Earth Day 2023

Earth Day has a different meaning for me personally this year. That’s because I can see the Pajaro River levee from my upstairs office window. In early March I witnessed waters rising above the levee, flooding the tiny town of Pajaro and surrounding areas. Families have been devastated. Imagining Annieglass underwater wasn’t hard to do as I watched people being rescued recently from their cars amid the fast-rushing river waters. In response to the flooding, Annieglass is donating 15% of our online sales for the month of April to Pajaro flood disaster relief administered through the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. https://www.cfscc.org/funds/disaster-fund.It’s our small way of saying “thank you” to all the first responders and saviors of the people impacted by this disaster and helping those very much in need. We are proud that since the start of the year, we have raised and donated $7,200 for flood disaster relief in our community.

I am so sorry for the many people still without homes, employment, or water within a mile of where I write this. We still don’t know the extent of damage to the crops and homes this area is known for and, worse, the livelihoods of those who depend on those crops.

I believe Mother Nature has been telling us in many ways to do something. I know that I must do something and Annieglass is working with the Dept of Energy to determine how best to convert our factory usage of electricity to renewables, including solar power. It’s only a start, in addition to the other activities in place at Annieglass to reduce both our carbon and manufacturing footprint, and there’s more yet to be done.

Please take a moment on this Earth Day to look for more ways to mitigate the impact our everyday activities have on our beautiful blue planet. I’ll share a few of mine:

Stop buying plastics as much as possible, such as large detergent containers! Try powder strips instead of liquid laundry soap. There’s no giant plastic jug to dispose of and I like them!  

Replace single-use plastic storage bags with silicone bags, which come in a variety of sizes and often with jaunty patterns and decorations. Try https://www.stasherbag.com. This is a great women-led company that also sponsors  https://pangeaseed.org/, which uses artists to communicate a message of sustainability through murals worldwide. (Disclaimer my son, Taylor and his wife, Sadie, were the organizers for the Sea Walls Santa Cruz event in 2021)



Thank you for your continued support as we mark 40 years in Santa Cruz County as a family-owned, and woman-owned company creating hand-made American Craft glass pieces in the heart of California’s Monterey Bay area.