Coronado Vons — Emerald Keeper of the Month

Emerald Keepers is pleased to recognize Coronado Vons as the June Emerald Keepers of the Month.  Our local supermarket is promoting efforts in sustainability that gives priority to our community’s uniqueness along with utilizing the environmental goals of its large corporation. The parent company of Coronado Vons is Albertsons Companies.

SoCal Vons Communications Director Courtney Carranza said, “At Albertsons Companies, we are proud of our Recipe for Change initiative, which comes to life at our Coronado Vons through our new recycling bins for customers, our new electric car charging stations, our composting program, and our commitment to reducing hunger in our community.   Each month, our Coronado store donates fresh food to our food pantry partners to help alleviate food insecurity in the local community.”

A recent visit with Store Manager Scott Thompson and Carranza, highlighted some of the ways the store has expanded its eco-friendly options for customers.

Outside of the store, large well-marked bins serve as a visual reminder of the importance of sorting trash and recycling. With the convenience of drive-by drop-offs and placement near the back entrance of Vons, the bins are being filled by local residents and customers. Thompson said the bins are being emptied daily.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations have been installed in the parking lot and will be ready for use in July.

Other examples of eco-friendly choices include: 

• Expanding the organic vegetable and fruit section. Signage reflects earth-friendly and sustainable farming practices. 

• Reducing single-use plastic and packaging, including the amount of plastic used to make some of their own brand milk jugs and water bottles.

• Offering reusable bags, eliminating double-bagging and minimizing the use of bags.

• Committing to reducing food waste, Vons donates to the San Diego Food Bank. In additional support of our community, Coronado Vons made a monetary donation to The Wampler Foundation.

• Developing corporation strategies that include rethinking and reusing items, such as plastic crates emptied at the store and sent to be recycled into plastic pellets. The pellets are then used to manufacture new crates. 

• Buying local, and partnering with suppliers and local farms. 

• Limiting fossil fuels, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

“I am proud to be at Coronado Vons,” said Thompson. He strongly believes that the recent remodel of today’s Vons is giving customers the convenience of more options, along with assistance from friendly staff, and resulting in a pleasant shopping experience.   

Focusing on better environmental choices, and continuously looking for ways to better serve residents and visitors, are key practices for our local supermarket. Congratulations to the Coronado Vons, Emerald Keepers of the Month.

Jesse Hill Emerald Keeper of the Month

It is unusual for a freshman to start new club on campus, but in 2019, this is exactly what Jesse Hill did. She completed the paperwork to establish an Emerald Keepers Club on campus and recruited members. When the pandemic hit, she worked with Emerald Keepers’ board and school district administrators to find a plot of land where the club could compost and grow vegetables for food insecure families during the pandemic with co-president senior, Marla Steel. Soon a complete garden complex was up and running -- raised beds, fruit trees, a tool shed, and compost bins. Best of all were the students she organized who came together once a week to tend the plot by composting over 4000 pounds of organic waste, producing vegetables beyond their wildest expectations, and providing a safe space for students to learn and blossom. Last year, the club won the prestigious Superintendent’s Award as the best club at the high school.

Jesse’s devotion, energy, and leadership were almost single-handedly responsible for the club’s success over the past four years. If you visit the garden on Saturday morning, you will hear music playing; the voices of happy, hard-working, dedicated, collaborative club members; and a vibe both unique and beautiful to behold – full of positive energy and life.

Last year, there was an opportunity for nonprofits to take part in a school internship program where students could earn high school credit. Jesse, along with 12 members of her club applied to be interns with Emerald Keepers in addition to their club responsibilities. The interns worked our educational booths --talking with thousands of people at various events—and introduced speakers and greeted people at Emerald Keeper events.  This year the program expanded to 17 interns and Jesse created an Earth Month Camp for elementary students to learn how to compost, garden, and develop sustainable habits. She also worked with a team to establish Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Sustainable Classrooms at the elementary schools.

