dedicated to the memory of an environmental activist they used the planting as a community building activity in kenya. san francisco's leaders plan to the new tree in the playground. the remembered her during the opening kickoff rally. >> i want to thank everybody for coming out today. we appreciate that you, your family and friends got up early on saturday morning to come out and help clean a green san francisco. give yourselves a big hand. i want to thank the supervisors in district 11, and give them a big hand. and i am really excited that some many different groups are here today to celebrate arbor day. does anybody know what arbor day is? all right. we have lots of the information for you about arbor day.

this year, and the emphasis is maintaining trees. over the last several years with merrilies leadership and many of the supervisors, we went to plant 25,000 trees and will be looking after them. we will spend today beginning that process where you work in santa's go to give back and make sure that these trees do well for us. all right. we have several vendors here, i want to thank them. they have the information they will be sharing with you. we will be commemorating arbor day by dedicating a tree to a very significant person that has contributed a lot of the world, mostly africa.

on the left, the big three will be planted in honor of a person. i also want to take this opportunity to thank many of our sponsors. it provides the bulky items services and every time we go to the cleanups, we provide services for items from their house. things in their garages. a big hand for ecology. they are also providing lunch today. some of them over there are already cooking. you will have a good meal. starbucks has been a part of the claim team and they provided the coffee this morning. i know is getting a little cold, so make sure that you are getting starbucks coffee.

walgreen's provides water to us, they provide money to us and everything to help keep san francisco kleine. -- clean. luxor cab, local 261, they're all part of arbor day. give them a big hand. and of course, but for right and who's the mayor, we thank the volunteers, all of you for coming out to give back this and francisco to share and do everything to make this the cleanest city in the world. i will introduce our mayor that has introduced the claim team. i need you do something for us, he is right there for us.

>> good morning. no, that's toow eak. -- too weak. this is arbor day. all right. well, you know, arbor day is an internationally recognized efforts and a movement that we are all part of. if not, you should be. i am proud to stand on the stage with supervisor avalos, agencies from recon park to the environment department, puc, dpw, where a lot of you grew up on this effort. our clean team, so many agencies and housing authorities are with us today.

they are in honor of our day. i want to recognize the great nabors with us as well. a wonder the -- the wonderful neighborhood association. we made sure that we paid attention. this year's theme is taking care of trees. that is something i try to do with my kids a few years ago. they're like trees, they grow on you. everybody has to share in the responsibility of our green canopy. that is why i have embraced today's effort on the only for

the claim team, but also the co fair that you have an opportunity for the kids and neighbors to come and learn how you can work with the most professional nonprofit agencies as well as the city agencies to learn how to take care of the trees. it is one that if we don't take care of it, it will be destroyed. sometimes it is the way the city operates. the efforts that are going on here today, we have an effort since 2008. it is something that we are very proud of. we can't do it alone. we have to educate new

generations of people to recognize the value of our trees. there'll be other generations, i will thank all of you for coming up on arbor day. we will thank our sponsors as well. in recognition of that, in recognition of this movement and being part of an international movement, we are recognizing today that we are planting a tree for a woman that does not with us now, but her spirit as a former recipient of the golden environmental prize in san francisco, a nobel laureate, as someone that we honor today of who started from the country of kenya and worked very hard with organizations throughout the world to start a movement to be

sensitive to our environment. that is 47 million trees during her lifetime that were planted across the world. today, we have the honor of declaring this day per day in san francisco. it will be pretty close in her honor. and also an honor of the movement that she started that resulted in very good organizations. on her behalf, receiving this award today is huey johnson. he has established offices in san francisco and has been here for many years. i would like to present the

award for the green belt movement with huey johnson. >> may i say a few words? thank you. good morning. i'll be brief. our city was honored by the doctors establishment of the first international office, the greenbelt international, the first in the world. eventually, it moved to washington and other places in the world. it is the most successful of the many environmental organizations begun here that are functioning in the world. the reason for san francisco's distinction was not just in the generosity, the individuals at the foundations making the world a better place to live.

thankfully, they continue to benefit from these resources. it has resulted in over 1 billion trees planted. the un behind the idea, a bunch of agents assigned on. it is almost beyond belief. the other part of her work, a little-known and much appreciated, she used tree planting as a social and political the virus to be able to shake the oppression that many third world countries were relegated to a community's status. she was a very astute person. she was the first to win a nobel peace prize. it is a sight i will never

forget. an even greater tribute occurred last week. the continent of africa and the african union summit voted to make march 3 the day for the entire continent of africa. she is one of the first to have a holiday and all of africa. today will be an annual celebration for environmental activities throughout the continent. i think you on behalf of greenbelt international. >> and so, with all the work that mr. johnson has done all over the world, we go out to the various communities, district 11, we go to community

meetings, we look for ways to help them doing all sorts of work. and one person that is always there and in support of the project that the city agencies are doing, it is a supervisor of district 11. welcome. >> how are you all doing? it is great to be here. it is a great turnout for a great day, i was doing work in the city. the only way we can warm up is to go out and do the work. i want to say happy arbor day. this city is in the middle of great change. we have friends of the urban forest, a lot around san francisco that are helping to make sure we have a well- maintained urban forest.

