Sunday, January 30, 2022
The “Stock” Market
Ends & Stems Chef Alison Mountford returns for her first class of 2022 with more great ideas to reduce your food waste!
Using seasonal vegetables you will learn to make a homemade vegetable and Chicken Stock that you will turn into two different magnificent soups - hearty Minestrone and a Creamy Vegetable Soup.
Time: 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: 10 – 15
Info: 9254219574, cynthia@ecologycenter.org, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-stock-market-tickets-238806024247
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Leafy Greens! How to Store and Cook
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: 10 – 15
Info: 9254219574, cynthia@ecologycenter.org, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/239685013327
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Cook From Your Fridge Recipes
One of the easiest ways to reduce your food waste is to really know what is in your refrigerator and know how to create recipes targeted to the foods inside.
Follow along with Chef Alison Mountford from “Ends & Stems” as she shows you how to cook two of her favorites “From the Fridge” recipes - Frittata and Pizza.
The food we throw in the garbage has used energy and water to be produced, fuel for transport and resources used for packaging. Once in the landfill, food produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.
Chef Alison Mountford
Chef Alison Mountford is the founder of Ends + Stems, a meal planning service with the goal of creating meals that have a meaningful impact on your life and your planet. A graduate of the San Francisco Culinary Institute, Chef Alison is passionate about helping others reduce their food waste by sharing meal planning, shopping, cooking and storing techniques.
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: 10 – 15
Info: 9254219574, cynthia@ecologycenter.org, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/239693819667
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Flight of the Salsas!
The Farmers Market Salsa Festival is just around the corner! Mark your calendars for May 7th! However, because the festival was moved to May due to Covid restrictions, we are faced with the challenge that tomatoes are out of season in May! How can we have a Salsa Festival with no salsa?
How lucky for the Ecology Center that Chef Alison Mounford has taken on the challenge and created 4 kinds of Salsa WITHOUT FRESH TOMATOES! In this hands-on workshop you will join Chef Alison as she makes Roasted Chipotle, Salsa Verde with Avocado, Pico de Gallo and Pineapple Habanero Salsa’s. These salsa’s will be featured at the Festival, with ingredients sourced from our Farmer’s Markets.
The food we throw in the garbage has used energy and water to be produced, fuel for transport and resources used for packaging. Once in the landfill, food produces methane—a greenhouse gas even more potent than carbon dioxide.
Chef Alison Mountford
Chef Alison Mountford is the founder of Ends + Stems, a meal planning service with the goal of creating meals that have a meaningful impact on your life and your planet. A graduate of the San Francisco Culinary Institute, Chef Alison is passionate about helping others reduce their food waste by sharing meal planning, shopping, cooking and storing techniques
Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: 10 – 15
Info: 9254219574, cynthia@ecologycenter.org, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/239703508647
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Farmers Market Salsa Festival
The Farmers Market Salsa Festival at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Park in downtown Berkeley has become an annual go-to event for our East Bay community and beyond. Join us for a day of environmental and cultural experiences with music, dance, and food and beverages being offered all day long.
Salsa Festival 2022 includes performances by San Francisco Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble, Berkeley High School Jazz Band, the Wasaka Project Cumbia Duet, Afro-Cuban Afro Peruvian artist Erick Peralta, and Grammy Award Winner Christian Pepin y su Orquesta Bembe. Professional Latin Dancer Rebecca Galindo perform with her students, as well as demonstrate step-by-step how to navigate basic Salsa dance steps.
It won’t be long before you will be moving to the Latin rhythms while sipping sustainably made Mojitos, Beer and Wine. Other activities will include a Latin Drum Circle led by Christian Pepin, the Fashion Trashion Booth where attendees can take selfies with upcycled fashion, and Pedal Powered Smoothies.
Stroll the park and shop for sustainable jewelry, pottery, textiles and more from local artisans. The whole family will love the Puppets of the World as they float through the park. You will be able to pick up giant eco-focused puppets from the Giant Puppets of the World booth and learn to navigate through the event with giant butterflies, bumblebees, and more.
In the Kids Zone, the young and young-at-heart will meet Compton the Compost Puppet, made entirely from recycled materials, and learn how composting helps the planet. Kids will get to blow giant, environmentally-friendly bubbles with huge wands, make clay masks, join the Berkeley Library Story Time, sing along with Mariela’s Bilingual Music Time and learn a few Salsa dance steps. They can also make an upcycled percussion instrument and join the Kid’s Drum Circle, or join the Farmers’ Market Treasure Hunt and win a prize.
