn more or sign up to volunteer with us at wildfireprotectorscorps.org

"This allowed me to finally turn the page from the trauma into
feeling like I am doing something to heal and honor my land...
It has really helped me move into the next stage of my own healing too."
- A Last Chance Resident