CLAYTONARTS ACADEMY PLUS II

PROJECT PLAN PROPOSAL

Funding the Earth by Defunding Pollution
Respectfully Submitted By: Stephanie Punty
Date: 3/25/2016
GOALS & OBJECTIVES (At least three):
My goals/objectives for my Plus II Senior Project are to bring awareness to
pollution occurring in the surrounding delta systems and shorelines of the Bay
Area. After cleaning the Delta to the best of my ability, I will install a garbage can
into a high foot traffic area of the park, near the trail, in the picnic area, being that
there currently only a single garbage can, which is placed behind the bathroom
building for dog owners to dispose of their pets feces. On the garbage can I will
put (most likely with paint) a design showing what is at cost if humans dont work
to reduce and eventually practically eliminate pollution. As well, I will put a
saying/quote on the garbage to go with the imagery. This garbage can will be able
to help people throw away their garbage easily, and a lot more frequently.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION (Be as detailed as possible):
I plan to clean up the Bay Point Regional Shoreline, purchasing a garbage can, and
designing it to convey a message of eliminating pollution as well a depiction of the
delta with its plethora of endless cattails and marsh brush. My painting will be a
close up of the plants in a silhouette form at sunset. This idea came from a photo I
used in my APSA portfolio of the delta where you could make out the cattails and
brush as well as the hills and delta inlets in the background.
PERSONNEL/MATERIAL RESOURCES NEEDED (Mentor, all people you will
need to contact/work with, and all materials you think you will need):
I will need to work with my parents with timing around their and my busy
schedules. I will need to contact the East Bay Parks Supervisor for the Bay Point
park, Tammy Mueller. Tammy will be getting my ideas approved to be put into the
park, more specifically, my garbage can. I will also need to keep in contact with
you, Mrs. Wickware, to make sure I am on track and know where to go next if I hit
a bumpy area in my project.
PROCEDURE AND TIMELINE (Identify steps in the process for each
section, include as many details as you can think of and approximate dates
for action and deadlines):
SEE IT/BELIEVE IT:
Pollution has been an issue for many years, and growing up in the place I did, Ive
always recycled to the point where it makes me uncomfortable not to. As well as
recycling growing up, I would also always hear about cleaning up the coastlines,
highways, and many other places, but never really around in the Bay Area. Every
day I would drive to school on Bailey Road and see the amounts of garbage
dumped along the roads, and more recently, the torn down fencing to allow more
room for the trespassers to illegally dump, leaving the unaware cattle open access

to the road endangering both the cattle and the drivers. Each day, I would see a
new addition to the side of the road and be confused and angered as to why
someone would simply dump a washer machine, couch, microwave, water heater or
buckets of junk onto the bare-to-none shoulder of the road. With each visit to the
nearby regional park and having the same thoughts when seeing the scattered
garbage along in the reeds and bushes, and even more garbage at the actual
shoreline. I became a person who dislikes pollution in a community that is still
recovering from its 12% unemployment during the recession, not just because of
the eye sore pollution is, but the effects it has on the surrounding wildlife that still
inhabits the shorelines and grassy hills surrounding them, as well as the amount of
people who comes to visit the park.
RESEARCH IT:
As stated above, Bay Point is still recovering from a 12% unemployment rate.
Those effects are still seen with shopping centers being half empty, individuals who
were pushed into homelessness walk the streets, and many failed attempts at real
estate resulting in vacant, overgrown lots. Though financials were not the fault of
the community, the allowed amount of trash to be left around needs to be
addressed and the persons held accountable. By cleaning up the area, more people
will want to visit and support our local businesses. In 1988, a Shell oil spill in the
bay threatened many shorelines in the Eastbay, more recently in February 2015,
Shell had another oil spill. While the 1988 spill had a harsh impact on the salmon
population moving through the Suisun Bays, the 2015 spill had small effects on the
surrounding ecosystem; these incidents are major highlights of the delicate nature
of the delta ecosystem. When visitors are coming and going, and often times, there
is no accessible garbage can; litter becomes a prominent issue for the Bay Point
Regional Park. Recently, there have been pond restorations in the Martinez area
by the Shell Company, but I hope to mainly get inspiration from the East Bay
Regional Parks District and their volunteer program and translate that into what I
can accomplish in the Bay Point Park.
BUILD IT/DO IT:
I plan to go to the Bay Point Regional Park for about 4 hours each trip; I cannot
estimate how often I will be able to go, as I am currently typing this with a
wrapped ankle and crutches next to me, but each trip I do I will bring three large
garbage bags and completely fill them to capacity. I will walk around the entire
park to clean up (parking lot, trails, accessible shoreline, and accessible river inlets
to the surrounding marsh area) and once I pick up as much as I can that day, I will
photograph it, and upload what I do to my blog (which will be on Wix, but also
linked on/from my website).
REFLECT ON IT:
I can see some issues with the mural being an option due to the amount of time put
in to get something approved by the EBP Board Director(s) and also getting into
contact with them and influencing them to take me seriously. I also see a possible
issue with going once a week, due to school, rugby, and my parents schedules
along with my brothers (all of whom drive me and each other to different

