Crumb Clean Campaign
About | Zone 6 Marbled Murrelet Landscape Management Plan | Research | Keep it Crumb Clean Campaign | Forestry Management |
Here at Parks we are serious about keeping Wildlife Wild, we don’t want any animals getting access to human food. We have a multi-pronged approach to prevent intentional and unintentional animal feeding. We call this the Keep it Crumb Clean Campaign – this is to highlight the fact that even Crumbs, yes CRUMBS, matter. This approach or campaign uses the Three E’s that’s Engineering, Education and Enforcement, all work together to give visitors what they need to be Crumb Clean, educate them about what to do, raise awareness and support by telling the story. Finally to close the loop, we enforce these rules.
Crumb Clean Commitment
Here are the EEEs
Engineering (Infrastructure)
1. Food Storage Lockers (must be animal proof)
We provide a secure place for people to put their food, big enough to fit your camping coolers and food bins.
2. Secure animal proof trash cans.
3. Grates on each of the water spigots. Water spigots have been where visitors traditionally have gone to wash their dishes. The food scraps historically left on the ground now fall out of reach of the animals that might find them. (going to get a photo of this)
4. Dishwashing Stations. We are in the process of finishing up dishwashing stations at every restroom in our Parks.
Education
5. When campers make their reservations online they are required to watch a short video about the marbled murrelet.
6. We require campers to sign a “Crumb Clean Commitment” when they check they learn about the importance of being Crumb Clean. They also get info about the murrelet.
7. Signage. At every campsite on the food locker is our educational sign.
8. Signage. On every picnic table we have a Crumb Clean Sign.
9. Signage. Never been camping and don’t know how to clean your dishes. We have a sign for that!
10. Signage. We have a This is a Crumb Clean Campground sign at the entrance to all campgrounds.
Interpertation
11. Roving Interpreters visit the campground around dinnertime to invite visitors to the Campfire talks and to tell the murrelet story and remind people about their crumb clean commitment. It’s easy to get distracted and turn your back on the picnic table.
12. A brief marbled murrelet message is given at every talk.
13. We give out stickers, magnets, pins.
14. We have original junior ranger programs and evening campfire talks specifically about the murrelet story. And we have custom puppets!
Enforcement
15. Our Rangers visit the campground in the early morning to find trash or food that may have been left out overnight. We have successfully upheld these tickets in court
16. We update our Closure Orders for food storage yearly. This is an State Park requirement for us to make our CCRs enforceable.
I often say that it would be better if we had bears to worry about here in the Santa Cruz mountains. It is easier to get compliance when life and property are at stake. In Yosemite they have bears and even then, some people are careless with their food. We must enforce the rules to ensure compliance.