The festival will offer a variety of locally-sourced, sustainably-made food and beverages in tandem with the adjacent Farmers’ Market. Freshly made mojitos will be for sale from female-founded, female-owned Montoya Distillers, a leader in the industry in sustainability and social responsibility. The mojitos will be made with mint and lime sourced from the Farmers’ Market. Craft beer and wine will be poured by local sustainable breweries and wineries, and water stations will be administered by Ecology Center Youth Environmental Interns.
StopWaste Chef Helga Alessio will demonstrate various ways to make fresh salsa, using the Farmers’ Market produce that was freshly chopped by event attendees in the Pedal Powered Chopping activity. As one of the Ecology Center’s Instructors, Helga will prepare salsa samples while sharing information about cooking with food scraps to reduce one’s carbon footprint. Attendees will be encouraged to visit the Farmers’ Market, where they can purchase food from Farmers’ Market food vendors.
Don't forget to mark your calendars and pull out your dancing shoes!
Time: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, 2151 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704
Cost: FREE
Info: 9254219574, cynthia@ecologycenter.org, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/berkeley-farmers-market-salsa-festival-2022-tickets-239735975757
Community Events
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Urban Soil and Human Impacts: Tracking Lead Contamination in Communities
Urban soils play a central role in community health, particularly in terms of lead exposure. This webinar will explore the sources, mobility, and impacts of lead in urban soils. Humans have impacted the soils around them but are also impacted by the soils around them. As lead enters the soil ecosystem, it can migrate and transform through a variety of mechanisms.
Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is one tool to help elucidate lead levels in urban soils by distinguishing regions of elevated lead from natural abundance. The geochemistry insights from pXRF can help inform policy and remediation approaches. Prof. Richter will share his insights from decades of work in soil ecology as well as his latest project with student-researcher Julia Kagiliery.
Speakers:
- Dr. Daniel Richter (PhD) is a professor of soil science and forest ecology at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Prof. Richter’s research focuses on long-term studies of soil life to gain insights into how to soil can be sustainably managed. His research approaches soil as a natural body that changes over time, rather than viewing it as inert and static. In particular he’s interested in how humans impact and are impacted by the soil ecosystem around them over the long-term. He is a specialist in urban soil lead toxicity, recently publishing a multidecade study of legacy lead in urban ecosystems.
- Ms. Julia Kagiliery is double major in mechanical engineering and environmental science at Duke University and an undergraduate researcher in the Richter Lab. Ms. Kagiliery has been utilizing portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) for several years, including in studies of coal deposits, water quality, and now forest soil ecosystems.
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: Free
Info: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3575888/6E80EF3CFB1347C59680F3E9DA8B24E0
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Special EVent: New Models & Insider Tips
The year of the electric vehicle (EV) is here! 2022 heralds new electric SUVs, trucks, and vans. EVs with three rows, standard all-wheel drive, and towing capacity. Advanced driver-assist features, lightning fast acceleration, expansive touch screens, panoramic sunroofs. Long-range and fast-charging capabilities. And very cool body designs. Get the inside scoop on the most anticipated new models coming this year, plus tips on how to maximize your EV ownership experience.
Register here.Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: Free
Info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/special-event-new-models-and-insider-tips-for-going-ev-registration-228648312257?aff=eventpage
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Can California Solve Its Air Quality Inequality?
Moderated by Saul Gonzalez, KQED Correspondent and Co-Host of "The California Report"
While smog in Los Angeles and wildfire smoke in San Francisco dominate headlines, California’s rural communities are also besieged by a constellation of forces that foul their air. In the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most polluted parts of the state, one in four children have asthma, and the impacts of air pollution cost the region $6 billion annually. Air quality is a statewide issue—more than half of California’s counties fail to meet federal pollution standards. But the burden isn’t evenly distributed: Black and Latino people are exposed to about 40 percent more fine particulate matter from cars, trucks, and buses than white Californians, and low-income communities about 20 percent more than their higher-income counterparts.
What would it take for the more privileged parts of California to reduce air pollution that disproportionately affects low-income and rural communities around the state? What political and economic strategies have succeeded in improving air quality locally and statewide? And can people and organizations fighting for clean air find inspiration from coalition-building and organizing efforts in other arenas? Former California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols, Central Valley Air Quality Coalition executive director Catherine Garoupa White and USC sociologist and Solidarity Economics author Manuel Pastor visits Zócalo to discuss how we can help all Californians breathe easier.
Register here. Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: Free
Info: https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/event/california-air-quality-inequality/
Wednesday, February 9, 2022
EV 102: for New EV Drivers
An in-depth discussion on charging at home and on the road, plus accessing incentives and affordable / clean energy to fuel your new ride - with Q&A.