Emerald Keepers is just one of Jesse’s initiatives. She has served as Class President – both her junior and senior year and was secretary of her sophomore class. Through student government Jesse organized dozens of events, managed social media, and promoted all manner of activities. She personifies school spirit.

Jesse’s work-life balance is impressive. Currently Vice President of the Best Buddies Club, she shares her lunch period with students encumbered with intellectual and developmental disabilities and helps fundraise for accessible classroom equipment for her special friends. She participates in Mi Mitad, a monthly cultural exchange with students in Spain via zoom to share holidays and traditions and improve her language skills. A student athlete, Jesse was Team Captain of the varsity golf team her junior year, and a four-year surfer with her high school team. Jesse is a role model for aspiring young surfers. It is no wonder she was elected to the homecoming court this past fall. Jesse is not only a role model for peers and youth, but an inspiration to adults.  Jesse will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall.

Congratulations to Emerald Keeper of the Month, Jesse Hill, for her four years of dedication to the CHS Emerald Keepers Club! 

Girl Scout Troop 6530 - Emerald Keepers of the Month

Girl Scout Troop 6530 is making the environment a priority. Emerald Keepers met them at the Coronado Flower Show where they were handing out California wildflower seeds to visitors to their booth and educating them about hummingbirds for their Bronze Award. They helped visitors “make & take” hummingbird perches. Their adorable little booklet about these tiny, feathered wonders was filled with interesting facts and information:

·      Thousands of native plants rely on hummingbirds for pollination.

·      Hummingbirds are called nectivores because 90% of their diet is the nectar from flowers.

·      Hummingbirds can fly in all directions – even backwards.

·      Hummingbirds are drawn to the color red because it is easy for them to see.

·      When hummingbirds eat, pollen sticks to them. When they visit another flower, it falls off them and pollinates the plant.

·      If you are going to use a hummingbird feeder, use a glass one and change the sugar-water every other day (3 parts water, 1 part sugar).

·      Native plants are important to hummingbird diets.

·      Plant tall shrubs and vines on which for hummingbirds to perch. Small trees make great nesting sites for them.

These Scouts encourage you to make Coronado hummingbird friendly and enjoy the three different species found in Coronado backyards.

Congratulations, Troop 6530, on being our Emerald Keepers of the Month!

Sarah Jones, October Emerald Keeper of the Month

Have you ever thought about how many plastic cleaning product bottles you have discarded in your lifetime? How many paper towels you have used? How many old school plastic binders tossed into the trash? How about the number of bags you have “consumed” for your groceries and other purchases?

Sarah Jones thinks about ways to avoid using throw-away items every day. She said, “It’s easier and cheaper to use sustainable products.”

Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, Sarah’s family was environmentally aware, but it was a different time. “Back then,” Jones explained, “there wasn’t that much to throw away. Things were packaged differently.”

Jones said her “aha” moment came when she traveled to Europe where people are more sustainably minded. In stores the attitude was, “Why would anyone give bags away? How incredibly wasteful!”  Jones always carries reusable bags with her. She likes the little stuff bags that fit in a purse or backpack. She also has mesh bags for fruits and vegetables. No plastic for her!

 Jones and her family use reusable household items. “For five years, we haven’t bought plastic bottles of cleaner. That is lots of plastic saved,” said Jones. Instead, Jones uses cleaning tablets from Blueland and just adds water to the reusable containers. She likes the way the products smell and their environmentally friendliness. She like Drops for her laundry detergent and using dryer balls to dry clothes faster and save energy.

Revealing a stock of cloth napkins she shared, “I don’t iron them.” Then with a giggle added, “I don’t have a staff.” She also has two baskets in her kitchen: one for clean dishtowels and one for used. Paper towels are not to be found.

A large gourd-like object sat in the middle of her dining room table. She scooped it up and explained how she slices pieces of dried loofah, a tropical or subtropical vegetable in the cucumber family, for loofah sponges.

