Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
I.
Project Title
Ojos Abiertos: Re-purposing of Municipal Solid Waste into Green Park Space
II.
Background/Identified Problem
In the Tijuana River Valley Estuary exists a monument to the Anthropocene. “The
Plug,” averaging 3 meters deep, 10 meters wide, and 2 miles long, is an example of
the detriments to our “throw-away culture.” This “plug” of trash, consisting largely
of foam, tires, and plastic bottles, is carried across the border from Mexico by
seasonal storm-water flows. It continues to choke a vital natural resource to our binational region, yet most of it can be re-purposed into building material, upstream
and at the source.
Our primary goal for this project is to generate as much awareness as possible
about the impacts of trash on the watershed and ocean. Based on visibility and foottraffic, we will choose the perfect place to create a bi-national example of
environmental preservation in the United States by re-purposing municipal solid
waste upstream in Mexico.
III.
Objective
The purpose of the Ojos Abiertos project is to promote awareness among Tijuana
residents on watershed and land contamination resulting from trash, while
promoting source-based solutions such as recycling and sustainable building
practices.
This project serves to meet Goal 3 Promote Materials Management, Waste
Management, and Clean Sites (Objectives 1,2) of the Border 2020 program.
Specifically, the Ojos Abiertos project has the following objectives:
1. Enhance a community park in Tijuana with an artistic display representing
the Tijuana River Valley Watershed. It will promote connectivity to the
watershed through design and the utilization of reclaimed materials, and
demonstrates construction techniques that can be employed to create safe,
energy-efficient, safe and low-cost housing or improvement options.
2. Utilize the park to teach local children and community members about the
Tijuana River Watershed.
IV.
Targeted Population
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919
Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
Mexico: Our target group is Tijuana citizens, both skilled and un-skilled laborers, as
well as professionals, educators and university students of the region. Attendees of
the build will receive a direct benefit, learning how to repurpose many common
waste items into structures that provide a significant upgrade in quality of life and
environment, and observe repurposing options of common municipal solid waste
items.
United States: U.S. citizens down stream will also immediately benefit with less
trash dumped into the watershed. Also, long-term, source-based management
solutions for the solid-waste found upstream are necessary if the Tijuana River
Valley is to truly be recovered and restored. This project, although small, will
encourage officials in Mexico to think about how trash can be used in larger scale
projects, and potentially result in a large reduction of trash flowing across the
border, dramatically reducing damage and costs associated with cleaning out the
Tijuana River in San Diego.
V.
Tasks/Activities
Task 1: Park Selection Process: 4Walls staff will tour several possible parks with the
intention of selecting the most visible and heavily trafficked area possible.
Preliminary potential sites include: Friendship Park, Cañon Sauces, Parque Mexico,
Rio Alamar, Parqie Azteca. Eco-Parque, Parque Guerrero and Parque Morelos.
Task 2: Building Materials Demonstration: Involving the general citizenry of
Tijuana, enhance the existing space at the selected park by demonstrating the
repurposing of discarded materials such as, but not limited to tires, plastic and foam.
The timeline will include permitting, material acquisition, preparation, and
application into the building process. The park will serve to promote environmental
education and use artistic expressions as a way to educate the community about the
watershed and trash issues.
Task 3: Outreach Campaign: In conjunction with WiLDCOAST and Tijuana Calidad
de Vida, we will conduct a cross-promotion campaign to further promote awareness
of trash issues impacting the watershed and land, while conducting environmental
education and sustainability workshops. We will simultaneously run a PR campaign
to raise awareness of the project in the public conscious, and increase foot-traffic at
the park.
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919
Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
VI.
Measurable Results
The success of the Ojos Abiertos project will be determined by the completion of all
objectives. Measurable results include successful completion of workshops and the
quantity of solid waste removed. Expectations are as follows:
Increase environmental awareness of Tijuana trash impacting the watershed
and land through the enhancement of a public park, i.e. benches, curbs and
other park infrastructure, as well as an artistic display of the watershed from
repurposed waste items, to be used by the surrounding community and
citizens of Tijuana.
Conduct outreach to Tijuana citizens through radio, television, newspapers,
and social-media about trash impacts to watershed and land, reaching an
estimated 2 million people based on tracking news stories and the hundreds
of actual visitors to the Center annually.
Locate and remove discarded materials, such as, but not limited to scrap
tires, plastic bottles, wood, construction debris, and any other materials that
could be used for building or enhancing the park. The quantity of wasteitems used will depend on the size of the park space available. Timeline will
include planning logistics, acquisition of material, preparation, and
application in the building process.