Please register here. Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: Free
Info: info@drivecleanbayarea.org, https://drivecleanbayarea.org/events/
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Bay Area Reach Codes Building Industry Feedback Event
The Bay Area Reach Codes building industry feedback event will provide an in-depth review of code proposals, costs and cost effectiveness, and goals for 2022 reach codes. Tune in to find out which cities may adopt decarbonization reach codes and how it will influence the way you design and construct your building projects.
This session is brought to you by Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) and East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) – the not-for-profit community-led energy providers for San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties respectively, as well as other cities.
The webinar will focus on building electrification and electric vehicle readiness in new and existing buildings. Topics will include:
- Brief review of 2019 reach codes and 2022 California Energy Code
- Deep dive into draft models for 2022 local reach code policies
- Substantial time for feedback and brainstorming
For more information, visit BayAreaReachCodes.org.
Register here.Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: Free
Info: BayAreaReachCodes.org.
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Bay Area Reach Codes Community Feedback Event
The Bay Area Reach Codes community feedback event will provide a review of code strategies, costs, and other goals for 2022 reach codes. Tune in to find out which cities may adopt decarbonization reach codes and how these can impact your homes, businesses, and community.
This session is brought to you by Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE), Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) and East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) – the not-for-profit community-led energy providers for San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties respectively, as well as other cities.
The webinar will focus on building electrification and electric vehicle readiness in new and existing buildings. Topics will include:
- Brief review of 2019 reach codes and 2022 California Energy Code
- Deep dive into draft models for 2022 local reach code policies
- Substantial time for feedback and brainstorming
For more information, visit BayAreaReachCodes.org.
Register here. Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Location: Online Event, Online Event
Cost: Free
Info: https://bayareareachcodes.org/
Friday, February 18, 2022
“Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust” Virtual Screening and Talk
[VIRTUAL EVENT] Join us on the eve of the 80th anniversary of Day of Remembrance for a virtual screening of acclaimed documentary, MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST, followed by a live dialogue with the filmmaker and special guests. From the majestic peaks of the snow-capped Sierras to the parched valley of Payahuunadü, “the land of flowing water,” MANZANAR, DIVERTED: WHEN WATER BECOMES DUST poetically weaves together memories of intergenerational women. Native Americans, Japanese-American WWII incarcerees and environmentalists form an unexpected alliance to defend their land and water from Los Angeles.
Learn more about the film here.
RSVP here.Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, Oakland, CA, 94607
Cost: Free
Info: programs@oacc.cc, https://oacc.cc/event/manzanar-diverted-screening-and-talk/
Saturday, April 16, 2022 - Sunday, April 17, 2022
18th Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Showcase ONLINE
Registration for the free on-line Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase is now open. This year there will be four days of inspiration: two days on-line, and two days in-person. This tour will also showcase green home features.
The on-line Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase will take place Sat. and Sun. April 16 and 17 from 10:00-3:00. Best-selling author Doug Tallamy will kick off the event on April 16. The on-line Tour will feature beautiful, water-conserving native plant gardens, as well as visits to homes with Tesla solar panels and Powerwall backup batteries, heat pumps for heating and cooling the house and heating water, induction ranges, and more.
Register here.Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost: Free – 15
Info: 5102369558, kathy@kathykramerconsulting.net, https://www.BringingBacktheNatives.net
Saturday, April 30, 2022 - Sunday, May 1, 2022
18th Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Showcase IN-PERSON
Registration for the free, in-person 18th Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase is now open. This year there will be four days of inspiration: two days on-line, and two days in-person. This tour will also showcase green home features.
The award-winning in-person Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase will allow registrants to visit beautiful, water-conserving native plant gardens— 36 Bayside gardens on Saturday, April 30, and 15 Inland gardens on Sunday, May 1, from 10:00-5:00. All of the homes have native plant gardens; about ten will be sharing their green home features, such as solar panels and batteries, induction ranges and heat pumps, and more. Through both the on-line and in-person tours, registrants can learn how to create beautiful native plant gardens, and also how to save money and time, and protect their family’s health and reduce global warming by ditching natural gas, generating clean electricity from their own home, and installing energy-efficient induction stoves and heat pumps. Registrants will learn how design a native plant garden for color and interest throughout the year, garden for wildlife, lower their water bills, protect their family's health and the environment by gardening without using pesticides, and more. What’s special about California native plants? They are adapted to our soil and climate, naturally water conserving, and easy to care for. California native plants are better than non-native plants when it comes to attracting native birds, butterflies, and other forms of wildlife. And, as the gardens on the Tour show, these lovely gardens display a sense of place that is uniquely Californian.
Register here.Time: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost: 15
Info: hopesalzer@gmail.com, www.bringingbackthenatives.net