“Just think how many plastic binders are thrown in the trash at the end of each school year.” Jones said. She found a company called Wisdom Supply Company that sells cardboard binders with reusable metal bindings. She said, “You just order the cardboard outer cover and kids can label and color the cardboard any way they like.”

The mother of three saves pasta and jam jars to use for food storage and drinking glasses. She even has silicone sleeves for jars so they don’t clink when carrying them to Farmers’ Markets for the food she purchases. She says the vendors always appreciate her bringing her own containers.

A trademark of Sarah’s comes from living overseas as a military spouse. She loves to wrap things in a furoshiki – a Japanese cloth used to wrap bento lunch boxes or gifts. She explained that by tying it on the top, it is easy to carry and looks festive.

Congratulations and thank you, Sarah Jones, for being the October Emerald Keeper of the Month!

CHS Emerald Keepers Club — June Emerald Keepers of the Month

For the month of June, the Coronado High School Emerald Keepers club members and their team of interns were selected as the Emerald Keepers of the month. This amazing group of students rallied together to create a garden and compost system throughout the year, eventually donating the produce grown to local food shelters.

The High School Emerald Keepers club’s efforts were recognized earlier this month when the group received the Superintendent’s trophy at the Senior Awards Ceremony. This prestigious award highlights and commemorates outstanding on-campus groups each year. The Emerald Keepers club was chosen for its dedication to the community and efforts to live out the organization’s sustainability mission.

 This club has met consistently throughout the year, learning the ropes of composting and gardening along the way. Their mentors, Tara Davis and Karrie Jackson, guided the club to grow produce eligible for donation. Emerald Keepers intern Bailey Manion explains, “Tara and Karrie are really supportive and knowledgeable. I feel like I can always ask them for advice whether it's for composting or gardening. They’re really great and helpful!” Using the guidance of these amazing mentors, the ambitious high schoolers have planted nearly 18 different types of fruits, herbs, and vegetables with the purpose of donating the produce to local organizations in need.

On April 18th, the club made its first donation to a grassroots San Diego non-profit called the Neighborhood House Association which works with local families in need of food and other social services. Club members were excited to watch their vision come to fruition and make a difference for local families. Emerald Keepers intern and high school club member Daniela Finch shares, “It feels really great to know that I am doing something good for the community, especially seeing how our donations are directly going to families that are food insecure and really need it.”

Since the initial donation, the club has continued meeting throughout the months, rain or shine. During their meetings, members compost waste from local businesses, plant new fruits or vegetables, and even harvest produce for donation. These students enjoy coming together and sharing these mornings in the garden. Club member and intern Zoe Quast explains, “I think it's really great to get together with everybody. I like being a part of something and it’s so fun being a part of this Emerald Keepers community.”

These club members’ ambition and dedication made it possible to make a second donation to a local food shelter earlier this month. They find fulfillment in knowing their hours of work are going towards making a change in the lives of those living in food insecurity. Zoe Quast shares, “It's really cool to see that something we made in real time is helping people directly. We grew it from the ground up, literally, and we get to see it actually improve the lives of people.”

Meet Brian Trotier - May Emerald Keeper of the Month

May’s Emerald Keeper of the Month is Coronado resident Brian L. Trotier of the Triangle Project, located in the East Village of San Diego, just across the bay.

The Triangle Project is a pilot program created to help improve the lives of the unhoused people. Brian has been helping out in this area for about fifteen years and has developed relationships with many of the residents. A huge issue has been the trash in the area. The residents, mainly living in tents, don’t have a place to dispose of their trash which is unsightly, unsanitary, and demoralizing for them. Richard Aaron Horton, 64, a longtime resident, started improving the area by picking up trash. Brian Trotier knows Richard well and has expanded the effort by securing funding from the Lucky Duck Foundation.  This local foundation focuses on the homeless and has contracted with EDCO for a dumpster to collect the trash.

