SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club will build an edible garden inside the stadium as part of their partnership with the City of San José and Santa Clara County. The Earthquakes and the City of San José will hold a garden groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 23 at 1:30 p.m. PT at Avaya Stadium, featuring Quakes defender Marvell Wynne. The groundbreaking ceremony will include the planting of a cherry tree.

“We are proud of our partnership with the City of San José,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “With their guidance, we have been able to make Avaya Stadium a leader in educating people about green initiatives. The garden in the 7UP Epicenter is a key piece of that and we are proud that the garden will include fruit trees that were so critical to the growth of this valley.”

The garden will feature apricot, cherry and plum trees, three fruit trees that helped Santa Clara Valley earn the designation, Valley of Heart’s Delight. In addition to the fruit trees, the garden will include messages about water conservation, pollution prevention, and sustainability.

At Thursday’s groundbreaking for the garden, Wynne will be joined by Jo Zientek, San José Environmental Services Deputy Director, along with Kaval and other Earthquakes officials.

“It’s exciting to be part of the Avaya Stadium’s new edible garden, bridging our valley’s past and future,” said Kerrie Romanow, director of the San José Environmental Services Department. “This garden is a great way to engage fans, adults and children alike; and it reminds us that every green action that we take makes a significant impact in our community.”

The club is committed to a green stadium. In addition to the garden, there are many environmental features, including using the City’s innovative wet/dry waste system, allowing for little to no waste into landfill, recycled water for landscaping, recycled redwood from Hangar One at Moffett Field, and energy conservation features throughout. Signage promoting environmental actions in bathrooms and elsewhere encourage fans to conserve water and reduce waste. There is also a regional education campaign promoting environmental change highlighting Quakes players; some of these messages include anti-litter, recycling motor oil and generating less waste.

About San José Environmental Services Department (ESD) and San José Green Vision

San José, Capital of Silicon Valley, is the largest city in Northern California and the 10th largest city in the nation. The San José Environmental Services Department (www.sjenvironment.org) manages garbage and recycling services; watershed protection and pollution prevention; municipal drinking water and recycled water; community sustainability initiatives; and the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. ESD's programs and initiatives align with the San José Green Vision (www.sjenvironment.org/greenvision), a long-term plan to create a sustainable future for our community.

About the County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste Program

The mission of the Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste Program is to protect the environment and public health from the effects of improper disposal of hazardous waste from Santa Clara County homes and small businesses. The County also recruits and assists businesses willing to partner with the County to accept used motor oil and filters from residents for recycling. This service provides the community with practical pollution prevention options for the use, recycling, and disposal of products containing hazardous substances (www.hhw.org).