The city of Morro Bay received a “5 Blooms” rating and special recognition for “Dune Restoration and Maintenance,” at the 2016 National/International Symposium and Awards Ceremonies for the civic beautification organization, Communities in Bloom, Morro Bay in Bloom recently announced.
The awards were held Oct. 29 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Morro Bay was entered into the International Challenge, Large Category for the contest, and was judged against places like Fairhope, Ala.; Lambton Shores, Ontario, Canada; Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland; Omagh Town, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Northern Ireland; and Rosemère, Quebec Can. Each of these cities has a higher population than Morro Bay’s 10,400 or so.
This latest honor comes on the heels of an award from America in Bloom, the nationwide organization. “Morro Bay in Bloom and the City of Morro Bay were recognized for the second consecutive year as the most civic-minded, environmentally-conscious, tree-friendly, heritage-cherishing and welcoming city in the 10,000-14,000 population category,” Morro Bay in Bloom President Walter Heath said Oct. 9, after receiving the honor by the nationwide organization.
The international award came after teams of volunteer judges visited each nominated city over the summer and looked at “the overall contributions of municipal council and departments, industry, businesses, and the private sector,” Heath said, “including volunteer efforts — in regards to the following criteria: tidiness, environmental action, heritage conservation, urban forestry, landscape and floral displays.”
After inspecting Morro Bay, judges Odette Sabourin-Dumais and Piet Boersma said, “The rare coastal dune habitat protects endangered species such as the Morro Blue butterfly. The dune ecosystem is part of the Pacific Flyway. Its access is restricted during breeding season as it provides nesting grounds for the snowy plover. Local volunteer docents educate the public about the sensitive habitats and keep watch on plover signage and fencing along 8 miles of coast. Dune restoration actions seek to expand native dune plant community and reduce the threat from the exotic invasive weeds and grasses.”
In order to get a 5-Blooms score, the city must score at least 82 percent on the evaluation. For more information about Communities in Bloom, see: www.communitiesinbloom.ca.
Morro Bay in Bloom is an all-volunteer community beautification organization that is in the midst of its annual Surfboard Art Festival fundraiser. Beautifully decorated surfboards are on display at businesses across Morro Bay. See: https://morrobayinbloom.org for a map of locations and for more on the group’s activities and how to join the fun.