The concept is simple, and the results so far have been amazing. Brian reported that, as of last week, the Triangle Project had collected in the previous 20 days, 3,794 bags of trash weighing a total of 23.89 tons. It is likely that much of this, including plastic, would have found its way into our bay and ocean. Here is how it works: every Monday and Thursday, EDCO drops off a dumpster at 8 am. Brian brings bags, gloves, and a stack of cash. Volunteers walk around the area greeting residents and asking if they’d like trash bags. For almost all, the answer is an enthusiastic “yes!” Residents get to work cleaning up their neighborhood. For every full bag of trash they bring to the dumpster, Brian gives them $2. The roughly two-block area goes from being very littered to being very clean within an hour.

Triangle Project’s results are about double what Brian and Lucky Duck projected, and the benefits have gone far beyond a cleaner neighborhood (and bay). Residents express appreciation for being seen; they get along better with each other. “They have a common enemy—trash,” Brian acknowledged. 

“You take care of things better when you put some of you into it,” says project co-founder and block captain Richard Horton. Others are equally enthusiastic. Elijah Davis, 33, says, “Where we live, it’s hard enough. When we clean up, we have a better environment; we feel cleaner. This project gives us the supplies and the motivation. This (the $24 he got from delivering 12 bags of trash) is my breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Emerald Keepers applauds Brian Trotier and the Triangle Project. Resident Maurice Loadholt, 29, summed up its success: “Keeping the Earth clean. That’s what’s happening in the long run. It’s a domino effect.”

Emerald Keeper of the Month, Tracy Tempest

Meet Tracy Tempest. People who paddle in South Bay know her as the “Turtle Whisperer” because she has a special connection with the turtle population in the Bay. You may encounter her on her stand-up paddle board or pedal kayak looking for green sea turtles. 

A retired tennis pro, Tracy is now a citizen scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Carrying her phone, Tracy takes a screen shot of the weather before she shoves off from shore using the Weather Underground app. She paddles with a small thermometer dangling in the water in case of a turtle sighting. When she sees a turtle, she uses the Lat Long App on her phone to get the exact coordinates of the sighting. She makes note of the tide using MyTideTimes and notes the water conditions -- flat or windy. Once ashore, she sends all the data to www.swfsc.turtle-sightings@noaa.gov where Dr. Jeff Seminoff receives the information. Dr. Seminoff is the Leader of the Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment Program in the NOAA office in La Jolla. Tracy’s detailed information helps scientists track the green sea turtle population in South San Diego Bay as well as their behavior. She added, “A report of zero turtle sightings is also important to NOAA.”

“I try to say if they are big, little, sitting or swimming and send a photo if I can get one,” Tracy explained. “You see more on a stand up paddle board because you have better visibility. Just keep your head on a swivel.”

Tempest’s relationship with NOAA began in 2020, and her work became especially important during the pandemic as NOAA scientists have not been allowed on the water. Much of her data can be found in reports on NOAA’s website.  When she cannot get out on the water, Tracy goes out of her way to ask people if they have seen turtles and then sends a blurb to NOAA. She said, “Each time I see a turtle, it’s like WOW, they are still here.” Her excitement is unmistakable and contagious. “It feels like they are staring at you,” said Tracy.  

Tracy Tempest’s love for the turtles and her volunteer work as a citizen scientist protecting and tracking them is why she is the Emerald Keeper of the Month. Congratulations, Tracy! We look forward to discovering turtles with you soon. 

Emerald Keeper of the Month: Bridge and Bay Garden Club

Displaying Penny Pines donations at the recent BBGC meeting in front of the Coronado Library are members, l. to r., Kathy Beaton, Alexis Doering, Andrea Luttinen (with basket), Gail Stewart, Karen Foster, Patricia Sedgwick, and Sandra Killmeyer-Kran. 