we planted hundreds of trees. i think we could use a few more trees in this part. if you have an urge to have more greening in your neighborhood, we can help make that happen. we can have tree plantings on this side of district 11. we see trees, we drive more slowly, we recognize the environment more. all these great things. he haunt arbor day, we represent that. i want to thank the organizations that are putting on this event, thank dpw for their work. laborers are here. thank you for your work. above and beyond the call of duty.

the university. alpha gamma sigma, alpha phi omega, charity cultural services center, community youth center. thank you for being here. the department of the environment. the garden project earth stores. the juvenile probation department. united players. i knew i would hear united players. individual volunteers. in business services division. all right. we were here a couple years ago, my first year as supervisor.

actually, in 2009, the community claim team since that time, this whole area has been much better improved. i know you were here last time, thank you for your continued work. the department of corrections, project 20. all right. i got coffee from starbucks. we have members of the neighbors in action, thank you for being here today. >> another big hand for john. city agencies that have been a partner with us and very supportive from the very beginning, a recreation and parks department. let's hear from joe ginsberg. -- phil ginsberg.

>> it is a pleasure to be here to celebrate our trees and celebrate our community partnership. the recreation and park department has 131,000 trees. 131,000. thanks to voters in 2008. we have $5 million from the park fund that we are using to care for and maintain our trees. he will do it in the 2012 park fund in november. i do what should celebrate the incredible partnership with everyone here today. we like to say that we can't do it alone. at the arbor day, everybody. >> the department that helps us every arbor day to bring community groups out here and

make sure that we have the right people educating many of our citizens about the environment and the director. >> let's hear it for the sun that is about to peek through the clouds. i am thrilled to be here today to celebrate arbor day and celebrate our magnificent urban forest with mayor lee, supervisor avalos, dpw and rec & park. it is no surprise that trees are essential to creating truly sustainable communities. there are a whole host of benefits that come from having a robust urban forest. everything from air quality, climate change, they are pretty to look at. the department of the environment is committed to working with our partners to

help improve the size and health of our urban forest. we are providing staff support to the urban forestry council that helped put together a guide for san franciscans and that one to prune their trees. this is the tree pruning guide available at the department of environment move. it is very helpful for folks that are taking care of their own trees. i also want to mention the department of the environment also created a local carbon funds. the increase carbon emissions and investor back in local projects that help offset the carbon emissions. in district 11, we are doing a tree-planting activity. i wanted to thank all of you. i wanted to thank to of my staff of about an incredible job

year after year. sunshine, who is fantastic, and our urban coordinator. i wanted to thank both of them for their great work at helping to make our birthday successful. my 4-year-old son is here with his own shovel. we need to speak for the trees and that is what we are doing today. let's go plant a tree, happy arbor day. >> when i started working at the department of public works, i used to drive down brotherhood away at this was a big forest. you couldn't even see what was underneath it. they live right across the street. they would come out here and actually were. through the hard work and

community, the neighborhood, we are able to get it the way it looks. a very important person that has contributed to make sure that we're always out there working and keeps us busy, i will have them come up and say a few words. >> happy arbor day, everyone. i know what this neighborhood has looked like and how it has transformed over the last 12 years. i want to say thank-you to each and every one of you. 12 years ago, there were things going on in that area. do the hard work of the mayor that has been the director of the p.w. and all of the dpw crews, the neighborhood associations, thank you.

let's do some more beautification. >> the last speaker is someone that has been very inspirational to me when i first came to san francisco. i used to work with the league of urban gardeners. we were located at hunters point. this person really inspired me and really, i believe, got me to where i am at today. being in contact with this person, they will not have any work and really taught them how to garden and give back to nature. that taught them from planting a seed and watching a plant grow can actually change your life. this person has also worked very closely. without further debate -- delay,

i will introduce catherine from the garden project. >> thank you everybody for being here. when i first met muhammed, our program planted many of these trees. many of the shrubs on this whole street. and many of the people that planted those trees are not with us. every tree, every plant needs a person to care for it. by us caring for plants, we care for ourselves. we have a way to care for those who can learn how to work and take care of those families. that is what she was about, we inspired -- thank you to

everyone. >> another big hand for catherine. are we ready to go to work? we will be planting this tree? ♪

>> just a few steps away from

union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts. experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter] >> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your

work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but

they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square. for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street

occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation. [applause] >> in addition to its own programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the

crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪ under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming.