Green Events - Los Angeles: June 23

Los Angeles Green Events: June 23

Sustainable Sundays: Natural History Museum
9:30 am - 5 pm

The Southern California region is one of only 34 biodiversity hotspots worldwide! Explore some of our wildlife in NHM's newest garden spaces and talk with organizations that help support a habitat-friendly L.A.

Workshop: Re-envisioning L.A. Gardens, with Carol Bornstein and Richard Hayden. 10 am-12 pm.

Join the Museum's horticultural experts for a look at landscaping with California native plants. They will share design ideas for incorporating natives into your garden no matter what style, plus tips for keeping the composition beautiful, and vibrant year-round.

Cost: Members $10, Nonmembers $15
You can register online or contact via educate@nhm.org.

Partnering organizations: Theodore Payne Foundation, Tree People, Children's Nature Institute, Honey Love, NHM Polychaetes Department with Leslie Harris, NHM Entomology Department with Anna Holden, and NHM's citizen science programs.

CicLAvia – Iconic Wilshire Boulevard
9am – 4pm
The most walkable CicLAvia route ever!

Wilshire Boulevard was first carved out as a long path through a barley field in 1895. While its beginnings were humble, this path has transformed into one of the most notable boulevards in all of the United States. Stroll through a snapshot of the city’s architectural evolution from Victorian vision to modernist experimentation; massive towers of business to intimate houses of worship; world class museums to working class mercados.

The route will connect One Wilshire in Downtown Los Angeles to Fairfax Avenue along Miracle Mile. These two anchor hubs will feature pedestrian zones with performers, activities sponsored by several fantastic museums, programming by some of our community partners, food trucks and more. Additional hubs along the route include MacArthur Park, Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire.

The day will also include a series of free, downloadable stories about Wilshire Boulevard by noted architecture and culture writer and critic Edward Lifson, "The Modernist's Guide to Wilshire Boulevard" by Catherine Gudis and designed by Colleen Corcoran, a family friendly workshop inspired by the Googie-centric geometry of the 1950s with artist Marni Gittleman, and more.

Burbank Library Green Blog

Clothesline Week: June 1 - 8

Mrs. McNosh Hangs

Up Her Wash

Sarah Weeks

JP WEEKS

June 1 – 8: International Clothesline Week

To encourage people to hang their clothes to dry instead of using electricity or gas.  FYI: Hanging clothes outside May Not be allowed in your city.

Things to consider when hanging clothes to dry:

1. saves up to 10% of residential energy; Running a dryer 20 hours a month will cost you on average 100 kilowatt hours. A clothesline's operating costs are zero!!
2. less need for nuclear energy or coal energy
3. less emissions which saves our health, literally less deaths and saves the earth
4. using solar and wind power - free
5. clothes smell better (like sun and air)
6. clothes feel better
7. clothes will last much longer (less wear and tear from the heat of the dryer)
8. clothes don't wrinkle – no need to use electric iron, another savings
9. no need to wait for the dryer to finish
10. don't have to empty the lint tray
11. improve relationships; working together for the greater good builds friendships and love…
12. can be therapeutic – the time it takes to hang the clothes can be time of reflection of you, family, earth, etc.
13. burn calories - because you're exercising many muscles you burn about 45 calories every 15 minutes.
14. Go a step further and use cold water for your wash to save additional energy. Hot water does NOT clean clothes any better than cold. Hot water DOES deterioate clothes faster and fades colours quicker. If cold doesn't work for you, use warm instead of hot. This step alone will reduce massive amounts of pollution!

Project Laundry List
National Hanging Out Day: April 19
-has a “line-drying” Cost Calculator.

Burbank Library Green Blog

Butterfly Awarness Day: June 1

Incredible Journey

of the Butterflies

DVD INCRE

Butterfly Awareness Day: June 1

The Association For Butterflies is a non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of butterflies through conservation, research, and promotion of butterfly gardening and butterfly farmers.

Los Angeles Butterfly Survey

The Natural History Museum is partnering with Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) to share data and learn more about L.A. butterflies and moths. Help us find and photograph them in Los Angeles.

Why Butterflies?

Unlike some of the other Citizen Science projects here at the Museum, the L.A. Butterfly Survey (LABS) isn't looking for lost butterflies. We already know the species we are likely to find in L.A., all 236 of them. What we need to find out is which butterflies and moths we're likely to find when we plant the new Pollinator Garden in the Museum's upcoming outdoor exhibit, the Nature Gardens. When you submit images of L.A. butterflies and moths, we'll map the species closest to the Museum and determine which one's might show up when we start planting butterfly attracting plants.