This month’s Emerald Keeper is the Coronado Bridge and Bay Garden Club. Formed in 1972, the Bridge and Bay Garden Club (BBGC) has been involved in all phases of gardening, in civic activities, and in the conservation of natural resources. 

Of interest to Emerald Keepers is the reforestation program that BBGC has supported over the years known as “Penny Pines,” whose donations of $68 per acre have restored trees to the 440,000 acres of the Cleveland National Forest, in our own east county. 

The first Penny Pines reforestation program began in 1941 by a San Francisco women’s sports association to benefit a national forest in northern California. Today, donations from Penny Pines, along with federal funding, continue to pay for the cost of planting seedlings on lands that have been adversely affected by fires, pests and disease. In 1941, a $68 donation provided 680 seedlings on an acre of land. The same $68 today purchases approximately 200 seedlings. 

For as long as the 75 BBGC members can remember, they have supported the Penny Pines program. According to club president Kathy Beaton, “Wildfires are destroying so many trees. Trees… provide the air that we breath…. It makes sense to replace the trees as fast as possible.” 

At each monthly meeting, club member Andrea Luttinen passes a basket to collect loose change, usually bringing in $40-$60. Over 70 acres of seedling plants have been added to the Cleveland National Forest as of the end of 2021, due to the club’s efforts. 

The BBGC is probably best recognized for its work locally. As President Beaton says, “We promote gardening and ecological systems to make 

areas beautiful and sustainable.” Club members maintain the gardens at the post office, the Coronado Middle School, Spreckels Park at the corner of 6th Street and Orange Avenue, and a church school. Members also support programs such as organic composting, the function of bees, and the benefits of growing mushrooms. 

President Beaton is excited to be introduced to Emerald Keepers because she feels it’s necessary to “save our oceans and forests one garden at a time.” 

The BBGC meets in the Coronado Library Winn Room on the last Monday of the month. “We’re an active, city club looking for new members to get involved with new projects. We are a fun group of people who really enjoy learning to dig in the dirt,” shared President Beaton. 

February Emerald Keeper of the Month: Tara Davies

Do you have questions about composting? Have you ever wanted to learn more about caring for your garden, native plants, and local wildlife? 

Meet Coronado Teen Librarian and Master Composter Tara Davies.

It’s Saturday morning in Coronado.  As the brisk, coastal air greets a winter sun, a community garden is taking root. Just feel the vibe. Listen to delighted high school voices as more plants are poking through the rich soil. Tara Davies, club co-advisor, alongside several Coronado High School Emerald Keepers, is creating new rows of seedlings. Other students are discovering small potatoes that have popped up among the greenery.  Almost-filled compost bins are nearly ready for the next step, which is to sift the compost.

When Tara was asked what her vision is for working with young people on environmental projects such as the Coronado School Garden mentioned above, she responded, “There is such a focus on the technical or virtual aspects of the future, I feel that people overlook that there is still so much we can learn from the natural world. I want to give teens an opportunity (and a space with the garden) to explore nature and life science. We’re at a critical point where the nature you and I have experienced may not be available in the same capacity for future generations. I think giving youth a chance to enjoy and experience it as we did can help them develop the same sense of stewardship”. 

Jesse Hill, co-president of the CHS Emerald Keepers Club, describes Tara as someone the students look up to and who is a good mentor.  “She is a really positive, kind person with a super spirit who passes her kindness on to others.”

Emerald Keepers President Amy Steward calls Tara “the environmental librarian.”  Tara has worked on Earth Day programs with Emerald Keepers at the Coronado Library and has joined the Emerald Keepers Board of Directors. 

Tara is planning several workshops for the public. She is also encouraging students to apply for Emerald Keeper Intern positions which will allow them to earn credit toward graduation requirements.

Emerald Keepers is proud to recognize Tara Davies as February’s Emerald Keeper of the Month. Her passion and expertise is inspiring our next generation of Coronadans to care for our coastal community.

