Pasadena weekend: March 27-29

Learn how to lower your carbon footprint; share your backyard bounty. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

Climate change. On Sunday, Throop Church and Transition Pasadena will host the second workshop in a series of events titled "Thirty Days for the Earth": Climate scientist Peter Kalmus will share how he and his family came to experience "The Joy of Low-Energy Living." Participants will learn how to calculate their carbon footprint and what they can do to decrease their impact on the planet.

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

Gardening. On Friday morning the Hahamongna Nursery will host a work day for gardeners that includes planting and information about growing native plants. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden will meet on Sunday morning.

Walks, self-guided and docent-led. The Huntington's urban agricultural site, the Ranch Garden, will be open for self-guided tours on Saturday morning. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) is hosting docent-guided seasonal walks on Saturday and Sunday morning. On Friday and Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) has docent-led walking tours on the calendar.

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.

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.

Petition. Change.org's petition for a ban of styrofoam containers in Pasadena is still up and active.

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 this summer.

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Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Pasadena. For times, addresses and other details click on the link to the event owner's webpage.

Pasadena weekend: November 14-16

Visit a neighborhood festival, a reading fair at the Public Library and the Descanso Gardens. Get your broken stuff fixed at Repair Café. Learn about native plants and fish, and about rainwater collection. Plus: ongoing events and this week's random read.

Wonderful Water: A Neighborhood Festival. The Farmer’s Yard in NW Pasadena is hosting a water festival on Saturday. Expect lots of activities and sustainability presentations for young and old.

Repair Café returns. Tinkers and Tailors will be available on Saturday at All Saints Church to fix appliances, electronics, clothing, jewelry, dull knives, tools and toys. Free coffee.

130 Years of Reading is the title of a fair at the Pasadena Public Library. Family fun activities include a cake walk, a caricature artist, face painting.

Grand opening. On Saturday, Descanso Gardens is celebrating the opening of a new section called Oak Woodland. Expect lots of activities for children and adults including a viewing of a Mars Rover model, crafts and guided family walks.

Native Plants from Seeds. Advanced gardeners can learn how to propagate native plants from seeds in a class on Saturday at the Huntington.

A family nature walk in the Arroyo. On Sunday, native plant specialist Tim Martinez will lead families through a section of the Arroyo Seco where small, rare native fish, the Arroyo Chub, have been reintroduced into the watershed. He will teach participants to identify native plants that have been used by the indigenous population of California as food and medicine for thousands of years.

Rainwater collection. Will Gaskill will give a presentation on Sunday at the Neighborhood Church on rainwater collection systems.

Pasadena's watering schedule for the winter now applies. Pasadena Water and Power customers may water on one day a week only. It must be a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.

The Arroyo Food Co-op 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.

Gardening. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday morning.

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.

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." Ends November 30.

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. Every once in a while the artist Sarah Lazarovic goes on a year-long no-shopping diet to create a dam against "the endless stream of stuff that both dazzles and disgusts." In 2012, she decided to paint all the items she was longing for but didn't buy. She put the two-tone shoes, striped sweaters, and dresses in shades of Rothko on paper and added hand-written text. Beautiful, thought-provoking and timeless, her visual essay, A Bunch of Pretty Things I Did Not Buy, leaves readers with some useful advice: "A scarf can change so much." (Lazarovic' book with the same title as the essay was just published by Penguin Books.)

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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 24-26

Celebrate National Food Day and the Arroyo Food Co-op, brainstorm solutions for the 710 freeway stub, check out local plant and gardening events. Plus: exhibitions, petitions, a survey and this week's random read.

Grand opening party at the Arroyo Food Co-op on Saturday afternoon. Expect local vendors with their products and free samples, a milk flight (milk tasting,) crafts and activities for kids, live music in the parking lot, a local organizations showcase plus the Mayor of Pasadena, Bill Bogaard. The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

710 freeway stub. On Saturday morning, Maranatha High School will host a workshop titled Designing the Ditch. A grassroots planning effort, it invites the public to share ideas for transforming the 710 freeway stub into a viable space for.

National Food Day. On Friday, the City of Pasadena will honor National Food Day with a family festival that includes live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, healthy food tastings, children’s activities. Also in the mix: information booths for visitors to learn about local healthy eating, food assistance and urban agriculture.

Gardening. The Huntington is hosting its annual fall plant sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Expect salvias, ceanothus, irises and lots more. On Saturday morning, you can self-tour The Huntington's Ranch, an urban agriculture site, and pick up some inspiration for growing your own fruits and vegetables sustainably. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday morning.

Petition, vulnerable road users. 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.

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.

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.

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. In the days after 9/11 the soundscape of the Atlantic Ocean changed; commercial shipping stood still, the noise from freighter engines and other manmade sources ebbed away, and for a brief time the water returned to a state of pre-industrialized quiet. A scientist from New England who was recording whale songs later said, "'It's like you could hear a pin drop.'" The anecdote is part of a feature, Sound off, that the science writer Peter Brannen recently published in the online magazine Aeon. Researching how human activity has affected life in the oceans, Brannen found that "modern North Atlantic right whales have shifted their calls up an entire octave over the past half century or so, in an attempt to be heard over the unending, and steadily growing, low-frequency drone of commercial shipping. Where right-whale song once carried 20 to 100 miles, today those calls travel only five miles before dissolving into the din."

