Pasastainable, CA: Transition Pasadena

Showing posts with label Transition Pasadena. Show all posts

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: March 20-22

A busy weekend with happenings around water, climate change and native plants. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

Water. On Saturday, the City of Sierra Madre and the Rotary Club are holding a World Water Day 2015 event. Expect an exposition with water experts, seminars, demonstration gardens, educational workshops and fun.

Climate change. Two organizations are holding climate change events this weekend: On Saturday, the Pasadena chapter of the League of Women Voters is hosting its annual Climate Change Forum; for Sunday, Transition Pasadena has organized a talk titled Carbon Free Prosperity.

Native plants. On Saturday and Sunday, the Theodore Payne Foundation will hold its annual native plant garden tour. Overall, 35 gardens in the Los Angeles area will be open, eight of them in or around Pasadena.

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

Walks, docent-led. 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.

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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.

How to compare carbon footprints: Climate Change Forum on Saturday

Do you know how your carbon footprint compares to that of other Americans? Whether you use more or less water, gas and electricity than the average person? On Saturday, the Pasadena chapter of the League of Women Voters (LWV-PA) will co-sponsor a Climate Change Forum where attendees can bring their recent bills and learn to grade their carbon footprint. (For details see the LWV-PA website.)

The forum, which will be held at the Neighborhood Church on Orange Grove, will feature speakers such as the power resource and planning manager for Pasadena Water & Power, Leesa Nayudu, and the director of the California Renewable Energy Initiative for the Nature Conservancy, Laura Crane. Nayudu will discuss how the City plans to generate more power from renewable energy sources. Crane will talk about renewable power sources in the western deserts and their environmental impacts.

Julie Parker, who, as co-chair of the LWV-PA's Natural Resources Committee, helped organize the event, said last week that visitors should also expect "a strong pitch for a carbon fee" that would lower CO2 emissions, grow jobs and stimulate the development of alternative energy solutions. A presentation on the topic by one of the representatives of the local chapter of the Citizens' Climate Lobby, Robert Haw, is also on the agenda.

The Climate Change Forum is being co-sponsored by a number of organizations working toward environmental sustainability, including the recently formed Arroyo Interfaith Environmental Coalition, Transition Pasadena and the Arroyo Seco Foundation. Parker said that she hopes for the event to contribute to a ground swell that will eventually equal the push of lobbyists from the oil companies in strength.

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What: Climate Change Forum
When: Saturday, March 21, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where: Neighborhood Church, 301 N Orange Grove Blvd, Pasadena

Pasadena weekend: February 13-15

Learn about a JPL project on global warming or about edible wild plants; help restore a trail; garden or walk. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

No way back: Charting Irreversible Climate Change is the title of a JPL presentation on Friday night of the project Jason 3, which will serve as a set of eyes on sea level rise. By measuring global sea level once every 10 days, Jason 3 will chart out the global rise of the oceans, which is unlikely to subside or reverse for generations.

Trail restoration. Join the San Gabriels Trail Crew, an entity of the Sierra Club, on Saturday to help restore one of the historic trails damaged by the 2009 Station Fire and subsequent erosion.

Water and You is the title of a four-part workshop series that the Neighborhood Church’s Green Council has organized. The second session, on Saturday afternoon, will explore the topic California Water Supply. Free and open to the public.

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. On Sunday morning there will be a bird walk at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center.

Gardening, workshop. On Saturday morning, The Huntington (San Marino) will host a workshop with garden designer and food forager Nance Klehm exploring the role of edible wild plants in sustainable urban agriculture.

Gardening, hands-on. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday mornings.

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.)

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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 Earth and Arts Festival 2015 canceled

The City has canceled the Pasadena Earth and Arts Festival for 2015. According to City Manager Michael Beck, "Staff has decided to use its efforts this year to offer a month-long celebration tied to the Mayor's Water Challenge and participate in (and advertise) several events throughout the city instead of the Earth and Arts Festival."

The annual festival was a Pasadena tradition for 12 years. Held at Memorial Park and the Armory Center for the Arts across the street in honor of Earth Day (April 22,) it was free and one of the biggest Earth Day celebrations in Southern California. The family festival included activities, exhibits and entertainment. The City set up tables to inform residents about energy, water-wise and waste-reduced living. Local environmental groups from the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition to the Citizens Climate Lobby presented their work, goals and ambitions at booths.

Therese Brummel of Transition Pasadena, one of the most active sustainability organizations in the city, said that she was disappointed about the cancelation of the festival. With regards to the possibility of a series of events in connection with the Mayor's Water Challenge she also told Pasastainable: "Water is a top item for our concerns. I am certainly 100 percent for that."

