I know some of you may not receive the Santa Rosa mothers group newsletter so I just wanted to pass a long this information about The Living Room's Gift and Clothing drive going on during the month of November.

The Living Room is a wonderful local agency that supports women and children in homeless situations. If you are able to donate gift items (for women or children), clothing or food items (particularly those listed below) or if you can donate some of your time at the organization during the week of Dec 14 while they are setting up for the holidays and making it a really special time for their participants, anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or the Living Room coordinator Caroline Banuelos at 321-0976 or cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Thank you very much in advance if you can help in any way. - Emily Vincent


Here (below) is a copy of an article written in this months newsletter with more detailed info.....

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The Living Room Clothing and Gift Drive

By Mary Hortin & Emily Vincent – Community Service Coordinators

 For the last several years, the Santa Rosa Mothers’ Club has collected donations for The Living Room’s Holiday Store. We are proud to be continuing this tradition again this year. The Living Room is very concerned about receiving enough items this year.

 The Living Room is a daytime, drop-in center providing safe haven for women and their children who are homeless in Santa Rosa. Throughout the year, women who utilize The Living Room earn “points” which they use at the “store” to purchase donated goods for themselves and their children for the holidays.They serve people from 0-80 years old.

Don’t be intimidated by this long list, whatever you can do to help is greatly appreciated.

Please only NEW, unused items.

For their Christmas store and Santa’s visit: new children’s toys (no plush toys please) and adult gifts.

 High need items are:

• Pajamas (two piece sets sizes 4-14)
• Blanket sleepers (toddler sizes)
• Slippers for mothers and children (all sizes)
• Pocket calendars
• New underwear (kids to adult, especially ladies’ sizes 8 and up)
• Diapers (especially sizes 5 and 6)
• Sanitary pads and tampons
• Anything for cold and rainy weather (especially socks, gloves, scarves, hats, blankets, coats, sleeping bags and umbrellas)
• Stocking stuffer items
• Gift cards for teenagers (movies and clothes)
• Handheld games
• Arts and craft supplies
• Cosmetic bags
• Large shampoos
• Hair accessories (brushes, combs, clips, scrunchies)

The Living Room feeds 60-80 people two meals a day.

They frequently run out of items like :

• oatmeal packets,
• packets of hot chocolate,
• tea (especially herbal)
• dry cereal.

 Items need to be turned in to The Living Room by December 10 becasue the store and dinner party are the next week.

The Living Room is seeking volunteers for the week of December 14^th.Even a small amount of your time would be greatly appreciated. 

Duties would range from

• setting up the store for the women and children,
• assisting them in selecting items  
• wrapping gifts

If you are interested in helping please contact Caroline Banuelos at 321-0976 or cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Drop off sites all through November / Deadline Dec 9th:

 The Living Room

636 Cherry St

Santa Rosa 95404

cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Monday through Friday OPEN 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

       or) Emily Vincent

579-3566 or emilyvincent@hotmail.com

(I can pick up your items if you are unable to deliver to one of the drop off sites)

Mary Hortin

570-1621 or morthort@sonic.net

Here is an email I received recently from a local creek steward. It highlights the good work our community is doing to clean up our creeks as well as all of the work that still lies ahead  to return the water and habitat in the Santa Rosa creek system to health and vitality.

Hello Creek Stewards,

 With nearly 2 3/4 inches of rain in the last several days our creeks have started flowing again.  Not many leaves have fallen yet so the storm didn’t cause as much street flooding as a storm later in the fall might have.  I spent a little time on Santa Rosa Creek near Pierson Street this morning and didn’t see as much trash littering the shoreline or hanging in bushes as I expected.  I think that the work of the Youth Ecology Corps on creeks this summer and the 10 volunteer creek clean ups we’ve had this fall made a big difference.

 Six groups on Colgan, Spring, Matanzas and Spirit Creeks counted the trash they collected on tally cards and the results were turned in as part of the 3 week period of recording data for the California Coastal Commission.  Coastwalk led the Sonoma County effort and reports the following numbers from Sonoma County, with numbers from Santa Rosa in the second column:

No. of volunteers:              1,218                  182

Pounds of trash:               10, 564                 634

Pounds recyclables:           8,390                  236

Distance cleaned:             104.85 miles       3.5 miles

Quantified trash in the Santa Rosa area included:

211 plastic bags

28 balloons

59 pieces of clothing

45 toys

83 straws and stirrers

232 cups

884 food wrappers

125 plastic bottles

136 glass bottles

116 beverage cans

26 plastic six-pack holders

52 pieces of building material

3 tires

What can we make of these results?  Unfortunately, there is a lot of trash out there such as balloons, food wrappers, and plastic bags that can be mistaken as food by birds, fish, terrestrial, and marine animals.  The relatively low number of 26 plastic six pack holders might indicate that these are becoming less used as packaging to the relief of ducks, fish and other animals that can become entangled by them.  Food and beverage packaging is the most common form of trash.  There are 74 more tires somewhere in our creeks.  (This is calculated by having found 3 tires in 3.5 miles of creek and extrapolating that to 77 tires in the 90 miles of creeks within the City of Santa Rosa.  A similar calculation would estimate that 1,111 toys and 2,050 straws remain in our creeks.  Actually, I think these numbers would be high as the clean ups concentrated on creek areas with the most trash.)  Certainly, we can conclude that the volunteers made a difference. 

