Janet Fardette

Many years ago on a walk along the San Lorenzo river in downtown Santa Cruz, Janet Fardette asked herself how she could get more people to come appreciate the beauty of the natural space. Since that day she has visited the Riverwalk every Saturday and Monday with a dedicated group of volunteers called the Leveelies that clean up trash at the river, count what they find, share findings with local leaders and advocate for change. She also sends a weekly newsletter to local leaders and even took her fight to the state level and helped secure funding that resulted in a new fitness area for the riverwalk, new native plants and lighting to make the area safe.