Ivan Dunn — January Emerald Keeper of the Month

To talk with Ivan Dunn is to speak with a man of conviction and commitment. A retired Navy Captain and cryptological officer, Ivan has both travelled the world and established deep roots in Coronado… a far cry from his hometown of Bell City, Missouri.

Since retiring from the Navy, Ivan has immersed himself in civic activities. Foremost amongst these is his interest in and contributions to ecological and environmental initiatives. And this is where Ivan‘s and Emerald Keepers’ paths so fortuitously crossed. For years he had picked up trash along Coronado’s roads, beaches, and bikeway; as he states, “I simply couldn’t pass it by.” When he learned of Emerald Keepers, he immediately took their pledge and began expanding his trash mitigation efforts. His typical stop-bicycle-and-pick-up-small-items routine soon paled in comparison to the “mobile trash can” he designed out of a bike trailer and employed on what he describes as his “big pickup days.”

In characteristic fashion, Ivan was only warming up! Combining his love of photography, drones, and nature, he began creating videos documenting areas of interest in and around Coronado and used these to advocate for cleaning our environment and protecting wildlife. Two small examples are his videos of King Tides flooding over the Strand bikeway and documenting the history of the solar salt ponds in South Bay. Arguably his best video to date Is of blue herons nesting In the large tree on Glorietta Blvd — capturing the majestic birds in flight, eggs in their nests, and feeding their young. As he continues to keep an eye on these avian beauties, Ivan also notes, “I have seen Coronado’s bird populations — herons, egrets, snowy plovers, least terms — increasing over the years. We need to keep the waters clean for them!”

Growing up in a family of Rotarians, Ivan — a past President of the Rotary Club of Coronado — was very excited when Rotary International introduced its newest global Area of Focus: Supporting the Environment. He is quick to remind people that Coronadoan (and fellow Rotarian) Marshall Saunders was a huge and early influence in both Rotary’s and the nation’s environmental awareness. Of his own accord Ivan organized a group of Rotarians who conduct monthly bicycle clean-up rides down the Strand. He is frequently heard to quote Kelley Helfand (a fellow Rotarian), “Once you see the trash, you can never unsee it!”

As more and more citizens of Coronado pledge to follow the simple practices advocated by Emerald Keepers, each becomes a catalyst and positive example protecting our environment and making Coronado a more sustainable community. An indisputable role model, Ivan Dunn is most deserving of recognition as January 2022 Emerald Keeper of the Month!

Emerald Keeper of the Month: Elizabeth Paganelli

When the owner of Fair Trade Décor, Elizabeth Paganelli, wanted to showcase the importance of selling eco-friendly products found in her store, she put a call out for people to drop off plastic water bottles. With the help of her husband, Jude, they created a recycled plastic bottle Christmas tree and Menorah. Her neighbor Kristin Volkman helped her decorate the bottles. 

“People are coming in just to take pictures of the tree or themselves in front of the tree,” explained Elizabeth Paganelli. “It’s so cool to see how much people appreciate the recycled bottle projected!” 

Not only is it beautiful, but it shines a light on the importance of eliminating single-use plastics. Fair Trade Décor is an Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Business, following a list of guidelines set forth by Emerald Keepers. As a fair trade store, Fair Trade Decor works with artisans in developing countries and underserved communities. All of their products are sourced through the US Fair Trade Federation, European Fair Trade Organization, World Fair Trade Organization and other Fair Trade sources that require eco-friendly practices to serve the best interests of both the artisans and their communities. Everything in the story is eco-friendly. 

Paganelli is proud of the principles they follow which help alleviate poverty and prioritize sustainable social and economic development. Safe working conditions and children’s rights, prompt and fair pay, respect for cultural identity and environmental stewardship are among the principals to which they adhere. Paganelli said, “We work with partners in approximately forty developing countries and organizations.” 

