Creeks, Watershed & Stormwater ~ City of Oakland, California

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Oakland Adopt a Spot

Photo of four teenage girls in Volunteer t-shirts Through the Oakland Adopt a Spot program, the City of Oakland Public Works Agency provides a unique opportunity for individuals, neighborhood groups, civic organizations and businesses to play an active and ongoing role in cleaning, greening and beautifying parks, creeks, streets and other public spaces.

Public Works provides adopters with tool lending, debris pickup and technical assistance. In order to qualify for adoption, an area must be City of Oakland property or right-of-way, and the adopter(s) must make a one-year commitment to the area.

See and hear more about what it's like to be a member of the Oakland Adopt a Spot program! Check out this video featuring a few of our adopters doing amazing work:

2013 Oakland Adopt a Spot on Vimeo.

Please review the Adopt a Spot Program Packet for an application and more detailed information. You can also contact an Adopt a Spot coordinator by phone at (510) 238-7630 or via email at oaklandadoptaspot@oaklandnet.com.

Read on to learn more about the types of adoptions available through Oakland Adopt a Spot.

Parks

With over 100 parks and nearly 3,000 acres of open space and parkland, there are numerous stewardship opportunities within the Oakland parks network. Parks in every neighborhood can benefit from volunteer support. Park volunteer activities can include picking up litter, removing weeds, cleaning up graffiti and planting/pruning pre-approved by City staff.

Creeks

Oakland’s watershed, comprised of 15 main creeks, over 30 tributaries, Lake Merritt and the Estuary, is a vital natural resource. Volunteers are essential to keeping this important habitat healthy and clean. Adoption activities can include:

Regularly picking up litter
Planting site-appropriate native plants and/or removing non-native plants
Studying and reporting on water quality and habitat
Removing graffiti

Streets

Our streetscapes provide many opportunities for volunteering. Types of activities can include litter pickup, graffiti cleanup, weed and debris removal and mosaic installations on litter containers. Examples of spots eligible for adoption include:

Blocks (Curbs & Sidewalks)
Median Strips
Steps, Pathways & Trails
Storm Drains

Materials for Current Adopters

Anyone volunteering at your Oakland Adopt a Spot site should read the Volunteer Guidelines and sign the Sign-In Sheet and Waiver, or, if a minor under 18 years old, the Minor Waiver. Downloadable versions of these documents are available below.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Some public spaces within Oakland are owned or managed by governmental entities other than the City of Oakland. Please visit the following websites for volunteer opportunities offered by these organizations.

Alameda County Adopt-A-Creek/Adopt-A-Spot (County-owned land, flood control channels)
Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway (highway overpasses, underpasses, on-ramps and off-ramps)
East Bay Regional Parks District (trails, botanical gardens, regional parks and shorelines)

Not looking to adopt a spot? If you would just like to host a one-time community cleanup, contact us at (510) 238-7630 or oaklandadoptaspot@oaklandnet.com with your idea. We may be able to provide you tools, trash pickup and other logistical support. You may also want to visit our online Volunteer Event Calendar of events happening soon.

In addition to the volunteer programs and events managed by Public Works, the City of Oakland partners with local organizations who oversee and support independent volunteer efforts at Oakland’s parks, creeks, streets and other public spaces. Visit their websites to learn how you can become involved.

Check out our new Oakland Adopt a Spot Facebook Page.

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Oakland Adopt a Spot

Materials for Current Adopters

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