If you can, please join us for another volunteer creek clean up on Saturday October 24 on Steele Creek by Biella School.  Details are below.  And we’re certainly ready to support students, clubs, or businesses with a creek clean up as a community service project.  Sonoma Country Day School and Waldorf Summerfield School will keep the ball rolling with creek clean ups scheduled for later this month. 

A couple of animal sightings: I was surprised to hear from several people of a coyote wandering in Santa Rosa Creek not too far downstream from Stony Point Road.  I’ve heard of coyotes on the outskirts of town but not of them using the more urban stream corridors.  Sharp-eyed Mary Tressler spotted a river otter in Santa Rosa Creek by Gateway Park (the mosaic fish statue).  A Water Agency maintenance worker in the creek out by Willowside Road was startled when an inquisitive otter suddenly emerged between his hip boots.  A gaze of eight raccoons (time for the Funk and Wagnalls) raised havoc in garages as they used the storm drain pipes to move around a NE Santa Rosa neighborhood.  What have you seen?  It’s always fun to learn from the many eyes, ears, and voices on our creeks. 

Hands Across the County & Make a Difference Day

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009,

9:00 a.m. to noon

Steele Creek clean up at Biella School – 2140 Jennings Avenue, Santa Rosa (west of Marlow Road)

Hands Across the County, a county-wide volunteer work day underwritten by Friedman's Home Improvement, mobilizes volunteer groups and individuals to make the community a cleaner, safer, brighter place while making friends and having fun too!  This will be the first time we’ve done a community creek clean up on Steele Creek.  Many parents and students will be working on the buildings and grounds.  This is a chance to clean up the neighborhood creek that drains the land as far away as Cleveland Avenue and enters Piner Creek a couple of blocks downstream of the school.  Tools and refreshments provided.  Rubber boots could come in handy. 

Insecta-palooza – explore the fantastic world of insects

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009,

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Darwin Hall, Sonoma State University

What’s the difference between a bug and an insect?  Do scorpions really glow in the dark?  Find out about the diversity of insects, spiders and other arthropods that live in our gardens, fields and forests.  Entomologists of all ages can explore the fascinating world of insects in a day long series of interactive displays, presentations and lectures and a chance to use the University’s top-notch microscopes.  Sounds like they will cover everything you didn’t know and didn’t want to know about insects.  The flyer for this event is available at

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/insectapalooza/images/insectapalooza.png

and details are online at:

http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/insectapalooza.html

Baby Stroller Drive

During October, drop off a new or used stroller that's in good operating condition to a Community First Credit Union branch. CFCU will deliver each stroller (along with $20 for each) to The Living Room, a local agency that provides help to at-risk women and their children.

LOCATIONS in Santa Rosa:

Central Santa Rosa
501 College Ave.
(northeast corner of Mendocino & College avenues - just south of the JC)
9a to 5:30p, Monday-Friday; 9a to 1p, Saturday


West Santa Rosa 70A Stony Point Rd.
(just south of Finley Aquatic Center)
9a to 5:30p, Monday-Friday

Volunteer Night at the Redwood Empire Food Bank
Thursday, September 17, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
We need volunteers! We will pack boxes of donated food
assembly-line style. It's a lot of fun and a great way
to meet some new friends and give back to the
community. Spouses, friends and teens over 14 are
all welcome to come help. Please wear close-toed
shoes for warehouse safety.
To sign up or for more information, contact Emily Vincent

emilyvincent@hotmail.com

Weekend Along the Farm Trails sponsored by Sonoma County Farm Trails
Over 40 Farms Open the Barn Doors
2009, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sonoma County, CA –

On Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, dozens of local farmers and artisan producers throughout Sonoma County from Healdsburg to Petaluma will open their doors to tell the behind-the-scenes story of local food during Weekend Along the Farm Trails sponsored by Sonoma County Farm Trails.

Join local farmers for a weekend of tours, artisan foods, hands-on activities, cooking, pick-your-own, agricultural demonstrations, music and harvest. From hay rides to cheese-making, Weekend Along the Farm Trails offers a chance to experience Sonoma County's agricultural heritage. Participants of all ages will learn how and where their food is grown, and meet the farmers and artisans who produce it.

Admission is free to most farms: all you need is transportation, a map and a sense of adventure. The gates and barns of your local farms are wide open on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along the Sonoma County Farm Trails.

Free tour information and map available on www.farmtrails.org or visit Farm Trails FACEBOOK page for tales from the farms. Call Sonoma County Farm Trails for more information at (707) 837-8896.

Sonoma County Farm Trails is a non-profit organization formed in 1973 to promote buying fresh food directly from farms. Over 100 local farms and agricultural businesses comprise its membership

 The Environmental Discovery Center of Sonoma County offers multi-sensory, hands-on activities for people of all ages. Rotating exhibits focus on a different aspect of the natural resources of Sonoma County.

 Center's Features

• Nature Trails
• Outdoor Amphitheater
• Storytelling Cavern
• Science Activities
• Technology Tent - interactive computer games
• Theater - Educational videos

For more information,check out their website

EARTH DAY ON THE GREENWAY

Celebrate  Earth Day’s 40^th birthday on the Prince Memorial Greenway with a clean up of Santa Rosa Creek.  The restored creek flowing through the heart of downtown provides a home for river otter, kingfishers, egrets, and steelhead trout as well as parks, public art, and recreation along the six mile creek trail.

Date: Saturday April 25

Time: 9:00 – noon

Location: Olive Park footbridge near the Vineyard Creek Hotel on West 3rd St.