Burbank Library Green Blog

National Trails Day: June 1

Day Hikes Santa Monica

Mountains: Robert Stone

917.9493 2012 STONE

National Trails Day: June 1

 

Stough Canyon Nature Center - Hikes

Beginning at the top of Walnut Avenue, near the Nature Center, the fire road leads to the Verdugo Mountainway Trail. The Verdugo Mountainway is an extensive trail system which extends from the Sun Valley area, south to Brand Park in Glendale, and northeast to Tujunga and La Crescenta. Hiking and mountain biking are permitted on the fire roads. The smaller trails are for hiking only, and along with the fire roads, lead to spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley.

Hollywood Sign – National Trails Day Hike

Griffith Park
June 1 - 8:00 am - 11:30 am
LA Trail Hikers
RSVP Required
Phone: 562.857.6300

National Trails Day Celebration Hike

Griffith Park-Merry Go Round Parking Lot
June 1 - 8:00 am - 10:30 am
RSVP Required
Phone: 818.331.1121

Burbank Library Green Blog

WorldFest: May 19

WorldFest
May 19, 2013
Woodley Park, Lake Balboa
10:30am – 7:00pm

WorldFest is LA’s premiere solar- powered family-friendly "green" event. A combination of great music, empowering speakers, environmental, humanitarian and animal welfare non-profits, kid's activities and a delicious food court make for an earth-friendly experience that is sure to be inspiring and enjoyable for all.

Burbank Earth Day: April 20

Burb's Eye View: Learning how to live green
Burbank Leader: 4.09.2013 by Bryan Mahoney

The white, discarded barrels at the food-processing plant may have looked like junk. To Justin Okin, they were a means to harvest the sky.

Three of the 60-gallon barrels came home with him one day for less than $10; their previous owner was happy to see them go. With a little MacGyver ingenuity, the plastic canisters were hooked up to a homemade rain collection system, ready to eventually feed Okin's backyard garden.

"It's amazing how the plants respond to water saved from your roof," the Burbank resident said. "There's a noticeable difference. They perk up immediately."

Okin is a first-time homeowner whose goal is to never fill the green bin with waste. He says he has trained himself to ask a simple question when he's at the store or working around the home: "How am I affecting the environment?" And as the answers led to "greener" choices, Okin found himself building a sustainable, close-to-zero-waste lifestyle.

He shared this lifestyle with attendees of Burbank's Earth Day party last year, teaching homeowners how to compost and how to recycle more of what goes into a landfill. Okin and his family are part of a growing number of Burbank homeowners who, with guidance from the Burbank Recycle Center, are finding small ways to re-use the excess junk that adds to the landfill every year.

On April 20, the city will present its annual Earth Day event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Recycle Center, 500 Flower St. It's a combination of eco-festival and educational conference, a day to display what resources are already available that you may not know about. READ MORE !

California Friendly Landscaping Workshop: Aril 6

Landscaping Workshop

April 6

Community Services Bldg

150 N Third



RSVP:  818 . 238 . 3730

BWP



Earth Hour: April 23

Earth Hour: April 23
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Earth Hour is the single, largest, symbolic mass participation event in the world. Born out of a hope that we could mobilize people to take action on climate change, Earth Hour now inspires a global community of millions of people in 7,001 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories to switch lights off for an hour as a massive show of concern for the environment.

An Opposing View
Does Earth Hour Do More Harm Than Good?

Earth Hour Is a Colossal Waste of Time—and Energy
Huffington Post: 3.30.2012
Maggie Koerth-Baker
Science editor, BoingBoing.net

World Water Day - March 22

World Water Day – March 22

World Water Day is held annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating March 22, 1993 as the first World Water Day.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water and is coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA on behalf of UN-Water.

BWP
SAVE WATER AT HOME INTERACTIVE TOOL shows you simple things you can do inside and outside of your home to save water and money, while helping to protect the environment.

Burbank: Plant-A-Tree Month

Burbank Celebrates Plant-A-Tree Month
Annual event raises funds for trees
Burbank City News Room: 3.7.2013

BURBANK, Calif. (March 7, 2013) – The City of Burbank is celebrating its 58th annual plant-a-tree month in March. The annual fundraising event solicits donations from the community to purchase trees which will be planted throughout the city. Donors to the program will be recognized by the City and the Civic Pride Committee in a ceremony to be held 2:00pm on Thursday, March 28 at Johnny Carson Park.

