TURLOCK NOW: Surprisingly easy being green

TURLOCK -- Get in touch with your inner environmentalist for Go Green Week with the City of Turlock Municipal Services Department.

Now in its sixth year, the annual environment education campaign kicks off Feb. 25 and coordinates with Turlock Unified School District campuses to spread the good green word. Participating schools bring together city staff, teachers, administrators, community organizations and volunteers to help students learn about conservation and pollution prevention strategies such as recycling, composting, water conservation and waste reduction activities.

Most of the district's K-12 school campuses take part and activities span from school site visits by local business people to tree plantings, recycling contests, a district wide “Wear Green Day" and green awareness wristbands participants to wear.

In conjunction with Go Green Week, The City’s Bus Line Service, BLAST, will be offering free rides for all passengers, all routes, all week long through March 2. But this special offer does not include the sale of transfers to StaRT and or DART services.

Since it began, Go Green Week programming has helped divert approximately 12,825 pounds material from the landfill, plant 114 trees, and assist with fundraising efforts to raise nearly $4,000 from recycling for schools. Some 12,075 students and faculty take part each year. For more information on the City of Turlock’s Go Green Week program, contact Toni Cordell at (209) 668-5599 ext. 4474 or at tcordell@turlock.ca.us, or visit the City’s Go Green website at www.cityofturlock.org/gogreen.