OMBO is committed to maintaining, expanding, and promoting its efforts to preserve ecological and environmental balance through a series of established programs that help make campus resources more sustainable and planet-friendly.

Through collaboration with campus partners such as Parking & Transportation and EH&S and support from sponsors and the campus community at large, OMBO helps to promote the following successful annual sustainability programs:

Strawberry Creek Cleanup

Strawberry Creek is a natural feature of the UC Berkeley campus and is one of the primary reasons the site was selected in 1860. In addition to the natural beauty of the Creek, which was named for the wild strawberries that once lined its banks, it is home to a variety of species of wildlife, which provide a valuable resource for education and research.

Since 1987, the campus has undertaken a significant restoration effort to return the creek to its natural condition. Restoration activities include ongoing monitoring of water quality, bi-annual cleanups, the re-introduction of native fish and insects, and the installation of native plant life.

Cleanups are held twice annually in the spring and the fall. Volunteers are equipped with gloves and trash bags, and typically bag around 1,000 lbs of trash per cleanup. Along with the cleanup activity, public outreach programs are oriented towards educating the student community to be more diligent in properly disposing of their trash rather than allowing it to soil the campus environment.

Sustainable Transportation Fair

First introduced in 2007, UC Berkeley’s annual Sustainable Transportation Fair is a showcase for Berkeley’s own alternative and sustainable transportation programs, and solutions offered by its Bay Area transportation partners. The purpose of the event, sponsored by Parking & Transportation, Environment, Health & Safety, and OMBO, is to educate the campus community on how to reduce costs and save the environment through sustainable commute options, such as Bay Area mass transit, car share programs, human powered transportation, and UC Berkeley’s own electric, hybrid ,and flex fueled vehicles in use around the campus.

Past exhibitors and participants have included the City of Berkeley, BART, AC Transit, and ride share agencies such as FlexCar, City Car Share, and Zip Car.