Noah and I will be going to help out at this event. 

We hope you can join us for this great opportunity to introduce our children to the idea of  community service and environmental responsibility.

SonoMax is a free service to  help keep good materials out of the trash.

Green Classified Ads.

IF IT CAN BE REUSED, POST IT ONLINE!!!

The new Obama Administration has set up a website for people to get connected to the needs of their community (local and global) with usaservice.org. 

This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods.  He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face. This website is designed to help promote these events and for Americans to make their commitments, build communities, find opportunities to serve and share their results. These can be events that engage people in direct service, or bring people together to reflect on Dr. King's legacy and how they can commit to becoming more engaged citizens.

If you are interested in receiving updates about service projects that you can become involved with, you can sign up for information at usaservice.org 

The Living Rooms is a daytime shelter for homeless women and children in Santa Rosa.  The following is from their website:

Every year, for our Annual Christmas Party, staff and volunteers from The Living Room collect items to create wonderful gift bags for the women and their children who visit our center every day.

The Living Room also has a Holiday Store where mothers can choose gifts for their children and women can choose gifts for adult relatives and friends.

We need your help in gathering items! This year, we plan to distribute 150 bags of holiday spirit.

Please visit their website, www.thelivingroomsc.org for more information.  They would like the items by December 12.  If you see me before then, you can give them to me, and I'll pass them on.

On December 7, we are hosting a Amnesty International Write A Thon at our house from 10 - 1 where we will try to write as many letters as possible in the name of human rights around the world. I hope you can join us.

This will be an adult event so either Cam or I will take the kids out while one of us stays here to write letters. 

December 10--International Human Rights Day--marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You can honor this important day by participating in Amnesty International's Global Write-a-thon--the world's largest letter writing event. Write letters on behalf of prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders at risk of severe human rights violations. Join thousands of people across the United States and around the world for this monumental event.

Pumpkin Patch and Farm Days

Sept 26 - Oct 31

Thursdays through Sundays 10 - 6:30 pm

5360 Bodega Avenue (5 miles West of Petaluma)

• -U- Pick organic pumpkins
• -Take the Sunflower Maze Challenge
• -Make your own butter
• -Hayrides
• -Feed a calf
• -Learn to milk a cow
• -Enjoy Farmstead Ice Cream

I posted about this a while ago but I wanted to remind all of you about the Weekend Along Farm Trails weekend

September 27 and 28 in Sonoma County.  

Our family and some friends have been the last 2 years and really loved it. We milked cows, pulled potatoes, climbed hay pyramids, hid in corn mazes, found pumpkins, picked apples, pet all kinds of farm animals, samples cheese and ice cream made from local dairys.......

If you make a weekend out of it, you can visit a lot of farms and your kids will love it.

Some of the activities include:

• Special farm tours
• See animals on the farm
• Visit pumpkin patches with fun activities for kids
• Learn gardening and landscaping tips
• Visit unique nurseries with a variety of plants
• Meet Sonoma County food artisans
• Taste freshly picked fruit and vegetables
• Connect with the farmer that grows your food
• Savor a restaurant meal featuring local ingredients
• Visit wineries during crush and harvest season

September 27 & 28, 2008  ~   10 a.m. – 5 p.m. , Saturday & Sunday

I will be bellydancing at this event, and do volunteer work with Mother's support network. Should be a great event, and if greenmommy wants a table there, please contact the organization!

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Save the Date!
Mothers' Support Network board members are gearing up for our annual fund-raising event. This year, it will be "Tread Lightly: A Fall Family Resource Fair." This family friendly resource fair is for sharing information regarding the health of both family and Mother Earth. It will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4 at Carmichael Park. If your interested in helping to shape this event, or want to be sure to save a spot for your family-friendly business, please contact Mya at mya@motherssupportnetwork.org.

Green Drinks International

Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up for a beer at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there.It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organizing network.

These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good and we'd like to help it spread to other cities. Contact your local node to get the latest info about coming along.

You can also email edwin [at] greendrinks [dot] org if you want some tips on how to set up Green Drinks in your City.

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I noticed that there is one in Sonoma and Sac has one too. I thought it might be of interest to some, as well as a potential place to market and promote Greenmommy.org

It doesn't look like there is one in Santa Rosa organized yet.

Jennifer K, our mutual friend, and I went U-picking organic strawberries last week Friday at  Love Farm in Healdsburg (10 miles north of Santa Rosa). One thing I love about the whole idea of visiting local farms is how accessible the farmers are. When we first arrived at the farm, there appeared to be no one around. However there was a cell phone number posted on their outdoor bulletin board and literally 1 minute after calling the number,  the woman farmer arrived, very welcoming and said we could help oursleves to all the strawberries we could eat while we were there. (Rosemary and I took her up on it. Never tell either one of us there is free food around becasue we will take you up on it !!!! : ) She only charged $3.50 a basket for some of the best organic strawberries I have ever eaten. And they were beautiful. Bright red with no blemishes, which is hard to understand, especially with organic but there they were. Some of the most gorgeous strawberries I had ever seen. 

Anyway, it was a fun experience with the little kids watching their excitement about picking strawberries and  there was an ostrich at Love farm who was an attraction for them too. If you are local and can get to Love Farm between now and November, I would highly recommend it. (The farmer said they have strawberries through November....wow!)