Pasadena weekend: January 9-11

Participate in gardening events and docent-led walks, attend a meeting on climate change. Plus: ongoing and recurring events, and this week's random read.

Gardening, lecture. On Saturday morning, Descanso Gardens (La Canada) will host a presentation titled Lush and Low-Water Garden Design with Cassy Aoyagi from the Theodore Payne Foundation.

Gardening, hands-on. The Eaton Canyon Nature Center's gardening group will meet on Sunday morning. Volunteers are invited to help maintain the Nature Center's gardens and native vegetation. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday mornings.

Walks, docent-led. On Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host its regular walking tour as well as a bird walk, led by Julia Ray from the Pasadena Audubon Society. Guests with any level of birding knowledge may join. The Eaton Canyon Nature Center will offer a guided walk for families, also on Saturday morning, and a native plant walk on Sunday morning. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) has docent-guided seasonal walks on its calendar for Saturday and Sunday morning.

Climate change. The Pasadena-Foothills chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby will hold its monthly meeting on Saturday morning. All are welcome.

The Arroyo Food Co-op is open on Saturdays and Sundays for shopping and pick-ups (in addition to Tuesdays.) Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up starting next Tuesday. For Saturday afternoon, the co-op has added a discussion of Chinese medicine with Jad Dawson to the calendar. In other news, it is hiring staff members.

Two City surveys. Pasadena Public Works is asking members of the community to weigh in on the future of trees in the city. 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.)

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. 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.

Random read. Like to feel righteous about what you eat? An article by Rowan Jacobsen in Outside profiles what might just become the future of food: the plant-protein-based concoctions of a start-up called Beyond Meat. The company's scientists promise to provide juicy tasting, perfectly textured burger patties with more protein than beef and more omegas than salmon but none of the environmental downsides. While The Top-Secret Food That Will Change the Way You Eat is an eery read for those in the no-processed-foods camp, it is also a fascinating story.

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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 19-21

Join others on walking tours, celebrate the season. Plus: ongoing and recurring events, and this week's random read.

Holiday Party Potluck. Transition Pasadena, Throop UU Church and Throop Learning Garden are hosting a Holiday Party Potluck. The event features a cookie swap and a plant swap, music, crafts and more.

Walking tours. The Arboretum will hold walking tours on Friday and Saturday morning.

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 mornings.

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, continuing. 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.

Random read. When the residents of Shishmaref, Alaska, voted to collectively move to safer ground in July of 2002, their small town became an overnight sensation: More than five dozen news crews visited Sarichef, the island Shishmaref sits on, in 2003 and 2004 alone. But 12 years after the vote, the town of 563 people remains where it always has been, while the threat that the rising ocean might wash over it has only intensified. The Huffington Post's environment and energy editor, Kate Sheppard, has documented Shishmaref's journey from hopeful to hesitant and back in a story titled Climate Change Takes a Village. Considering that 16.4 million Americans live in coastal areas prone to flooding, her reportage leaves the reader with this question: "If we can't figure out how to save a village with fewer than 600 people from falling into the sea, what hope is there for everyone else?"

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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.

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.

"Something that has to come": The Arroyo Food Co-op celebrated its opening

Mayor Bogaard (center) at the opening ceremony: "You're at the cutting edge." (Image: -chs)

Green balloons bounced in the afternoon heat, the mayor cut the ribbon with the obligatory oversized scissors, and inside the store shoppers chatted with each other as they stood in line to purchase coffee, kombucha, chocolate and soap. On Saturday the Arroyo Food Co-op celebrated its grand opening with a party. The AFC is the first community-owned store on the east side of Los Angeles and only the second in L.A. county. About 80 people gathered for the party.

Among the visitors was Marilee Valkass from Altadena, who had long been hesitant to join the co-op — the initial investment is $30, the full lifetime membership costs $300 — because she wasn't convinced that the project was financially viable. But the opening party made her rethink her position: What if she helped make the project work? "Maybe I'll get involved and not just throw money at it," she said.

If Valkass joins she'll be one of about 700 members, though only a small percentage participates actively. Originally the idea of an Altadena resident, Patrick Reagan, the AFC has been in the works since 2009. Operational since June, the store is currently open three days a week, and members can pre-order items online. The goal is for the full market to operate seven days a week starting as soon as it is financially feasible.

At the party on Saturday, Mayor Bill Bogaard spoke of the opening of the store as a significant development. "You're at the cutting edge of something that has to come," he said.

Two young people who live across from the store, Liana and John Gamber-Thompson, sounded similarly enthusiastic about the co-op and what it has brought to their patch of Pasadena. Over the course of the year, the couple has been watching volunteers from another local community project, Transition Pasadena, turn a boring strip of Bermuda grass in front of the AFC into a thriving garden with tomatoes and fruit trees. "It just feels like more of a neighborhood," John said. (Not to mention that their baby, Wesley, got to pick one of the first tomatoes in the garden.)

