Pasadena weekend: March 6-8

Lots of gardening opportunities this weekend as well as some ongoing and recurring events.*

Gardening, workshops and hands-on. On Saturday morning the Arroyo Seco Foundation will host a workshop on native plant propagation. (This is learning by doing!) Also on Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host a workshop on natural food gardening. On Saturday afternoon, there will be a Free-Food Garden work party at the Arroyo Food Co-op. On Sunday morning, the Eaton Canyon Gardening Group will meet at the Nature Center to do some maintenance work on the gardens and the native vegetation. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday mornings.

Climate Change. The Pasadena-Foothills chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday morning.

Bicycling. On Sunday morning the Pasadena Cyclery will host a ride and clinic for beginner riders just starting out or for riders wanting to cycle more effectively.

Got kids? On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is hosting a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat. Also on Saturday morning at the Nature Center: the weekly Nature Tails Story Hour which includes stories, nature walks and puppet shows for children ages 3-5.

Walks, docent-led. For Sunday morning, the California Native Plant Society has put its monthly plant walk at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center on the calendar. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) is holding docent-guided seasonal walks on Saturday and Sunday morning. On Friday and Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host docent-led walking tours.

Petition, survey. Change.org's petition for a ban of styrofoam containers in Pasadena is still up and active. Pasadena Water and Power is conducting a survey on the city's energy future. (Note: PWP has not posted any information on when the survey period ends, but as of this printing the link was still up.)

Exhibition. As part of the Pasadena Arts Council's AxS Festival 2014, the Armory presents Karin Apollonia Müller's World’s Edge, a photographic exploration of the intersection between the natural landscape and complex urbanization. Ends next summer.

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details please see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA or the event owner's webpage.

*An earlier version of this post led with a template summary of events. Apologies for the confusion.

Pasadena weekend: February 20-22

Enjoy goats, share the fare from your garden, join a potluck dinner. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

Share Faire. On Sunday afternoon RIPE Altadena will host its monthly Share Faire in the Park.

Pot-luck dinner. On Sunday afternoon, the Arroyo Food Co-op will host a potluck dinner. Everyone is welcome.

Bicycling. On Sunday morning the Pasadena Cyclery will host a ride and clinic for beginner riders just starting out or for riders wanting to cycle more effectively.

Got kids? Like goats? On Saturday morning, goats from Soledad Goats Farm and Sancturary in Mojave will be at the Arroyo Food Co-op. (Cheese sampling included.) Also on Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is hosting a family nature walk and its weekly Nature Tails Story Hour with stories, nature walks and puppet shows for children ages 3-5.

Gardening, hands-on. On Saturday, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center will host a Conservation Group work day. Volunteer projects including native planting, trail repair and weed abatement. Advance sign up required. Also on Saturday there will be a Free-Food Garden work party at the Arroyo Food Co-op. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday mornings.

Walks, docent-led. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) is holding docent-guided seasonal walks on Saturday and Sunday morning. On Friday and Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host docent-led walking tours.

Petition, survey. Change.org's petition for a ban of styrofoam containers in Pasadena is still up and active. Pasadena Water and Power is conducting a survey on the city's energy future. (Note: PWP has not posted any information on when the survey period ends, but as of this printing the link was still up.)

Exhibition. As part of the Pasadena Arts Council's AxS Festival 2014, the Armory presents Karin Apollonia Müller's World’s Edge, a photographic exploration of the intersection between the natural landscape and complex urbanization. Ends next summer.

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details please see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA or the event owner's webpage.

Pasadena weekend: December 12-14

Learn about organic fruit and vegetable gardening, join a walking tour. Plus: ongoing and recurring events, and this week's random read.

Gardening. The Arboretum will host a class for organic fruit and vegetable gardening on Saturday morning. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday mornings.

Walking tours. The Arboretum will hold walking tours on Friday and Saturday morning. The Eaton Canyon Nature Center will host a walk with The California Native Plant Society on Sunday morning.

The 7th Principle Green Council at the Neighborhood Church will hold its monthly meeting on Sunday morning.