With summer coming to an end (BOO HOO, it has really flown by) my favorite U-pick season is almost upon us. FALL!!! I love picking apples, pulling potatoes, and checking out the pumpkin patches. If you haven't already, check out the Farm Trails guide for 2008. It's educational, virtually free and so much fun with the kids.

If you make it to Love Farm and have will power and happen to have some  strawberries left by the time you get home (we barely did), here is a yummy recipe I found: 

Strawberry-Almond Muffins

Ingredients:

 - 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cups strawberries, chopped
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 375 and grease 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.

In a bowl of an electric mixer or food processor, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and blend until fluffy. Mix in the milk and the almond extract. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and blend until just combined. Fold in the strawberries and almonds. Fill the muffin cups to the top and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 12 muffins.

So, in the past month I have talked with TJ's as well as our local Parks and Rec regarding recycling issues. At TJ's store, I started a discussion regarding their sample cups (which are often plastic and thrown away immediately). Each store is operated independently in many ways, so this local Sac store was willing to look into other more sustainable options for sampling, and in the meantime they told me they would take my suggestion and put a bucket there to encourage people to put their plastic sample cups in, so that they can be recycled with their weekly recyclables.I was very happy to hear this! Now, I will address the other store.

 Also, I was thrilled when Joaquin and I hit our neighborhood park today and saw them finishing the recycling center that they put right by the play structure! My talks with park and rec turned to action! They have a nice sheltered center with a garbage can in it and a bottles/cans can in it as well.  I'm so happy to see it there, and that they cared enough to follow through.

Point being....this was easy. I asked,discussed a bit, and it happened. Took a few emails and a call. I want to encourage you all to take it a step further next time you think of something that could improve. Thanks Emily for being my inspiration after reading what you facilitated at your local Y. 

We got our Santa Rosa Recycling Newsletter today and I found this link on their website about a planned Center for the Environment that will hopefully start being constructed in 2 years. If you support this idea and want to take the "Go Green" pledge, click here.

North Bay Corporation's Planned Center for the Environment

The North Bay Corporation's planned Center for the Environment is a materials recovery facility (MRF) designed for sustainability and will expand the management of Sonoma County's waste disposal far beyond California's current recycling mandates.

What is a Materials Recovery Facility?

A Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) is a state-of-the-art plant designed specifically to recover recyclable materials from our waste stream. Through a series of manual and automated sort processes recyclables are classified into separate areas, baled and transported to a re-manufacturing facility where they can be further processed and made into new marketable materials.

Environmental Impact

Our goal is to achieve 90% diversion, directing valuable resources away from area landfills...propelling us years ahead in the fight against global warming.

The North Bay Corporation's Center for the Environment will offer:

• Enhanced Sorting of Residential and Business Waste for Recyclable Recovery
• On-Site Green Waste Processing for Compost Preparation
• Bio-Diesel Refining Station
• Extensive Processing of Construction and Demolition Materials
• On-Site Restaurant and Grocery Store Food Waste Processing
• Environmental Education for School Children and the Community
• Further Reduction of Sonoma County's Carbon Footprint

Sustainable Building Design and Construction

• Silver LEED Construction Certified
• Solar Panels Covering Rooftop Generate Facility Power
• Wind Turbine Power Generation
• Recycled Building Materials Used in Construction of Facility

Financial and Environmental Benefits for Sonoma County and Area Cities

Jurisdictions that dedicate their waste and recycling stream to the North Bay Center for the Environment will recognize many benefits including:

• Maximizing diversion of waste stream away from area landfills
• No rate increases associated with the cost of construction of new facility
• $10 per ton rebate on all refuse passing through the facility
• Reduced Greenhouse gas emissions, vehicle traffic and noise on area roads

Construction Timeline

Upon receipt of permits we will begin construction on our state-of-the-art recycling complex. We anticipate breaking ground within two years.

This afternoon, I have been listening to an interview on NPR's "Speaking of Faith" with Barbara Kingsolver regarding her family's year of eating only locally and seasonally. A year she writes about in her book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" which I think I have mentioned a few times on this blog. Such a fantastic book!!! I would encourage anyone looking for a good summer read to pick it up.

Anyway, this is an interview that will give you a taste of what her book is about.

Some of the questions explored are:

-How did we (the U.S.) get to the place we are now where eating locally and seasonally is considered "elite"? 

-What are the hidden costs of  eating cheap food from the grocery store and  fast food? Why don't those costs turn up in our grocery bills?

-What has the effect of the U.S. Farm Bill been on our health and the environment? 

-How can eating locally reinforce the idea of gratitude?

 I came across this quote today and really liked it. Luther Burbank as most of you Santa Rosans know came to Santa Rosa in his 20's and is famous here and around the country / world for developing more than 800 varieties of plants and flowers. Most famously among his creations are the Shasta Daisy and the Russett Burbank potato (which is the most widely cultivated potato in the U.S.) McDonald's uses the Russett Burbank potato for their french fries......that has got to be A LOT of potatoes. 

Anyway, I wanted to share this poignant quote that I found today as well as let any of you local Santa Rosans know that if you haven't been to Luther Burbank gardens in a while (or ever), its a beautiful, peaceful place to go and see beautiful gardens and learn more about Burbank who was a pretty fascinating person and true environmentalist.

 
"Every child should have mudpies, grasshoppers, waterbugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, animals to pet, hay fields, pinecones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets - and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of his education." 

- Luther Burbank

I feel a movement coming on...I was inspired by this, and wanted to share.