Elizabeth Paganelli is passionate about unique handcrafted decorative arts and human rights. She opened her store in Coronado in December of 2017, just five years after opening her store in Del Mar. This year the store added U.S. eco-friendly, sustainable products. 

Emerald Keepers is pleased to congratulate Fair Trade Décor as our Emerald Keeper of the Month for December, as they remind everyone to Reduce, Reuse, and Rejoice this holiday season.

Jenny Johnson, November Emerald Keeper of the Month

Emerald Keeper of the Month is Coronado resident Jenny Johnson.  Like so many Emerald Keepers, Johnson has been involved in environmental projects throughout her life. 

For 21 years, she and her husband Richard have been trained to work in teams for weeks at a time with the Midway Island Annual Albatross Count. Albatross are one of the largest and long-lived (at least 60 years) birds in the world.  They are endangered due to human interaction.

Her interest in these birds began when, Johnson as a child, lived with her family in the 1950s on the Midway military base. She states that she was surrounded by birds, as Midway Island is home to 20 seabird species. “I had birds to play with all around my house and everywhere I went.”  Her continued interest in and involvement with these amazing and threatened birds was featured in an article about the Albatross Count in the Spring, 2021 edition of the Audubon Magazine.

Johnson also volunteers at the SD Natural History Museum in the Department of Birds and Mammals, organizing and helping maintain their collections of bones, skeletons and skins. 

She is a Coronado Rotarian who participates in the monthly Rotary Club beach and bay clean ups. 

Currently, Johnson combs the dunes, rocks and the beach for trash once or twice a week with her picker and custom-made collection bag. Starting at Center Beach and working her way to Dog Beach and back, she scoops up enough trash each time to empty her bag 3-4 times in the available trash containers. Her collection bag was fashioned from a tough, mesh boat laundry bag that unzips from the bottom. As the bag she bought was taller than her 5-feet frame, she cut the bag in half and sewed handles at the top. The mesh allows sand to escape, and the zipper at the bottom makes it easy and less messy to empty. 

Johnson says that trash is particularly bad after weekends and holidays with cans and bottles left everywhere. Another source of trash are the gulls who love to fling whatever they can find in the overflowing trash cans after the visitors go home.  

Johnson feels that her weekly trips to the beach are good exercise walking in the soft sand and scaling the rocks for trash. She says, “What could be better than exercising and cleaning the environment at the same time?”

October Emerald Keepers of the Month: CHS Teacher Katie Quinly’s Students and Aides & Katie Leontieff’s Adult Transition Program Students

Photo by Kel Casey

Katie Quinly’s students and aides along with Katie Leontieff’s adult transition students cleaned the beach to do their part for the environment. District PE teach, John Sink, arranged the clean-up at Center Beach. 

CHS aide, Kel Casey said, “It is important to show young people just how vital it is to keep our beaches clean for the enjoyment of all. The kids enjoyed helping the sea life by cleaning up and learning about the ocean.”

The students and aides worked together to pick up trash. They appreciated helping Coronado keep their beach clean and spending time together. Following their hard work, they enjoyed a snack and learned about sea life in our ocean. They look forward to their next beach clean-up. 

For their commitment to an Emerald Green, Ocean Blue Coronado, these Coronado Unified School District students and staff are our Emerald Keepers of the month. Congratulations to all!

September Emerald Keepers of the Month: Co-Owner Emerald City, Kelly Kraus and GM, Bryan Gutter

Helping Coronado become a sustainable city since 2010, Emerald City Surf Shop earns September’s designation of Emerald Keeper of the Month. Two blocks north of the Hotel Del Coronado, Emerald City—a moniker derived fromCoronado’s evergreen surf and ties to the Wizard of Oz—opened in 1988, the brainchild of brothers Kelly and Larry Kraus. They sell a wide array of skate and surf supplies and apparel and offer surf and beach equipment for rent. They love Coronado and do their best to help it thrive.

