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August's First Thursday
Mike and Sally Gale are the owners and operators of Chileno Valley Ranch. Mike and (hopefully Sally) will discuss their experiences taking up, somewhat later in life, cattle ranching, apple farming, and running a bed and breakfast in beautiful Chileno Valley in Northwest Marin. Mike and Sally have been active members of the local farming and ranching community since they moved back to Sally's ancestral home more than a decade ago. They will share their experiences restoring and expanding an historic old farmhouse and ranch, raising cows and calves on grass and humane treatment, restoring Chileno Creek, growing blue-ribbon apples, turning the house into a bed and breakfast inn, hosting art classes and the occasional wedding there. Come meet some folks who are at the heart of Marin County's unique agricultural community and economy. You can learn more about the ranching operation at www.chilenobeef.com, and about the bed & breakfast at www.chilenobnb.com.
When: August 7, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Where:
CVNL/MarinSpace,
555 Northgate Drive, San Rafael
(Across from Sears Auto Center in the Northgate Mall)
RSVP@marinefm.org if you think you might be attending. This will help us set up the room. Even if you can't tell us in advance you are welcome to decide at the last minute.
Thank you - we'd love to see you!
Link to Directions
For more information on the presentation
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Greetings!
President's Message
We're gearing up for Sustainable Earth Forum 36, starting in September. It's going to be fantastic. So, please do your eco-minded friends a favor. Have them call 415-479-7814 and sign up now. They'll thank you!
This year in addition to strategic planning, the Environmental Forum of Marin board of directors will be focusing on providing core educational programs to high-caliber participants and engaging more EFM members more fully in continuing environmental education and influencing community decision-makers. These themes will be reflected in the things we do throughout the year. With the high level of energy the board brings to its work, it's going to be an exciting year.
Vicki Rupp
Please join us for EFM's FIRST THURSDAY: A discussion with Mike and Sally Gale, owners and operators of Chileno Valley Ranch
When: August 7, 2008
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
Location: CVNL/MarinSpace, 555 Northgate Drive, San Rafael
Click the first item on the left, below IN THIS ISSUE, for details.
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Stay tuned for the August Newsletter
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The August newsletter should be arriving in your mail by mid-August. If you do not receive the newsletter, send us your address at enews@marinefm.org and we'll send one right out to you.
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Last call for early enrollment in Sustainable Earth Forum 36
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The next 18-week SEF begins September 9, 2008. As always, the program will focus on sustainability, ecology, human impacts on the environment, resource management, and citizen and community action, with the goal to provide knowledge to individuals who are, or who would like to be, involved in making decisions affecting their community. The $380 fee covers all costs and includes a one-year EFM membership.
Registration for this one-of-a-kind opportunity is now open and enrollment is limited. Those who enroll before August 1 will receive a special rate of $350.
Contact info: admissions@marinefm.org or 479- 7814.
For more information and registration instructions, visit us at www.marinefm.org.
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EFM Members In Action
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Several EFM graduates spoke at the Marin County Fair on environmental topics. Ellen Hopkins (3A) spoke about "The KISS Principle of Composting: Making It Fun." EFM VP Kim Sauve (34) spoke about "Moving Toward Zero Waste." Kimberly Pinkson (4A) and EFM Publications Chair Chrise de Tournay Birkhahn (35) (pictured) spoke about "EcoMom Alliance: Leveraging Your Power to Help Create a Sustainable Future."
There's still time to sign up for the second class in the seasonal cooking class series focusing on grass-fed beef, but you'll have to move fast. EFM grads Helene Holl(35), Beki Simon(35), Marcia Sitcoske(35) and Leigh Kenny(35), in partnership with the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), will be holding the class on August 3 in Pt. Reyes. For registration please call Hope Radner at the MALT office: (415) 663-1158 x307.
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The Marin Climate Initiative
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Marin Organic has launched a new project: The Marin Climate Initiative.
This web-based educational resource will empower users to reduce their impact on the environment and explain the merits of using our local rangeland soils to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a potentially effective strategy in reducing global warming while providing ecological and agricultural benefits to communities.
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Marin Climate Initiative |
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Nature Hikes
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JOE KOHN'S (34) MARIN CNPS HIKES
Take a hike with Joe Kohn and the Marin chapter of the California Native Plant Society. All hikes are free and open to the public, so please invite your friends.