ROSA LOVES

Since summer / fall seems to fill up fast, I wanted to give you an early heads up for the "Farm Trails Weekend" which this year will be the weekend of September 27-28.

We visited about 8-9 farms last year during their farm trails weekend and LOVED it. The kids dug potatoes out of the ground, milked cows, picked fruit and vegetables, saw all kinds of animals, and in general got a real flavor of the local Sonoma County farms. I would highly recommend it!!!!

About 6-8 months ago, I wrote a post about how I noticed some pretty tremendous water wasting happening ay the YMCA showers (where I shower every morning). Some women would turn on and leave showers to "heat up" that need no heating up, some women would shower in one and let their bathing suit "shower" under another head.....just stuff where I thought "I can't keep watching this happen and not do something about it". So I asked a woman (very nicely, I thought) if she would turn off the shower she was using for her bathing suit because we were in a drought and it was wasting water. She looked at me funny, then laughed and kept the 2 showers going. I thought sarcastically "that went well" and then thought "I really don't want to get into any more of a confrontation while naked with another naked woman in the community shower area".

So I wrote a letter to the Director of Operations at the Y and asked if they could post signs requesting that people conserve water. Within a few days, nice big lamenated signs were up in every  corner of the shower area. I was so impressed with the YMCA for taking my request and acting so quickly. As the months have gone by, the signs began to fall off the shower walls (or maybe the 2-shower-head-lady took them down one by one : ) Either way, I asked the Operations Director a few weeks ago if she could put up those signs again and she did one better...she ordered permanent acryllic signs for the shower areas and they are up today. They look great!!!

All of this is just to say that if you ever feel like you should speak up about something but think you won't be listened to or you may get laughed at, I am saying that ...well , you may get laughed at (lady in the shower) but you may also be surprised to find that (especially on a local level) people are very responsive in general to ideas and positive changes.

I get lazy though and see things that need changing and think about them and think about them and never end up saying something.

So here is my challenge to myself  for local things I have thought about for a long time that need changing and haven't acted on them but will now.  

#1 Ask Trader Joes to look at alternatives to their double bagging system. I know they say that they do it because the handles fall off but then they should purchase bags  with handles that don't fall off or bags with no handles (like they had in the "old" days...TJ's is so good about rewarding people who bring their own bags and reminding shoppers before they enter the store "Did you remember your bags?"....The double bagging system seems to me to be counter to their otherwise eco-minded, anti-bag-ness (is that a word?)

 #2 Ask Safeway to display their reusable bags that are for sale by the check out lanes (seems logical right?). The last  ten times I have been to Safeway, the reusable bag display has been hidden in obscure back corners of the store where people either won't see it at all or will see it AFTER they have realized they forgot their bags and so selected plastic/ paper.

#3 Ask the YMCA to start using something other than Styrofoam for their complmentary coffee they give out in the a.m. It's really nice they give out coffee (God bless them for that) but the Styrofoam has got to go. I will also ask them to make a little sign that requests that members please bring their own mug.

I will keep you updated on the feedback / changes if any, I find after sending these letters. 

This CROW clothing company is an inspiration. They are eco-all the way around- and offer a sliding scale pricing for their clothing line. It reminds me of the business model that One World Everybody Eats uses. It is so great that companies are beginning to have such a positive and inspirational business model. Definitely something to support!

With the summer here and BBQ's and birthday parties in full swing (3/4 of my family have summer bdays) I have been thinking a lot about trying to have waste free parties. I struggled with whether or not that is rude to ask people to bring their own plates, napkins, flatware etc. On the other hand I struggle more with the thought of throwing out dozens of plates, and disposable forks that will sit in a landfill forever.  I found this article about our neighboring commuinithy Sebastopol and the efforts they are making to live waste free and I think I am going to risk being rude to my future party guests in exchange for saving some trees and landfill space.

What do you think about that and what do you think is a courteous way to ask people to bring their own  plates and forks etc....Any ideas? 

SEBASTOPOL, California.  In a new and growing trend to tread more lightly on the earth, neighborhood groups have started adding a new dimension to community gatherings.  No trash. 

In year's past, a standard backyard or block party item on the To-Do list was the purchase of paper places, plastic utensils and Styrofoam drinking cups.  No more in environmentally conscious Sebastopol.    Neighbors around High Street host an annual block party and advise all attendees to bring their own, reusable eating utensils.  They set aside an area with common bus tubs for partygoers to wash dishes and recommend everyone bring their own cup for punch, beer, etc.

 A good idea indeed.

Neighborhood organizers have noticed a significantly less amount of clean up required.  Attendees have brought bamboo plates, carved wooden bowls and goblets, ceramic eating utensils and other innovative means of reducing waste.

This, combined with family-style eating bowls for cleaner service, and self-service juice from glass vats or punch bowls, kegs, and even plateless appetizers will surely start a precedent in your neighborhood. 

So, next time you invite a crowd over, keep this in mind, it will enhance the asthetic flavor of your party and do our Mother Earth a good turn. 

For more info on this and other sustainable community-building innovations, contact the \n High Street Collective This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bill McKibben, one of the first  to write a book on climate change called End of Nature in the 1980's, has written a more recent  book titled Deep Economy. I found an interview between him and NPR Forum's Michael Krasny that was so compelling and I thought I would share some of his points he makes on this post.