Donations in increments of $10 will be accepted all month, however to be included in the ceremony they must be received by March 21.

For more information or to receive an application (on 2nd page) contact the City of Burbank Public Information Office at (818) 238-5840.

Green Events: March

Hot City, Cool Roofs Conference

Climate Solutions for Los Angeles
Los Angeles City Hall, Deaton Auditorium
100 West First Street, Los Angeles CA 90012

Friday, March 8 • 9:00am- 4:00pm
RSVP is requested: info@climateresolve.org or 213-346-3200 x303

California Arbor Week: Mar 7 -14

Uniting members, cities, businesses, and individuals to educate Californians on the value trees provide to building successful, healthy cities and neighborhoods. An important message every day of the year, Arbor Week is a chance for Californians of all ages to celebrate our natural wonders and most treasured resources together. Be a part of California Arbor Week. Plant a tree. Join in a community event. Teach our youth.

Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden

Arcadia, CA

Going Green Together!

The Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair (LAEEF) is a celebration of environmental science resources and service learning. Students from schools around Los Angeles County share their success with local service learning projects. Environmental Education resource providers provide hands-on experiences for attendees and showcase the resources they provide.

Sustainable Sundays: Museum of Natural History

Sustainable Sundays
L A County Museum of Natural History
Go Green with the Experts and Fellow L.A. Residents
Think Global. Act Local.
Take part in this monthly series, bringing together Museum staff, local organizations, and guest researchers to lead activities, demonstrations, and workshops.

Feb 24: Resilient Lives
9:30 am - 5 pm
As our environments change how do we adapt and lead healthy lives? Workshop: Insects of LA: A Citizen Science Adventure! with Richard Smart and Lisa Gonzalez. 1pm - 3 pm.
Citizen Science initiatives, BioSCAN (Biodiversity: Science, City, and Nature) and the Lost Ladybug Project.
Cost: Free with museum admission or membership. Space is limited, for registration please contact (213)763-ED4U or educate@nhm.org.

Mar 24: Clever Ways To Consume
9:30 am - 5 pm
Everyone eats, drinks, and uses resources. Just two days after World Water Day we will explore easy-to-adapt ways to use water and land wisely, and same money along the way.
Workshop: Hands-on introduction to grey-water systems with Leigh Jerrard, 1pm - 4 pm
Cost: Members $10, Nonmembers $15
For registration please contact (213)763-ED4U or educate@nhm.org.

Apr 21: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Earth Day)
9:30 am - 5 pm
In celebratiojn of Earth Day see how your neighbors and local organizations are creatively repurposing household items, turning yard waste into compost, and reducing their carbon footprints.
Workshop: Soil Ecology and Compost Brewing, with Sheri Powell-Wolff. 10 am- 12 pm
Explore the ecology of soil and learn how to make your own compost tea.
Cost: Members $10, Nonmembers $15
For registration please contact (213)763-ED4U or educate@nhm.org.

May 26: Getting on Common Ground
9:30 am - 5 pm
From school gardens to local collaborations to community gardens, Angelinos are actively becoming involved in urban agriculture and out-of-the-box projects. Together with our partnering organizations we will become inspired by ways people are re-shaping LA.
Workshop: Growing Edible Gardens, UCCE certified Master Gardener Florence Nishida will teach you the skills you will need to start your own garden and keep it thriving.
Cost: Members $10, Nonmembers $15
For registration please contact (213)763-ED4U or educate@nhm.org.

Jun 23: LA Locals
9:30 am - 5 pm
Los Angeles is an urban biodiversity hotspot! Encounter some of our wildlife in NHM's newest garden spaces and talk with organizations that help support a more sustainable LA.Workshop: Good Plants For LA Backyards, with Carol Bornstein and Richard Hayden.
Horticultural experts, Carol and Richard, will discuss the many benefits for choosing site-and- species-appropriate plants for your home.
Cost: Members $10, Nonmembers $15
For registration please contact (213)763-ED4U or educate@nhm.org.

For more information on Sustainable Sundays please contact Vanessa Vobis at (213) 763-3471 or vvobis@nhm.org.

Feb 17: E-Waste Collection - Temple Beth Emet

E-Waste Collection
Temple Beth Emet
600 N. Buena Vista St


February 17
9 am - 3 pm

SAVE YOUR E-WASTE, Heal the World
Heal a Community
Let your retired electronic items help a good cause while doing the right thing for the environment. Recycle your e-waste. A share of the proceeds will go to “Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund,” The Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Connecticut.

