GONZALES — Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority, aka Salinas Valley Recycles (SVR), will celebrate the grand opening of its new Education Center and Garden near Gonzales this Saturday in conjunction with the Youth Council’s year-end community project — a Sustainability Fair.
In 2023, the inaugural SVR Youth Council commissioners were recruited, selected and presented to the Board of Directors their mission to enroll the community in the vision of a sustainable future by incorporating new habits today.
“To deliver on this promise and make a genuine impact on the local community, the Youth Council has developed a Sustainability Fair to be hosted on April 6,” stated SVR in a news release.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Sustainability Fair will take place at the newly built Education Center and Garden at Johnson Canyon Landfill, just outside of Gonzales, and will also serve as the facility’s grand opening. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 11 a.m.
The Education Center, along with the garden, was built to “provide a safe and engaging community space to educate on the connection between your waste, nature and yourself,” according to SVR.
“This center has been a grand vision come to life thanks to the support from local agencies, staff and the Board of Directors, with their approval of funds in October 2021,” said the recycling center.
SVR broke ground on the new center in January 2022, and since then has completed countless projects like acquiring repurposed shipping containers as the building structure, solar system for power, building a new raised bed garden, a pollinator garden, and creating access to water, to name a few.
“In celebration of our new Education Center and Garden and the success of our Youth Council, the Sustainability Fair will put all these efforts into an unforgettable event for all to come,” SVR said. “Enjoy free food, live music, a composting workshop, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a resource fair, and learn sustainable practices while you’re here.”
Attendees of the fair are asked to park in the Gonzales High School stadium lot and take a free shuttle to the Education Center.
The Sustainability Fair is fully planned, outlined and created by the Youth Council members. The Youth Council is made up of students Jenny De La Rosa Robles, Gabriela Jaramillo, Jaena Serrano and Reuben Zamora representing Rancho San Juan High School; Kelly Billman representing Salinas High School; Mahi Shah representing Notre Dame High School; and Angelen Zavala representing Hartnell College.
Those who are interested in attending can learn more about the event and can RSVP at svswa.org/schools/education-center.