McKibben stated that every year since the end of WWII, pollsters have asked Americans, "Are you happy?". What they found was that since 1956 when happiness peaked, Americans' reported happiness has slowly but steadily gone down. He and other researchers believe that this is a result of people moving farther and farther from the city to afford bigger and bigger houses(sprawl), so they have to drive more (commuting) to get to shops and work and activities. This results in having less interactions with people and so many Americans end up feeling less connected  and more lonely than they did before. McKibben said that research has shown that Americans report having half as many close friends as they did 50 years ago. This is just one result of our "prosperity" leaving us lonely and unhappy.

As of 2007, only 25% of Americans reported being happy yet material prosperity for Americans in the last 50 years has almost tripled. You would think, he says, that those two curves should track in more or less the same direction...they shouldn't split fundamentally apart the way that they are. What he theorizes is that our prospoerity has brought about a social disconnection with our community. As we become a more prosperous country we reduce the odds that we will run into each other in the course of the day by moving farther away from the center of town,  we are forced into our cars more, which means less time at home with family and friends, less meals eaten and cooked at home (and the list goes on and on).

McKibbens' answer  to this dilemma which could also help solve our climate problem is to rebuild local economies which will force us to depend on each other more. This will likely increase our happiness on average  because we will have more interactions with community members and at the same time use far less fossil fuel than we do now.

Community building happens he says when there is a reason for us to rely on one another. He uses as an example the farmer's market re-emergence in the U.S. (now the fastest growing part of Americas food system). They save us energy (eating dinner from a farmer's market uses 1/10 the eneregy used to produce a take out meal) and they increase our socialization and sense of community with others by 10 times. A pair of sociologists, McKibben said, followed shoppers in grocery stores and then at farmer's markets and found that shoppers at farmer's markets have 10 times more interactions with others than they do at the grocery store. This is absolutely true from my own experience. At the grocery store, I know what I need, I go right to it, get it and get out, MAYBE say hello to the cashier and that's it. At the farmers market I am much more relaxed, enjoy myself more, sample food, ask the farmers about their product, educate my kids (and myself) sometimes about this plant or that food. It is a totally different experience in every way.

We have all been taught to believe in this country that more is better, and bigger is better yet all the studies are showing just the opposite. He says that we have confused the pursuit of happiness with the pursuit of stuff. and its not working for us. Isn't it sad that one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S., he says,  is storage lockers....

McKibben's point in his book Deep Economy I think (although I haven't read it yet) is that, more than any new innovation or technological advance to combat climate change,  we need to revive our local economies and rely more heavily on those in our own community for our food, clothing  services and other basic necessities, to not only reduce our use of fossil fuel but to increase our happiness and sense of wellness.

If you have a spare 30 - 45 minutes sometime, I HIGHLY recommend listening to this interview with Bill McKibben and Michael Krasny. You will be inspired.

We have been spending the week in Laguna Beach which is a quaint beach town with lots of high end shops, luxury cars, body augmentations of one kind or another, etc. I have long held some pretty strong biases about towns like this and the people who live there, i.e. they are shallow, only concerned with themselves and their money, etc. I know that's awful that I have thought that way but I guess that has been my stereotyping of SoCal since I have never  lived here and because I got most of my information about the people who do  live here from watching "90210" when I was in highschool.

Anyway, we took the kids to the park yesterday and I saw a playgroup of moms and kids (all looking very put together, very blonde, very thin, fancy cars parked on the street, on and on and on) and a table nearby that said "FREE SNACKS" with tons of fruit, packaged snacks, drinks, sandwiches piled high. Being my dumpster diving, free loading self, I took a few snack for me and the kids and then, looking for who to thank, said to the group "Did you put out those snacks?" The women said they did and that they come every week with the snack table and put out free snacks for people who are homeless as well as any other parents who come to the park with their kids  (They also leave a little sign on the table that says "Come Join our Group") They were super welcoming and friendly and I thought.....I am so glad I had this experience! When I looked around in fact there were several people who appeared homeless who had helped themselves. What a great way for these moms to set an example for their kids about sharing with others and treating people who are less fortunate with dignity and respect. Later as I was remembering when we first arrived at the park, I saw a man who appeared to be homeless sitting down and talking with the women and I assumed he probably just barged in to their group and was talking to them and they didn't know how to tell him to go away....however now I realized they probably welcomed him into their circle and may have even initiated their conversation.

Anyway, I bring this up for two reasons. The first being that I am so glad when I have the opportunity to be proven wrong in my biases and stereotyping of people and I am reminded of how hurtful and powerful those biases / stereotypes can be if they go unchecked so I am so grateful for that experience. The other reason I bring this up is that I think what these women do each week is so inspirational and also so easy. Buying some extra food and drinks at the store for many of us isn't a great hardship but for someone who doesnt know if they will eat from day to day, it means the difference between going to "bed" (bed being most likely outside, on the cement or grass somewhere) hungry or not. And the impact this simple act of kindness would have on our kids would be invaluable. I know that passing out snacks every week to a few people isn't going to solve the problems of homelessness. However, I think just the gesture of kindness and particularly "seeing the Other" rather than pretending they (people who are homeless) don't exist is really powerful for the giver and receiver. I also think everyone is a giver and receiver in this type of exchange....

So I feel moved to do something similar to what these women started  in our community of Santa Rosa (and neighboring communities).   Does anyone else have the same feeling and if so would you want to put our heads together to come up with a way we could reach out to our community weekly/monthly?

I'm so happy to post this on a site dedicated to supporting eachother in making more conscious choices in our lives. I'm inspired by each of you.