E-waste consists of: Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, fax machines and generally any item that you have to plug in! With all the new electronic items that came into your home this holiday season, retire the old items properly, while doing the right thing for the environment.

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day: Jan 10

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day: Jan 10

Get smart insights into your patterns of use. Sign in to find out when you use the most energy @ BWP

The Homeowner's Handbook to Energy Efficiency
John Krigger
Saturn Resource, 2008
644 2008 KRIGG

Helps homeowners set realistic personal goals for reducing their energy consumption. These methods for making homes more energy efficient will also improve comfort, safety, durability, and resale value. The book guides readers through the process of assessing current energy usage, and predicting the benefits and estimating the costs of remodeling options.

America Recycles Day: November 15

America Recycles Day: November 15
a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.

Burbank Recycle Center

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery
Where to Recycle, Schools & State Agencies, Resources

Federal Agencies: U.S. EPA
iWARM – Online tool calculates energy saved by recycling small quantities of household products
Resources for Teachers
Climate Change & Waste
Office of Solid Waste – What You Can Do In Your Community
Recycling Publications

Industry
The Aluminum Association
Recycling Facts for Kids, Curbside Recycling, Teacher Resources, Statistics
Batteries: Call2Recycle
Recycling at Home, Recycling at Work
Glass Packaging Institute
Recycling & the Environment, Community Recycling, Bar & Restaurant Recycling, Best Practices
Consumer Electronics Association’s Greener Gadgets
Responsible Electronics Recycling, Where to Recycle Electronics, Emerging Trends
American Forest & Paper Association
Workplace Recycling, School Recycling, Community Recycling, Paper and the Environment
Plastic
American Chemistry Council: Plastics Division
Plastics Recycling Rates, Plastic Bag Recycling
National Association for PET Container Resources
PET Recycling, FAQs, Fun Facts, Kids Corner
Steel Recycling Institute
Steel Recycling Rates, Buy Recycled, Steel Recycling Locator, Resources for Kids
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Facts and Economic Data, Scrap Recycling Specifications, Policy Information

Garbage and Recycling
-Global Viewpoints Series
Garbage issues throughout the world.
Greenhaven Press, 2011

Energy Awareness Month

Top 5 Home Winterization Tips For Energy Awareness Month
Earthtechling.com: 10.20.2012 by Beth Buczynski

Don’t be fooled by the bright sun and lingering warm breezes, winter is most definitely on its way toward North America. Even though it seems like just yesterday we were talking about how to stay cool without cranking the air conditioning, it’s already time to start keeping your home warm without creating a painful heating bill.

In honor of October being National Energy Awareness Month, we decided to round up five of the best home winterization tips we could find. Home energy upgrades can be costly, but we tried to narrow it down to actions that were easy, relatively cheap, and sensible for both homeowners and renters. Meet you after the jump!

1. Replace your HVAC filters once a month to maintain an adequate and clean air flow which can help reduce energy costs.

2. Use energy efficient light bulbs like CFLs or LEDs. Light bulbs meeting new standards can result in significant energy conservation of 25%-80%. Light your home with the same amount of light for less money. Upgrading 15 of the traditional, less energy efficient incandescent light bulbs in your home could save you about $50 per year. Can’t decide between CFLs and LEDs? This post can help.

3. Add caulking or weather stripping around windows and doors. Your home may have small openings around doors and windows that cause heat loss. Caulking and weather stripping can reduce energy waste and protect your home from moisture damage. Covering large windows with affordable insulating plastic can also be a way to trap the sunlight’s heat inside your home during the day, and prevent drafts at night.

4. Close doors and central air vents in rooms that don’t see a lot of use. This prevents you from paying to heat empty rooms, and redirects the air to the parts of your house that need to be the warmest.

5. Reverse the direction on your ceiling fans. During winter, the warm air generated by your heating system naturally rises to the ceiling while cooler air sinks. By switching the direction that your fan blades turn, that cooler air is drawn upwards, which forces the warmer air near the ceiling back down into the space. How does this save energy? According to the folks at Apartment Therapy, since thermostats are typically located at human level, keeping the warm air low where it’s needed means you can turn the temperature down a few notches and still stay warm.