For the Summer CNPS hikes, please come prepared for any type of weather or conditions, dress in layers and bring wind protection, just in case. Although it may be sunny and warm when you leave home, the weather in West Marin could be cold and foggy. Please be prepared. Bring lunch and plenty of water, binoculars and/or hand lenses and your favorite field guides. For further information, call Joe Kohn (415-459-0231).
Sunday, August 3 10 a.m. - Tomales Bay State Park Jepson/Johnstone Loop
During late Summer, this trail comes alive with the fruits of fall. We'll eat Huckleberries, marvel at the colorful fruit on the California Honeysuckle, search for the CNPS Listed 1B rare Campanula californica (Swamp harebell), and have lunch at a beautiful secluded beach.
Take Sir Francis Drake Blvd west through Marin, several miles past Inverness. At the fork in the road, bear right and go about a mile. Meet at the (unsigned) small parking area at the top of the Jepson Trail. If you reach the entrance to Tomales Bay State Park, turn around and go back 100-200 yards.
Sunday, August 17 10 a.m. Deer Park, Fairfax
Whether it's spring or summer, winter or fall, the trails that start at Deer Park School are among some of the loveliest in all of Marin County. In fact, the man who wrote the definitive guide to Marin County Trails (Barry Spitz) calls the Yolanda Trail the best hike in Marin. And, who can argue? It really is lovely. There are generally late season flowers still blooming in August.
To get to Deer Park School, go out the Fairfax-Bolinas Road from downtown Fairfax, and just before it starts to twist and turn, make a left on Porteus Drive and take that all the way to the end, where you'll find a parking lot for the school.
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Joe Kohn's Nature Hikes |
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Marin County Fair the Greenest on Earth?
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The 2008 Marin County Fair was touted as the "greenest county fair on earth." Marin installed 744 solar panels on the roof of the Exhibit Hall, replaced the lighting fixtures in the Exhibit Hall and meeting rooms with energy-conserving fluorescent bulbs, became a certified green business, installed waterfree urinals in the men's restrooms and water efficient toilets in all fairground restrooms, offered healthy food and beverage choices, and instituted a waste-diversion and recycling services. The fair also offered an array of exhibits and speakers (including several EFM members - see Members in Action) focusing on all aspects of green living.
Was it enough? We heard reports that the composting bins were not in place as of 4:00 p.m. on the first day of the fair. And despite notices asking people to bring reusable water bottles and to use water fountains, plastic water bottles were ubiquitous. Still, fair attendees were bombarded with green messages. We say bravo to the Fair for their efforts!
Photo: Inside The Green Life Exhibit Hall
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Explore Bay Area Nature with New E-Mag
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We live in the most beautiful and biologically diverse urban area in the United States, and now is a great time to get to know it better.
The publishers of Bay Nature magazine have launched a new online gateway to outdoor adventures close to home: BayNature.org.
At BayNature.org you can quickly:
· Discover great places to explore among 2,000+ parks.
· Learn about your local environment from 700+ articles.
· Choose from hundreds of local nature-related events and outings.
· Track seasonal changes in local plants, wildlife and weather.
· Watch videos about nature nearby.
· Connect with more than 300 environmental organizations.
With the help of BayNature.org, you'll enjoy new places and rediscover favorite places. Local naturalists and experts will guide you, courtesy of Bay Nature's vast collection of articles, images, maps, videos, and other resources to a deeper understanding of the natural world of the Bay Area. At this virtual gathering place, you'll also tap into a wealth of local organizations and events, plus opportunities to protect wildlands and wildlife. You can count on Bay Nature for accurate and accessible information and for inspiration in making your own discoveries. Season after season, you'll come to know and enjoy your own backyard more than ever.
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Bay Nature magazine |
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Watersheds Education Program
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The Watershed Project, a non-profit based in Richmond, will be hosting an educational program called: "Watershed Teaching Tool." The intensive five-day program will include information and activities about watershed and creek ecology of the San Francisco Bay, basic gardening concepts for a healthy watershed, reducing pesticides and toxins around your home and school, and pollution prevention and waste reduction. You will receive course binders from our "Kids in Gardens," "Kids in Creeks," and "Green Schools, Green Gardens" workshops, with activities correlated with state standards (K-12). You will also go home with watershed maps, worm bins to start a composting program, and seeds and plants to get you started immediately. The final day of the weeklong series includes an optional canoe trip on the Bay. *Hands-on activities at Baxter Creek, Stege Marsh and in our Demonstration Teaching Garden.