The Arroyo Food Co-op will host a tea appreciation event on Sunday morning. The store is now open on Saturdays and Sundays for shopping and pick-ups. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up starting next Tuesday. Looking ahead, note that the store will not be open on December 28 and on January 4.

Survey. Pasadena Water and Power is conducting a survey on the city's energy future. To participate go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PWP_Energy_Future2014. (Note: PWP has not posted any information on when the survey period ends, but as of this printing the link was still up.)

Cycling. On Sunday morning Pasadena Cyclery will hold Gwen's Group Ride and the Sunday Morning Neighborhood Stroll. For details see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA.

Got kids? On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is hosting a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat. Also on Saturday morning at the Nature Center: the weekly Nature Tails Story Hour which includes stories, nature walks and puppet shows for children ages 3-5.

Exhibition. The Armory presents Karin Apollonia Müller's World’s Edge, a photographic exploration of the intersection between the natural landscape and complex urbanization. Ends next summer.

Random read. In the summer, the president of Kiribati flew to Norway on a fact-finding mission. His country, "a sprinkling of mostly coral atolls that, palm trees excepted, barely protrude from the Pacific," is gradually disappearing into the rising ocean, and President Anote Tong wanted to see the Arctic glaciers melting. Tong, who is a deeply spiritual man, boarded a Greenpeace ship and went deep into Norway's fjord system where he saw the ice, a polar bear and "the sheer arrogance of the landscape." He left for home with a sense "that what has been set in train here can't be stopped." John Van Tiggelen tells the story of Tong's trip north in the most recent issue of The Monthly, an Australian magazine. His narrative, Cold Comfort, talks about oil companies, Putin and polar bears in a changing climate, and about "the pursuit of profit at any cost [that] got us into this mess."

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details please see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA or the event owner's webpage.

Pasadena weekend: October 3-5

Participate in a fundraiser, attend a forum, catch up on some recurring events or slow down with this week's suggestion for a random read.

Tweet treats ... and all that jazz! is the title of a fundraiser on Saturday. Pasadena Community Gardens and the Pasadena and Foothills Chapter of the American Institute of Architects are holding the event to benefit homeless birds, fund architectural studies and grow the community garden. Highlights include a bird-house building competition.

Water worries. Also on Saturday, the Neighborhood Church Green Council is hosting a water forum that will address topics such as community support for local solutions to the effects of the drought as well as the Water Bond on the November Ballot. The speakers are Claire Robinson (Emerald Necklace Group - Amigos De Los Rios,) Conner Everts (Southern California Watershed Alliance) and Alex Nagy (Food & Water Watch - California.)

Exhibition 1. As part of the Pasadena Arts Council's AxS Festival, the Armory presents Karin Apollonia Müller's World’s Edge, a photographic exploration of the intersection between the natural landscape and complex urbanization. Ends next summer.

Exhibition 2. An exhibition at Descanso Gardens in La Canada titled Signs of Life aims to look at water "in all its moods and states." The event is part of this year's AxS Festival, a celebration of the arts and sciences that is held in Pasadena every two years.

Gardening. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday.

Bicycling. On Sunday morning, Pasadena Cyclery will hold two rides: Gwen's Group Ride and the Sunday Morning Neighborhood Stroll. For details see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA.

Ongoing petition. The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition has initiated a petition for the City to adopt an ordinance to protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders and persons with disabilities.

The Arroyo Food Co-op will be open on Saturday morning for pick-ups and shopping. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up next Tuesday and Saturday.

Got kids? On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is hosting a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat. Also on Saturday morning at the Nature Center: the weekly Nature Tails Story Hour which includes stories, nature walks and puppet shows for children ages 3-5.

Random read. First published in 1903, Mary Austin's essay collection The Land of Little Rain takes readers into the region between Death Valley and the High Sierras. Those of us who have traveled through this part of the country by car know it as looking dry and forbidding, almost lifeless. But Austin, who walked the area and took the time to look closely, tells us otherwise. In an essay titled Water Border she describes ferns that "shiver under the drip of falls and in dribbling crevices" and "ice-worn, stony hollows where the bighorns cradle their young." And she shows us how the local fauna and flora have learned to thrive — even in the face of little rain.