destinations). Also, with my bad ankle, I will not be cleared to walk for a couple
more weeks, and even then, my doctor has already told me I cannot walk for long
periods of time or go hiking. Although, I think these issues are also able to be
worked around easily. Spring Break will be a major time or me to work on cleaning
and getting into contact with Tammy Mueller.
PRESENT IT:
I will be photographing as much of my project as possible as well as the differences
I see after cleaning up and after putting in the garbage can. I believe that the
garbage can will have a greater impact than what I will be able to see due to how
my project has come to be longer than expected, and I will soon be busy with
college details and jobs as soon as I finish my project.
PROJECTED COSTS/EXPENSES & FUNDRAISING:
I believe the only costs would be that of any possible dump runs made, the cost of
the garbage can, and any extra paints that I find I need, as I am reusing the paints
that I purchased for my Junior Project.
DESIRED OUTCOME: (What do you want your audience to do as a
result of being exposed to your project?)
I hope that this project has a successful ending and helps enlighten the
surrounding area to dump less garbage. I am aware that I cannot completely
change people or a regular occurrence, but I hope to put it into peoples minds of
what they are doing when they throw trash anywhere but a designated
garbage/recycling bin. I believe that if I can make people become conscious and
aware of their actions and to think about what happens after the trash is out of
sight, so it could, at the very least, cause individuals to become more aware of
their impact on their surroundings.
HOW WILL YOU GAUGE YOUR PROJECTS IMPACT?
I will gauge the impact of my project based off of the response I get back (if any).
When painting, I plan on incorporating my blog/website so those who see the
installation will have a way of knowing what the project is for beyond the cleanup.
Through comments on my website, I can also gauge the impact from others to see
where I could have done better, and what I did well. Also, as the delta is a part of
where I grew up and is so close to my home, I will be able to visit on my times off
and on my trips back home from college to see how the park has changed.
POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS/DELAYS & IDEAS TO OVERCOME
THEM:
Possible complications could be any issues with getting into contact with the East
Bay Regional Parks Board of Directors to get an okay for my art installation.
Another complication that I have actually ran into was choosing what type of
installation I will be doing. My mural idea was not able to get approved, and
Tammy Burgis advised against a banner, when I came up with the idea of the
garbage can. The best way for me to overcome any obstacles during this project is
to think calmly and abstractly to come up with a new idea for the solution.

IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT TO YOU AS AN ARTIST:

Not only am I an artist, but I am also a believer of conservation and restoration of
natural habitats. I believe that humans may venture into these reserved areas for
wildlife, but should also respect the organisms living in that area and their home.
Through this project, I can combine my love of conservation, restoration, and art to
raise awareness to pollution and its effects on the life surrounding it. By placing an
art piece right at the source of the issue, I can combat blind littering and invoke
thought and self consciousness to those who pass by it.
IMPORTANCE OF PROJECT TO YOU AS A SOCIAL ACTIVIST:
As a social activist, the issue of pollution being close to home is a reminder of the
work that needs to be done beyond politics and human improvement. Pollution
becomes a reminder that humans as well, need to be the helpers for animals and
environments and right the wrongs we make that have an ever-affecting imprint on
the ecosystem and those living within it and work for the improvement of animals
and our relationship with nature. As someone who is Headed to Humboldt State
University to study hopefully study conservation and animal sciences for
rehabilitation, this project is an opportunity to experience being able to help with
the conservation of a local natural reserve. By doing this project, I will get to do
what I love and experience what I want to spend my life doing.