When: August 4 thru 8
Where: 1327 S 46th Street 155 Richmond Field Station Richmond, CA 94804 (open to Marin residents)
Cost: $99
For more information, contact Brooke Halgren, Program Coordinator for the Watershed Project, at 510 665 3539 or brooke@thewatershedproject.org.
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The Watershed Project |
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Aerial Spraying Cancelled - Hurrah!
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Jared Huffman announced the great news in his e-newsletter:
Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM): Aerial Spraying Cancelled, Huffman bill (AB 2765) Moves to Senate Floor
In a major victory for residents of the Bay Area, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced on Thursday, June 19 that plans to spray aerial pesticides in urban areas to control the light brown apple moth (LBAM) have been scrapped. CDFA will instead use sterile moths as a primary way to eradicate the pest in urban areas. The announcement comes after months of legislative and grassroots efforts to stop the proposed spraying in parts of Marin County and the Bay Area.
Assemblymember Huffman, who chairs the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, convened the first legislative hearing on the LBAM issue on February 14 of this year. He also introduced AB 2765 to provide safeguards against aerial pesticide spraying. Huffman's bill passed its last Senate policy committee last week and now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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Eradication Program for LBAM |
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Volunteers Needed for Elementary School Environmental Education Program
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Audubon Canyon Ranch, Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, is looking for volunteers to teach in the Elementary School Environmental Education Program.
To learn more about the training program and its outreach, interested parties may attend an orientation Wed., August 27, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
All 22 classes, beginning in Septermber 2008, ending in March 2009, are taught by experts and cover such topics as birds, geology, plants, amphibians and reptiles, insects, pond life, Native American culture and environmental education teaching techniques. Participants gain an in-depth knowledge of natural history and local ecology through lectures, audio-visual presentations, laboratory and field work.
After completing the program, volunteers make scheduled appearances at schools in San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley and Marin to introduce 4th and 5th graders to Bolinas Lagoon Preserve's natural history and diverse ecosystems. While visiting the 1,000 acre preserve on field trips, students, in small groups, are led by volunteers on nature walks.
ACR says more than 630 volunteers have completed the training program. Nearly 100,000 school children have attended presentations or participated in tours at the ranch.
Cost of the training course is $120. Full and partial scholarships are available. Three units of college credit can be arranged.
For more information or to register for the training orientation, call 868- 9244 or email leslie@egret.org.
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Environmental Action Committee of West Marin August Events
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Join EAC and the Marin Youth Conservation Corps on Friday, August 1 and Monday, August 4 for Pampas Grass removal in West Marin.
Pampas grass is a non-native aggressive plant that can rapidly colonize and dominate any suitable territory. Pampas grass seeds are carried by the wind, helping the species to rapidly spread downwind. When it does, the diversity of native flora can be quickly replaced by a monoculture of pampas grass.
Volunteers of all ages welcome. We will be working from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Even if you have only a few hours free, we would appreciate your help. For more information or to volunteer, please call 663- 9312 or email to EAC@svn.net To learn more about the impacts of non-native plants on the environment
EAC Green Team "Story of Stuff" Meetings
EAC will be giving presentations in West Marin in August focused on ways for people to reduce their ecological footprint and live more sustainable lives on a daily basis.
We will show a very entertaining and educational, 20 minute documentary called "The Story of Stuff", that exposes the negative connections between our economy and environmental and social issues throughout the world. We'll also give a short presentation on EAC's Green Team program, a fun, group-oriented program to make on-the-ground progress in living more earth friendly lifestyles. Upcoming Meetings:
Thursday, August 7, 7 p.m., Tomales Town Hall (27150 HWY.1)
Thursday, August 14, 7:30 p.m., Stinson Beach Community Center (32 Belvedere Ave)
Saturday, August 23, 4 p.m. as a part of the San Geronimo Valley Community Center's Green Festival (6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd) Please call 663-9312 or email EAC@svn.net for more details.