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details please see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA or the event owner's webpage.

Pasadena weekend: September 26-28

See a new exhibition, participate in a number of ongoing or recurring events, get reeled into this week's suggestion for a random read.

Exhibition 1. As part of the Pasadena Arts Council's AxS Festival, the Armory presents Karin Apollonia Müller's World’s Edge, a photographic exploration of the intersection between the natural landscape and complex urbanization. Begins Saturday, ends next summer.

Exhibition 2. An exhibition at Descanso Gardens in La Canada titled Signs of Life aims to look at water "in all its moods and states." The event is part of this year's AxS Festival, a celebration of the arts and sciences that is held in Pasadena every two years.

Gardening 1. Self-tour The Huntington's Ranch, an urban agriculture site, on Saturday morning to pick up some inspiration for growing your own fruits and vegetables sustainably.

Gardening 2. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday.

Bicycling. On Sunday morning, Pasadena Cyclery will hold two rides: Gwen's Group Ride and the Sunday Morning Neighborhood Stroll. For details see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA.

Ongoing petition. The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition has initiated a petition for the City to adopt an ordinance to protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders and persons with disabilities.

The Arroyo Food Co-op will be open on Saturday morning for pick-ups and shopping. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up next Tuesday and Saturday.

Got kids? On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is hosting a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat. Also on Saturday morning at the Nature Center: the weekly Nature Tails Story Hour which includes stories, nature walks and puppet shows for children ages 3-5.

Random read. Think an essay about fish and the origins of omega-3 supplements must be boring? Well, read the first paragraph of David Schleifer and Alison Fairbrother's "What fish oil pills are hiding," and you'll be hooked. The piece tells the story of one woman's fight for the menhaden, a type of fish in the Chesapeake Bay whose decimation through the supplement industry was unhinging the local ecosystem. Filled with all the elements of good fiction (interesting characters, conflict, suspense, well written dialogue and scenes) it shows the difference one person's actions can make.

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details please see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA or the event owner's webpage.

Pasadena weekend: September 12-14

Learn about landscaping in times of drought, petition the City, read about climate change.

Bicycling. Pasadena Cyclery is holding a "Sunday Morning Neighborhood Stroll." The six-mile ride, will be paced to the slowest participant. Learn how-to use gears, climb steep hills without stopping, what to do in case of a flat tire and more.

Gardening 1. On Saturday, the City of Pasadena and neighboring communities are hosting a free drought-tolerant landscaping workshop at Descanso Gardens in La Canada.

Gardening 2. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday.

Ongoing petition. The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition has initiated a petition for the City to adopt an ordinance to protect vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders and persons with disabilities.

Ongoing exhibition. An exhibition at Descanso Gardens titled Signs of Life aims to look at water "in all its moods and states." The event is part of this year's AxS Festival, a celebration of the arts and sciences held in Pasadena every two years.

The Arroyo Food Co-op will be open on Saturday morning for pick-ups and browsing. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up next Tuesday and Saturday.

Got kids? On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is hosting a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat. Also on Saturday morning at the Nature Center: the weekly Nature Tails Story Hour which includes stories, nature walks and puppet shows for children ages 3-5.

Random read. The September issue of The Atlantic magazine features an article about climate change, that tries to cut through the emotions on the one side and the denial on the other. Titled How to Talk About Climate Change so People Will Listen, it looks at books on the topic and at their authors' suggestions for dealing with the problem. Plainly put, the proposed solutions range from collectively returning to a life of rural simplicity to implementing a (near) global carbon tax. Or we could geo-engineer our way out of the mess by injecting droplets of sulfuric acid into the stratosphere. The resulting haze would reflect sunlight back into space and thereby reduce the Earth's temperature. The downside? Eventually the sulfuric acid would rain back down on us.
Contrary to The Atlantic's promise, writer Charles C. Mann does not show us how we can move beyond the impasse in the debate. But he leaves no doubt that we must learn to communicate better. "Unless we find a way to talk about climate change," he says with an eye toward the handful of billionaires who could afford the geo-engineering, "planes full of sulfuric acid will soon be on the runway."

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details please see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA or the event owner's webpage.