BWP
Green Home House Call
A complimentary service for Burbank residents provides weatherization, energy, and water efficiency products and services for your home. A trained energy and water expert will install the products plus provide expert advice on how to make your home more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Composting Workshop
October 3 - 6:30 PM
Burbank Recycle Center
500 S. Flower Street

Burbank'sComposting Program
Since December 1989, the City of Burbank has provided residents with free composting instruction and top-quality composters. Over the years, composting has played an essential part in the City’s ability to divert 50% of its waste from the landfill as required by State law. The City collects over 1,000 tons of green waste per month at the curb and takes it to a composting facility outside of Burbank. Backyard composting helps to reduce this amount.

Getting started
If you are interested in backyard composting, please call the Burbank Recycle Center at (818) 238-3900 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and ask about upcoming workshops.

Residents receive free composters at the workshops. The compost bins available through the City are selected based on a variety of attributes including bin capacity, quality, ease of assembly and handling, cost, attractiveness, and durability. Brand names vary, depending on the best available product on the market at the time. If you move within Burbank, please take your composter with you, and call the Recycle Center with an address change. If you move out of Burbank, please call the Recycle Center so that your composter can be returned and reused in Burbank.

The compost specialist: the essential guide to creating and using garden compost, and using potting and seed composts
David Squire
New Holland, 2009
631.875 SQUIR

In our ecologically aware times, composting is one smart way to minimize our carbon footprint and help the earth. This new entry in the highly successful Specialist series gives gardeners all the guidance they need to start making, storing, and using their own compost.

Drug Take Back Day: Sep 29

Drug Take Back Day
September 29: 10am – 2pm
200 N Third Burbank

The Burbank Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration are providing the public with an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs. The public will be able to drop off their expired, unused, and unwanted pills at the Burbank Police station, in the rear parking lot, free of charge, and no questions asked. By doing so, they will be helping prevent drug abuse and theft.

Prescription Medication
Our water has a drug problem, and as a result, we’re all taking in way more medication than we bargained for. Drinking water in many major metropolitan areas is contaminated with all kinds of pharmaceuticals—from antibiotics to antidepressants—and it’s not just the result of them passing through our bodies. Instead of flushing your prescription meds down the toilet, donate drugs that are still usable. Not every state has a recycling/redistribution program or allows patients to donate directly.

Are your prescriptions killing you?: how to prevent dangerous interactions, avoid deadly side effects, and be healthier with fewer drugs
Armon B Neel
New York : Atria Books, 2012
615.7042 2012 NEEL

Los Angeles River Presentation: Sep 27

Los Angeles River: Past, Present & Future
Sep 27, 2012
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Buena Vista Branch Library
300 N. Buena Vista St.

A multi-media presentation with Kari Rasmussen, Education Coordinator at Friends of the Los Angeles River.
For further information, call 818-238-5620.

The Los Angeles River: its life, death, and possible rebirth
Blake Gumprecht
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999
979.493 GUMPR
Three centuries ago, the Los Angeles River meandered through marshes and forests of willow and sycamore. Trout spawned in its waters and grizzly bears roamed its shores. The bountiful environment the river helped create supported one of the largest concentrations of Indians in North America.

World Rivers Day - September 30

October 4 PremierRock the Boat
Downtown Independent Theater

A thoroughly awesome doc about the 3-day kayaking expedition, and a smart, funny, wise film about the LA River.

World Carfree Day: Sep 22

World Carfree Day: Sep 22

A “celebration of cities and public life, free from the noise, stress and pollution of cars.”

As the climate heats up, World Carfree Day is the perfect time to take the heat off the planet, and put it on city planners and politicians to give priority to cycling, walking and public transport, instead of to the automobile.

Burbank Bicycle Riders !    September 22

Bike - In - Movie

Megamind

Bike Safety Workshop 2pm
Learn basic traffic safety skills, lane positioning, door-zone, proper etiquette, doorzone, and avoiding hazards on the road.
Flat-Fix How-To Session 4pm
Community Bike Ride to the Bike-In-Movie 5pm
Bike-In-Movie / Picnic 7pm
After our ride, we will be settling in at McCambridge Park where FREE food and refreshments will be awaiting: sandwiches with vegetarian options available, a snack and water. MEGAMIND! Kid friendly and fun for adults too.

The Burbank BikeStop is a high-capacity indoor bicycle parking facility located at the Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station. The facility is designed to meet the growing demand of commuters that bike to/from transit. The Burbank BikeStop helps us promote a healthier, more sustainable Burbank!