The 90 solar panels on the shop’s roof caught Emerald Keepers’ attention, and we asked co- owner Kelly Kraus what motivated him to install solar power. “It’s the right thing to do. It saves you money, yes. But more importantly, it’s the right thing to do. We also put solar panels on our own house.” Saving money and reducing consumption with solar for over a decade—a win for Coronado and Kraus.

Kraus has made other moves to give Emerald City a sustainable footprint, and he has noticed many of the brands he sells move in eco-friendly directions. Emerald City uses only paper bags in the store; they are bulkier to store and cost more, but the store does its best to minimize plastic use. Because the bags are paper, Kraus’s son does most of the bag-stamping with Emerald City’s logo. The shop has filtered water in the break room so that staff can avoid bottled water. As far as the products Emerald City sells, Kraus sees a positive trend of reducing plastics:  more sandals now use cardboard hangers rather than plastic, smaller items like surf wax use paper wrapping, and more nylon clothing is recycled. Eco-friendliness is a hallmark of surf gear’s marketing. “There is definitely more consumer awareness that being more ecologically sound is what they want, and many companies are taking action on that,” says Kraus.

An avid surfer in Coronado and Imperial Beach, Kraus observes positive trends. More people pick up trash as a matter of course, and improvements at the Mexican border are starting to mitigate the sewage flow from the Tijuana River.

Buying local keeps us out of our cars—reducing Coronado’s carbon footprint and promoting another Emerald Keeper goal. If you’re looking for surf/skate gear, look no further than Emerald City. “This family owned shop was created by surfers, is operated by surfers, caters to surfers, and HAS A PRICE MATCHING POLICY to prove it.” 

Thank you, Emerald City Surf Shop, for helping keep Coronado Emerald Green, Ocean Blue.

Emerald Keepers of the Month: Cindy Elledge and David Brummitt

“Living by the Ferry Landing we see so much trash, and we know it ends up out in the bay. It is something we are tired of seeing, so we decided to start doing something about it.” – Cindy Elledge 

Although you can become an Emerald Keeper by a variety of environmentally friendly pursuits that include composting, recycling, eliminating single-use plastics and going solar, one of the easiest ways is to collect trash whenever and wherever you find it.  Taking the Emerald Keepers pledge (emeraldkeepers.org) has as one of its suggestions picking up at least three pieces of trash every day. 

The Emerald Keepers of the Month for August have certainly taken to heart this suggestion. Living near the Ferry Landing, Coronado residents Cindy Elledge and David Brummitt can be found two to three times a week with bags and pickers in hand collecting trash starting from the public pier outside of Peohe’s, in front of Il Fornaio, along the Broadstone to the Marriott Hotel and sometimes all the way to the Bridge. They begin working at the edges of the walkway where the picking is easy. More finesse is needed when they pull out trash that has gotten stuck and wedged into the rocks below the walkway. Not satisfied with picking three pieces of trash, they can fill as many of 5-6 bags with all sizes of bottles, beer cans, plastic utensils and bags, socks, fishing line, diapers, Styrofoam cups and food containers.

By picking up trash several times a week, they are hoping to encourage others residents and tourists as well as the local businesses to follow their example for a cleaner Coronado and bay. As Elledge explained, “We see so much trash, and we know it ends up out in the bay, so we decided to do something about it.” Brummitt adds, “It’s one little thing anyone can do!” 

Elledge and Brummitt, having grown up in Coronado, were probably first introduced by their mothers, who were friends. They dated in high school and college before taking different personal and career paths. They reconnected about ten years ago through a mutual classmate and have been together ever since. Their interest in the environment and sustainable practices has also come as a result of seeing a variety of documentaries and articles on sea-level-rise, the proliferation of plastics use, green-building materials, and coral reef health.

A side benefit of trash-picking, as stated by Elledge, “Often 2-4 people will thank us for what we are doing.”

Congratuations Emerald Keepers of the Month, Cindy Elledge and David Brummitt,