REI, The Watershed Project and the Coastal Commission recently invited Livie & Luca on a tour of the San Francisco Bay by kayak, aka the Flotsom Flotilla!  Earlier this month our intrepid group set out to experience the beauty of the South Richmond Shoreline and more specifically to learn about the impact of pollution on its ecosystem.

The city of Richmond, which has a special place in our hearts because of our playground build, has one of the loveliest shorelines along the bay. The purpose of the project is to draw corporate awareness not only to its beauty and history, but also to the plight of its flora and fauna due to pollution and trash.

The Watershed Project works to restore and preserve the SF Bay’s unique ecosystems and brings a watershed perspective to the urban environment, promoting green design and supporting natural cycles. Martha and Juliana of the Watershed Project educated us on the history of the Richmond shore as well as the effects of pollution.  During our journey we made a pit stop at a beach to collect trash, mostly single serving wrappers – the biggest pollutant of the bay.

With their many years of kayaking experience and expertise, Karl and Robyn of REI  gave us a kayak lesson and led our group’s journey. REI encourages the active conservation of nature and inspires the responsible use and enjoyment of the outdoors and also donates millions of dollars a year to conservation efforts nation-wide, such as this one.

We are inspired by the work of these two organizations and Livie & Luca is honored to have participated in this exercise of stewardship of our local environment.