THREE CHEERs for Greenmommy as we celebrate earth day! 

Although Davis, CA isn't exactly local for many of us, it is only 1.5 hour drive from Santa Rosa and is such a great eco -friendly, family friendly, artist friendly event.

Jen A. and I try to go every year and we always have so much fun. Admission is free. There is endless music, eco workshops, food (vegetarian) and everything sold  (gifts, clothes, jewelry, art, etc) is handmade (it's like a live etsy sale). 

 This year Whole Earth Festival will be held May 9,10 and 11 on the UC Davis campus.

"The Whole Earth Festival  is a huge eco-friendly three-day music and education festival which takes place in Spring during Mother's Day Weekend. It is similiar to a mini Woodstock.  It's a must-see Davis event. Tons of folks who are committed to sustainable living and environmental harmony make a pilgrimage to Davis for the WEF, and the UC Davis area is lined with art & craft tents, music acts, massage tables, food and a child care area. Various workshops occur throughout the weekend as well".

  Mission Statement

The mission of the Whole Earth Festival is to envision and create a community driven festival of education, music, and art.  We will ensure that as little ‘waste’ as possible is generated during this festival. We will cultivate amazing organic produce  grown in the WEF garden into tasty, nutritional meals to feed volunteers, staff, & performers, while making it both yummy and educational. Frugality and ecological sustainability come hand in hand, as we educate and engage the festival goers, we are careful with the resources we create and consume. We will rely on each other more and rely on corporations and oil less, by carpooling and sharing our homes.  Most importantly, we want to create a safe, educational, and inspiring environment not simply just for the three days we set up on the Quad. We want to develop a conscious community that will go out into the world after the festival and encourage the values that we hold dear. We are all equal participants in the conscious creation that is the Whole Earth Festival.

Joaquin and I went to the performance part of this great traveling educational program called Common Vision. I'm very inspired by the work of this volunteer group. I would highly recommend viewing their calendar and participating someday with your kids if you have the chance. It is fun, green, participatory and educational! Great drumming and dance too! View the video on the website for an overview of the program.

I give a green-thumbs-up to this program! 

Santa Rosa's 114th Annual  Luther Burbank Rose Parade and Festival

Saturday , May 17th

Parade Steps off at 10 AM in Downtown Santa Rosa
Festival runs 11 AM to 4 PM in Downtown Santa Rosa

I was excited when I learned that the theme of this year’s event will be “Go Green & X-Treme” which will showcase activities that take life to the edge as we focus on reducing our carbon footprint.

Some of the days activities will include:

Iron Chef competition adding a new twist – X-Treme n Green Iron Chef competition – in which the participants will  be judged on their ability to cook green and extreme; 

Green Zone where you will be able to learn about how each person can make a difference and help to sustain our planet.

 Good for Santa Rosa!! It's definitely a step in the right direction.

Jen A. and I were visiting this weekend and she told me about Burt's Bees being bought out by Clorox.

I think that made us both pretty sad. We love some of the Burt's Bees products and now it is going to be more difficult to buy those products knowing that you are also supporting the country's #1 bleach maker. 

Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 billion for Burt’s Bees because big companies see big opportunities in the market for green products. From 2000 to 2007, Burt’s Bees’ annual revenue soared to $164 million from $23 million. Analysts say there is far more growth to be had by it and its competitors as consumers keep gravitating toward products that promise organic and environmental benefits.

The New York Times article (linked above) also mentioned that L'oreal bought the Body Shop and Colgate bought 84% of Toms of Maine. I knew none of this until hearing about this article from Jen yesterday.  

The plus side to this I guess is that big, generally "un-green" companies are seeing the future money making in going green, which makes me hopeful for the direction consumerism might be headed. However, these buy outs of small, environmentally friendly, community conscious companies by BIG corporations may mean that more corners are cut in order to reach their bottom line since their heart isn't behind the product as much as the money making aspect is. 

What do you all think? Do these buy outs make a difference to you in whether you will support brands like Burt's Bees, Toms of Maine and the Body Shop?

Thanks Jen A for making me aware of this article. 

Sonoma County Facts

Very interesting facts. Garbage recycled in 2005: 61 percent

I wonder what it is for 2006, 2007, and what it will be for 2008. I hope to see the % rise. 

Today I shopped at Sweet Pea, a local consignment store that sells children's clothing.  They lured me in with their 50% off sale and  I ended up spending WAY more than I  intended.  BUT, as I was trying to make myself not feel as guilty about the purchases on the way home, I thought about all the positives about spending my money at Sweet Pea (or a comparable business):

1) It is used clothing so no extra pollution, resources,  or low paid labor was involved in the purchase

2) I supported a local, non-chain business run by another mom

3) I am helping other moms make some extra cash (because of the consignment aspect of the business) 

4) And lastly, I still get to indulge in buying some darn cute baby girl clothes (a weakness for me ever since having a girl I am sorry to say...) 

To all the green mommy's and families out there....