EAC-SPAWN Lagunitas Creek Clean-up Sunday August 17, 9 a.m. Meeting place TBA
Join EAC and SPAWN for a fun day cleaning up Lagunitas Creek. The more volunteer involvement, the better we can improve creek health and conditions for our endangered Coho salmon and steelhead.
After the clean-up we plan to use some of the litter and debris to create recycled art sculptures for the San Geronimo Valley Green Festival contest on Saturday August 23.
Please call 663-9312 or email EAC@svn.net for more details or to volunteer.
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More Watersheds Education
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SPAWN and Sustainable Fairfax present RAINWATER HARVESTING AND "BLUE" LANDSCAPING with Brock Dolman, Director of Occidental Arts & Ecology Center's WATER Institute and Permaculture Center, and Co-Director of the Wildlands Biodiversity Program
Thinking about your "H20 footprint" lately? Then join SPAWN and Sustainable Fairfax to discover ways to protect our precious watersheds by integrating raingardens, rainbarrels, cisterns, ponds, permeable paving and other designs into the landscapes of our gardens and neighborhoods. Community- building, H20 saving, and FUN... so spread the word!
When: Thursday, July 31, 7-9 p.m.
Where: Fairfax WOMEN'S CLUB, 46 Park Rd, Fairfax.
Cost: $5-10 donation.
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Green Tips from the Union of Concerned Scientists
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Greener Patios
July 2008
For many people, summer is the time to take the cooking and parties outdoors. If you want to create the perfect patio environment, keep the natural environment in mind as well; by choosing products that conserve resources and minimize pollution, you can enjoy your outdoor surroundings while also preserving them. Here are some ideas:
Building material
If you're buying lumber for your deck, look for labels that indicate the wood comes from sustainably managed forests. (See the Related Links for a list of forest certification programs.) Or, consider composite lumber made from recycled plastic and wood wastes. Avoid pressure-treated wood if possible, as it is treated with chemicals that can leach into local water supplies.
For ground-based patios, choose bricks or paving stones; compared with poured concrete they allow better water drainage, minimizing storm runoff, and are easier to replace if damaged.
Furniture
Consider the lifespan of the furniture you purchase. Durable, well- made products will last longer, avoiding the need for frequent replacement. In addition, some materials (such as metal) will likely survive the elements far longer than wood. Buying used furniture, or furniture made from recycled materials, is another good option as it keeps materials out of the waste stream.
If you are considering new wood furniture, look for products made from reclaimed or FSC-certified wood.
Grills
If you are shopping for a new grill, consider a propane-fired model. According to the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, propane generates about half the carbon emissions of charcoal briquettes per hour of grilling, and one-third the emissions of electric grills (the emissions for which are generated at power plants). Charcoal also generates particulate matter (soot) that pollutes the air and can aggravate respiratory problems.
Already own a charcoal grill or prefer the taste that charcoal imparts to your food? Lower your impact by choosing lump charcoal harvested from sustainably managed forests. Avoid charcoal briquettes if possible, as they may contain coal dust or other additives as binders. (If you use briquettes, be sure to dispose of the ash in the garbage instead of scattering it outside, where trace elements in the ash can harm plants.)
Whether you use lump charcoal or briquettes, light up your grill with a chimney starter instead of lighter fluid. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the 46,200 tons of lighter fluid used per year in the United States produces approximately 14,500 tons of smog- forming pollution.
Lighting
When the sun goes down, turn to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) for floodlights and outdoor fixtures. CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescents to provide the same amount of light, and last longer, too.
If you use string lights around your patio, look for LED (light-emitting diode) versions, which use less energy than mini twinkle lights.
Insect Control
Eliminate areas of standing water around your home (such as birdbaths, puddles, or gutters), which are prime breeding locations for mosquitoes. If you maintain a birdbath or fish pond in your yard, be sure to change the water frequently or use a pump to keep the water circulating.
Avoid using electric or propane-fueled bug traps, which contribute to global warming. Instead, consider natural alternatives to repelling pests such as burning citronella candles or surrounding your patio with plants that repel insects (such as marigolds or geraniums).
(Green tips reprinted from newsletter of the Union of Concerned Scientists)
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Greener Patios |
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