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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: August 29-September 1

Get nostalgic while bicycling, read about walking, educate yourself about the City's "Energy Roadmap."

Reading. In the September 1 issue of the New Yorker, Adam Gopnik reviews two new books about walking. "People," he writes, "are made for walking, but we are not very good at it."

Cycling to learn. On Saturday morning, The TEAM is hosting The Great Red Car Ride. Participants will learn about the rise and fall of the Pacific Electric Red Car Line and retrace parts of its Pasadena-South Pasadena-San Marino route on bicycles.

A movie to learn. On Saturday morning, Pasadena Water and Power is hosting a free screening of its “Energy Roadmap” movie.

The Arroyo Food Co-op will be open Saturday morning for pick-ups and browsing, and Ginko Lee is hosting a workshop on the art of chalk board lettering (provided that a minimum of 10 attendees sign up here.) Because of Labor Day there is a change to the ordering schedule for next week: No pick-ups on Tuesday. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up on Saturday, September 6, only.

Gardening 1. On Saturday morning, The Huntington is holding a one-day symposium to highlight Ethiopian succulents. Please note that RSVPs were required for this event.

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

Walking. On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center hosts a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat.

Rescheduled. Because of Labor Day the monthly general meeting of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition has been rescheduled to September 8.

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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: What to do August 22-24

Share and swap your backyard bounty, stitch 'n' bitch with others, learn about sustainable fruit and vegetable gardens.

"Stitch 'n' Bitch" at the Arroyo Food Co-op. On Saturday morning, bring your knitting, crochet work, sewing and other craft projects to the Co-op and work with your fellow members around the community table. Also, the Food Co-op's pre-order program is up and running. If you order online by Sunday midnight you can pick up your items at the store on the following Tuesday or Saturday.

Share Faire in the Park, hosted by RIPE Altadena. On Sunday afternoon, bring your backyard bounty to Farnsworth Park. Share your fruits, vegetables, seeds, backyard eggs and homemade preserves with others and take home something new.

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.

Walking. 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.

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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: What to do July 25-27

Lots to do: Share and swap your backyard bounty, learn about sustainable fruit and vegetable gardens, and about GMOs.

Share Faire in the Park, hosted by RIPE Altadena. On Sunday afternoon, bring your backyard bounty to Farnsworth Park. Share your fruits, vegetables, seeds, backyard eggs and homemade preserves with others and take home something new.

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.

Walking 1. Arboretum walking tour. On Friday morning the Los Angeles County Arboretum is holding a docent-led adult walking tour. Be prepared to be on your feet for a while. Reservations are not required.

Walking 2. On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center hosts a family nature walk. Bring your small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat.

"Food For Thought." On Saturday morning, the Arroyo Food Co-op's speaker series, "Food for Thought," will feature a presentation on GMO labeling. The speaker, Jim Montgomery, is a Co-op member and an anti-GMO activist. Also, the Food Co-op's pre-order program is up and running. If you order online by Sunday midnight you can pick up your items at the store on the following Tuesday or Saturday.

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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 weekdays: Grid Off! and "Arise"

Sustainability events on Tuesday and Thursday

Presentation on reducing home energy bills. On Tuesday evening, energy expert Elena Christopoulos will speak about innovative and inexpensive ways to reduce home energy bills. Topics at the event — the title is Grid Off! — include solar, solar thermal, wind and lighting. The Pasadena chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA and All Saints Church will host the event. 

Film documentary about women as protectors of the natural environment.  In its debut run at the Old Pasadena Film Festival, Conscientious Projector will screen "Arise"on Thursday evening at the Armory. The documentary, which was made by two women, Lori Joyce and Candice Orland, tells the stories of 13 women from Ecuador and the South Bronx to Kenya and Israel who are leading the movement to protect and restore the natural environment.

Beneficial bugs in the garden. On Thursday afternoon, horticulturist Lili Singer of the Theodore Payne Foundation discusses some of the good bugs to look for in your garden with tips on how to attract and support them. (At the Huntington Library; plant sale to follow the talk.)

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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: What to do June 27-29

Check out drought tolerant plants, garden with others, support the local food co-op.

Replacing your lawn?  On Saturday and Sunday view and shop for drought tolerant plants at the Cactus and Succulent Show & Sale at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino.

The Arroyo Food Co-op's pre-order program is up and running. If you order online by Sunday midnight you can pick up your items at the store on the following Tuesday or Saturday. Pick-up is from 9-12 on Saturday. The AFC will be serving freshly brewed coffee for free.

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

Family Nature Walk. On Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Nature Center hosts a family nature walk. Bring small children, walking shoes, sunscreen, water and a hat.

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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.