VII.
Strategic Partnerships
The Ojos Abiertos project will be a replicable recipe of collaboration between 4Walls
International, the USEPA, local NGOs, Academia and the Municipality (Tijuana).
Tijuana Calidad de Vida A.C.: With a track-record worthy of previous EPA backing,
Carmen Romo and TCV have agreed to collaborate in community outreach,
education, and logistics.
WiLDCOAST: Will cross-promote events to increase awareness of the project, and
conduct 3 watershed education workshop classes upon completion of the Park.
IMPlan: A collaborative partner of 4Walls since 2010, IMPlan has carried an agenda
of sustainable community projects for the last 3 years. They see a great deal of
synergy with their goals of increasing green park space in Tijuana and increasing
capacity of municipal solid waste services.
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919
Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
VIII.
Deliverables/Grant Schedule
Task
Deliverables
Duration
(Weeks)
Schedule for
Completion
(Week)
1.) Park Selection
Process
Tour 8 Potential Parks
1
1
Design concepts
formulized
1.5
2
Construction
Permissions Obtained
3
3
Material Acquisition
Complete
6
6
Construction Complete
Community Feedback
and Input
Trash Sorting
Workshops
Project Promotion
Campaign Plan
Developed
Project Promotion
Campaign Complete
4
2
6
2
4
6
1
2
6
6
2.) Building
Materials
Demonstration
3.) Community
Outreach
I.
Environmental Health, Safety, and Quality Assurance and Control
All work with the community will be reviewed by key partners to ensure the health,
safety, and quality of the practices used.
II.
Staff Roles/Capabilities
Project Manager: Steven Wright will be responsible for project activity,
administration, and reporting tasks, and will support the project coordinator in
construction and development tasks.
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919
Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
Project Coordinator: Waylon Matson will be responsible for construction activity
and educational material/manual development, while supporting in all management
tasks.
Project Foreman: Carlos Chavez is a Mexican contracting consultant with 12 years
of trade industry experience and 10 years of professional assistance in vocational
training. He has worked with 4Walls before, and is bilingual in both English and
Spanish.
4Walls International Qualifications:
The 501c3 has two working structures in Los Laureles Canyon, Tijuana, with a
combined 8 years of community organizing in the Border Region. With modest
funding, they have permanently removed over 1100 used tires, 3500 plastic bottles,
1000 glass bottles, and 500 pounds of trash from the waste stream. They have also
traveled to Baja Sur, Chihuahua, and Guatemala to assist in the coordination and
implementation of additional sustainable re-purposing projects, a total of seven
projects altogether. 4Walls Staff, Steven Wright and Waylon Matson, will be
responsible for all course work, workshops, project management, design,
implementation, and correspondence with governing agencies throughout the
process. Steven has a degree in Biological Sciences from UC Riverside. He is a
bilingual public speaker and sustainable-skills teacher, and is experienced in
collecting and managing empirical data. With a degree in Social Science from CSU
San Bernardino, Waylon has designed and conceptualized all 3 of 4Walls’ projects.
He has over 12 years experience developing project budgets, and executing projects
on budget and in a timely manner.
III.
Cost Breakdown Budget
Tasks
Steven Wright
Waylon Matson
Salary
($/40 hrs
week)
$1750
$1750
Weeks
Full-time
equivalents
Costs
6 weeks
6 weeks
0.38
0.38
Total:
$4,000
$4,000
$8,000
Total Budget:
Expense Category
Salary/Benefits
Requested
Amount
$8,000
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919
Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
Building Materials
Equipment/Tools/Supplies
Insurance
Transport
Sub-Contractors and
Machine Rental
Labor
10% Contingency
8% Admin Fee
Total:
$5,000
$1,200
$700
$600
$1,500
$4,000
$2,000
$2,000
$25,000
POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL $5,000:
If an additional $5k becomes available, the money will be split between material and
labor for the amplification of the project.
Equipment/Tools/Supplies (rentals):
-
Cement mixer
Tractor rental
Jack hammer
Materials:
- Rebar
- Cement
o 70
o Sand – 14 yds
o Gravel – 14 yds
- Wood
o Rough and Finish
 2x8
 Ply
 2x4
 Doors and windows
- Hardware
o Fasteners
o Brackets
o Clips
- Roofing
o Galvanized roofing
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919
Border 2020 Proposal
4Walls International
-
o Paper
o Plastic
Sealants
o Plastic sheeting
o Adhesives
Landscape Drainage and Erosion Control
Contact: stevenwright@4wallsintl.org - 619.358.3919