Monthly Events: Kick-start Fall with a Little Community Building!

What better way to welcome the change in seasons than with a volunteer or community event this month? If you didn’t have a chance to lend a hand for the environment this past summer, it’s not too late to jump right in to help green L.A. this fall. And if you did volunteer, we’re sure you are all rested up and ready to go again! Here’s a taste of what’s in store for September!

>On Saturday, September 4th, come on out to Santa Monica where Surfrider will be hosting a beach clean up. Some fun in the sun is always great, just be sure to bring that sunscreen!

>Saturday, September 11th is packed full of green goodness. Two tree care projects spearheaded by TreePeople will be taking place in Altadena and El Monte. There will also be a fabulously fun Environmentalist rendezvous including a picnic and film in Pasadena.

>It’s not exactly a volunteer event, but that’s okay, it’s still great for the community. On Sunday, September 12th LA Streets Blog will be closing down streets in L.A. for a cool street fair. Bring bikes, skateboards or just your walking shoes. No cars allowed!

>Do you like the famous Santa Monica Pier? How about pets? Well, there will be a great pet festival hosted by Best Friends on Sunday, September 19th, at the Santa Monica Pier. The event is being held to help raise awareness for homeless pets in our area.

>On September 19th, there will also be a cool street tree care event in Mid City organized by TreePeople, that is sure to be a hit! You won't want to miss it.

>On Tuesday, September 21 the cities that make up the Ballona Creek watershed are holding a workshop with the City of L.A. at Hyperion Water Treatment to educate the public about cool stuff like water pollution and sustainable, green approaches to water quality improvements. You should come on out!

>Saturday, September 25 will be a fun one. It is Coastal Clean Up Day! Do you know what that means? Well, we’ll tell you. Heal the Bay will be coordinating over 50 cleanup locations throughout L.A. County! Yep, that’s a lot and there is sure to be one near you.

>Check out all of September’s events that aid stormwater by visiting our calendar at http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php.

And if you have any upcoming events, please send them on over to us and we will be happy to include them in our community calendar.

*Photo courtesy of Heal the Bay

Monthly Events: Sunshine and Volunteering: A Recipe for a Great July

Summer is in full swing here in Southern California. This month is packed full of great events and volunteer opportunities, so pick a weekend to check out a local eco event or donate a few hours of your time to a good green cause!

>On Saturday, July 10th there are a number of events to choose from. Check out the Eco Fest in Venice, the Lotus Festival in Echo Park or hop on over to Topanga Canyon for a creek side tree planting. You might want to check out the Green Expo, hosted by The Metropolitan Water District, where 40 environmental exhibits will be ready for the browsing. You could also put on your boots and help Santa Monica Baykeeper restore Stone Canyon Creek near UCLA.

>If Saturday is too busy, come out on Sunday, July 11th where Surfrider is putting on an event in Los Angeles in conjunction with Green Garden Group in a hands-on workshop about landscaping and water use.

>Want to share your gardening expertise? Help maintain trees that were planted by TreePeople and volunteers two years ago in San Pedro on Tuesday, July 13th.

>Saturday, July 17th is another busy day for nature lovers. Prune some fruit trees in Sylmar or chip in for some hearty mountain restoration in Calabasas. Or come out to Venice and join Heal the Bay in saying no to trash by picking up litter to ensure that sand is the only thing gracing the beach.

>If you are a fan of clean streets and are looking to volunteer a couple of hours, you may want to mark off Sunday, July 18th on your calendar and head to Highland Park to weed, mulch and trim street trees in the area.

>If your weekends are too full come out on Thursday, July 22nd, where TreePeople will be at it again in Coldwater Canyon Park in the late morning for a cool park project.

>Help the City reach the goal of the one million trees planted inPalms on July 24th. Friends of Ballona Wetlands will also be tackling a restoration project in Playa Del Ray.

>Or how about checking out a Farm Work Day in Los Angeles on Monday July 26th, to help maintain the Normandie Ave Elementary School’s and John Muir Middle School’s learning gardens?

>Lastly, if you can’t squeeze out any time earlier in the month, your last chance comes on July 31st, where you help TreePeople take care of some new trees in Studio City.

Check out all of the month’s events that aid stormwater by visiting our calendar at http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/calendar.php

And if you have any upcoming events (volunteer or otherwise), please send them on over to us and we’d be happy to include them in our community calendar!

*Photo courtesy of beach.freedomblogging.com

5,000 Los Angeles Kids Cleanup Dockweiler State Beach, Form Human Mosaic Calling to "Sustain Life"

PLAYA DEL REY, CA—Confirming their commitment to protecting marine life, 5,000 area students and their teachers participated at the Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup and formed an aerial artwork in celebration of Kids Ocean Day. The event was hosted by the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education, the California Coastal Commission, the City of Los Angeles, Keep Los Angeles Beautiful, and Whole Foods Market.

The day’s activities began with a program kick-off involving dignitaries, including: Michael Klubock of the Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education; Sara Wan of the California Coastal Commission; Cynthia M. Ruiz of the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works and Keep Los Angeles Beautiful; City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation Director Enrique Zaldivar; Whole Foods Market marketing supervisor Lena Pereira; and actress and environmentalist Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me!, Fraiser, Baywatch). Students picked up trash at the beach, and capped the day by forming a human mosaic that depicted the ocean and spelled “Sustain Life.” The message highlighted the connection between the health of oceans and human life, and also reflected the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goal to ensure environmental sustainability.

"The vitality of Los Angeles and the rest of our planet depends on the health of the ocean for the oxygen we breathe, the food that we eat, and a livable climate," said Cynthia M. Ruiz, president of the Board of Public Works and chairman of Keep Los Angeles Beautiful. "Los Angeles kids understand the environmental and moral responsibility of caring for the ocean to which we are all connected, no matter how far inland we are. Let us follow their example and be active stewards of the ocean and the environment by starting in our own neighborhoods."

Kids Ocean Day is celebrated at six other locations along the California coast, extending from Humboldt County to San Diego. The event honors World Ocean Day that will be celebrated globally on June 8.