Orchard planted at Bay View to teach sustainability
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
by Geoffrey A. Paulsen
A traveling crew of modern-day Johnny Appleseeds stopped in Santa Cruz on Tuesday to teach students about caring for the environment and to plant a 20-tree orchard at Bay View Elementary.
The traveling caravan, known as the Fruit Tree Tour, is a program run by the nonprofit Common Vision. The fleet of buses and vans is run on vegetable oil and houses the 27-person crew during the tour. Common Vision partners with schools and other groups throughout California to encourage sustainability.
See more...Fruit Tree Tour plants roots at Watsonville's New School outdoor program
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
by Joanne Sanchez
The world's largest veggie-oil-powered caravan covered in forest-scape murals and carrying 1,000 fruit trees and 27 volunteers rolled into Watsonville on Thursday as part of its annual 20-city, 70-day tour to urban schools from San Diego to Sacramento.
In a one-of-a-kind daylong interactive outdoor program that includes West African agricultural drumming and ecoconscious hip-hop, Common Vision's Fruit Tree Tour taught students at New School how to turn barren school yards into abundant orchards, creating living classrooms with the potential to produce enough fresh fruit for the school's cafeteria and community.
See more...Veggie-powered bus makes pit stop in Watsonville
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
The so-called "largest veggie-powered caravan in the world" was in Watsonville on Tuesday dazzling kids with their colorful environmental message.
This is the third year of Common Vision's annual Fruit Tree Tour, which has traveled from San Diego to Sacramento planting more than 1,500 fruit trees with the students of inner-city schools.
See more...Vegan vehicles carry earthy message
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
by Joanne Sanchez
One of their buses broke down in San Luis Obispo. But the second bus, hand-painted with the colors of the rainbow, kept on going.
Friday morning, 20 members of environmental-education group Common Vision, packed into the colorful school bus that doubles as their home, arrived in Watsonville bearing fruit trees and drums to spread their word about sustainable living.
See more...Fruit Tree Tour takes root in county
SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
by Sarah Vickers
Two biodiesel-fueled buses, part of the second annual Fruit Tree Tour, will roll into Santa Cruz County in March, carrying educators, performers and soil.
Common Vision, organizers of the event, aims to disperse information and training to urban youth through education and tree-planting sessions across California.
"So often environmental ideas like "conservation" can seem removed to urban youth," said Michael Flynn, Common Vision education director. "Students often only once or twice get a chance to see environments develop."
So why Santa Cruz County?
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