Community Supported Agriculture is a perfect way to put your values into action. A way to support local farmers, community, organic food and wellness, with less impact on our world. With the new year ahead, I have made the choice to support CSA's through Capay Valley's Farm Fresh to You, home delivery CSA program. I hope you will do the same! Get $10 off your first delivery box by putting in the code 8356 when signing up online at:

http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/fftoyou_info.php

More info can be found at the above link, but here is a brief summary:

 What is CSA?
CSA is simply a box of fresh, local, organic, seasonal produce directly from a farm. It's part of a connection to your food and it's source...a relationship between farmer and the urban landscape.
Why CSA?
CSA comes directly from the local farmer to you. This reduces the impact on the environment on many levels. The food travels far less, uses less resources in getting to you, has less packaging, and is not treated with pesticides so it is healthier for our bodies as well as the earth. CSA's support the goal of community and conscious living.
Where can I try out a CSA?
Capay Organic, a Capay valley family farm that has been around since 1976, has a home-delivery CSA program called "Farm Fresh to You". They have fruit/veggie boxes to your door for $21.50 or $29, with your choice of weekly/biweekly/monthly delivery. No contracts. You can change delivery schedule to fit your needs, place vacation holds, skip weeks, or suspend service at any time. You even have some flexibility as to what goes in your box.

They make it pretty easy to see if you even like the idea of CSA.
How do I sign up or get more info?
Go to:
http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/fftoyou_info.php

Get more info, check delivery areas, and learn more about the farm. First-timers can get $10 off their first box by putting in 8356 in the promo code box when signing up.

Cheers to a greener 2008! 

My last post inspired this post.

When I read where the artist of the basket made of old Kodak film  got her material, she mentioned this store, Reverse Garbage.

It sounds like such a great idea for a store. I think it could really work, especially in a place like Santa Rosa where so many creative people live.  It's a store filled with items that would otherwise be thrown in the landfill but instead are being sold to people who can reuse anything from typewriter keys, to metal drums, nylon webbing,  furniture fabrics, and old CD's . It probably caters mostly to artists and sculptors and those creative types. I love the idea!!!!

The concept is very similar, in fact , to Santa Rosa's ReStore which sells recycled building materials and gives the money it generates to Habitat for Humanity.

November 3, 2007

Noon-4 pm at Julliard Park in Santa Rosa

227 Santa Rosa Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95404

• Get free compact fluorescent bulbs
• Learn how to take local action and local leadership
• Learn more about reducing your carbon footprint
• Check out some of Santa Rosa's green building and sustainable agricultural efforts
• Live music
• Children's Art contest with Prizes

 The following information was taken from the Santa Rosa City web site

The Environmental Projects team is helping the City reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and  helping facilitate the reduction of community-wide GHG emissions. The City's objective to reduce its emissions is being accomplished by encouraging the use of renewable energy through implementing solar, biomass, wind,  and alternative fuels into their every day operations.

As well as encouraging the use of renewable energy the City has reduced its energy demands and water consumption  through various conservation projects. beneficial reuse of recycled wastewater and biosolids. The City is also in the process of educating staff about Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, and encouraging  municipalities and residents to build green.

Currently, the City has installed 3 photovoltaic (PV) systems totaling 81.5 kilowatts (kW) which together are estimated to be producing approximately 153,000 kWh of green energy each year. Another project is currently in the works, which will add an additional 30 kW and reduce the City's GHG emissions even further.

In June of 2003 the City of Santa Rosa adopted a voluntary green building program, Santa Rosa - Build it Green, that promotes building and remodeling homes in a way that reduces energy demands, releases fewer pollutants into the atmosphere, conserves water and reduces construction waste. The City has also committed to utilizing guidelines set by Build It Green when constructing or renovating municipal buildings

The City of Santa Rosa continues to take bold actions towards bettering itself as a sustainable community. The City has been innovative in its pursuit of public-private relationships. These relationships are what has changed the culture in Santa Rosa and allowed us to be placed on the top 10 list of Green Cities in the U.S. for 2006. 

For more information, comments or suggestions please feel free to contact us at: Environmentalprojects@srcity.org

Co-op America is offering free membership to those who visit the Green Festival in San Fransisco.

If you enjoy what you read in Co-op America's E-newsletters and have been waiting to become a supporting member—Green Festival™ is the perfect opportunity to cash in on membership!

Buy the Festival Pass for only $15—three days unlimited festivities—and receive a FREE Co-op America membership. All you have to do is sign up!

We have discussed the Green Festival before and this is just another bonus for going. I also read that you receive a free 1 year subscription to Plenty Magazine with paid admission. It should be fun!  

San Francisco Green Festival

Show Hours
Friday – 2pm – 8pm
Saturday – 10am – 8pm
Sunday – 11am – 6pm

Village Homes is a community in Davis, CA where Cameron (my husband) is from. He knew the son of the man who came up with idea for this community. Cameron and I have recently been thinking about someday trying to start a communal living project like this......maybe it will just be a dream but who knows???? Anyone interested?? : )

Village Homes (similar to Jennifer's post on Sonoma Mountain Village) has a philosophy of communal land use. Residents hold an undivided common interest in three types of common land:

• Household Commons - These common areas are located between houses along the community's east-west pedestrian/bike paths. While each household has primary responsibility for the area immediately adjacent to its lot, clustersof neighbors (typically eight households) meet once or twice a year to discuss how the common area will be used and landscaped.



• Greenbelt Commons - Greenbelt areas are the formally landscaped parks and ornamental areas maintained by the gardeners. These lands are located along the major north-south pedestrian/bike paths that run along the east and west sides of the community.



• Agricultural Lands - We have two types of ag lands: the gardens bordering the community on the west pedestrian/bikepath and the orchards and vineyards found throughout the community. The garden ag lands are for the private use of residents; the orchards and vineyards are maintained primarily by the gardeners and can be harvested by all residents.

For more information on Village Homes in Davis, CA and communities like it throughout the country, see their website (link above).