Liana and John joined the cooperative early this year but soon realized that the store was having a hard time coming off the ground. Following the same train of thought as Valkass, they decided to volunteer for the co-op. "We wanted it to succeed," Liana said, "so it made sense to help out." The young woman — she is a post-doc researcher at USC — now lends a hand with the pre-ordering system, while baby Wesley hangs out in the store. "He thinks it's his," Liana said. After a short pause she added: "And it is."

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The Arroyo Food Co-op is located at 494 N Wilson Ave. Store hours are 4-7 p.m. on Tuesdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Pasadena weekend: October 10-12

Enjoy a celebration or a festival. Garden or bicycle with others, read.

Celebration and cycling. On Friday, celebrate the designation of the San Gabriel Mountains as a National Monument in El Monte and join others on a bike ride that ends at the festivities.

More cycling. Women on Wheels is hosting its initiation group ride on Sunday morning. Almost simultaneously, Pasadena Cyclery will hold Gwen's Group Ride and the Sunday Morning Neighborhood Stroll. For details see the calendar page of Pasastainable, CA.

Family festival. On Saturday morning Transition Pasadena, the Arroyo Food Co-op, Occupy Democracy Pasadena and the Pasadena Citizen’s Climate Lobby are hosting a Family Green Festival at the food co-op. The activities? Live music, a children’s interactive puppet show, arts and crafts, climate trivia, teen hangout etc. The goal? Help adults and children learn about climate change and environmental stewardship.

The Shed is hosting its Social Space Celebration on Saturday afternoon with workshops and presentations on native plants, woodworking, solar ovens and civilian activism.

Gardening on Sunday morning. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets; the Eaton Canyon Nature Center is inviting volunteer gardeners to come and help maintain their gardens and the native vegetation.

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

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.

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 reads. Audubon Magazine recently asked seven environmentalists about their personal strategies for staying optimistic even in the face of distressing news about everything from conservation to climate change. Their responses boiled down to one headline: Keep Calm and Conserve On. Andrew Revkin, the writer behind the New York Times’ Dot Earth blog, turns to music; 350.org-founder Bill McKibben rekindles the fire by looking at pictures of people who are fighting for the environment; others go running or simply spend time in nature. On a similar note, the environmental advocate Kathleen Dean Moore uses despair as the starting point for a short essay in the most recent issue of Orion Magazine titled The Rules of the River. Reflecting on the disruptions in the flow of the Toklat River in Alaska, she says that "our work and the work of every person who loves this world—this one—is to make one small deflection in complacency, a small obstruction to profits, a blockage to business-as-usual, then another, and another, to change the energy of the flood."

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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.

Mulling mulch: Community discussion on Wednesday

Earlier this year, Sylvia Holmes was shlepping ground-cover for the Free-Food Garden in front of the Arroyo Food Co-op when her back went out. A certified permaculture designer and an activist for the transition movement, the Pasadena resident immediately began mulling all things mulch.

Her musings went something like this:

The need for mulch, which serves as a water-saving heat barrier in people's gardens, is greater than ever because of the drought.
Tree trimming companies produce mulch by the truckload and pay steep fees to dump it.
The City lets residents have its tree trimmings for free but doesn't deliver.
Many residents are still buying mulch from companies and writing checks to have it delivered — or they hurt themselves doing their own hauling.

"Something was wrong with the picture," Holmes said recently, "and it just hit me that I needed to do something about it."

The mastermind and driving force behind the Free-Food Garden as well as a mother of three, Holmes did not really need another job. But together with Transition Pasadena she created a new project, Mulch for the People.

On Wednesday evening the initiative will kick off with a community discussion titled State of the Mulch. The event will bring all those together who hold a stake in the matter. Gabriel Silva of Pasadena Public Works, Wendy DeLeon of Pasadena Water and Power and Marco Barrantes of La Loma Development will speak, and Blair Miller as the moderator will invite the public to contribute ideas and concerns. The goal of the forum? To create a program that will make mulch more freely available.

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What: State of the Mulch, a community discussion
When: Wednesday, October 8, 7-8:30 p.m.
Where: Wright Auditorium, Pasadena Central Library, 285 East Walnut Street

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.

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.

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: What to do August 15-17

Educate yourself, get a free repair, garden with others.

What's "Green"? On Sunday morning the 7th Principle Green Council is hosting a presentation on how the concept of "Green" has changed. Bryan Allen from the JPL Green Club will share his thoughts on the topic.

Transition Pasadena's Repair Café is back on Sunday afternoon. Expect tinkers for electronics and appliances; tailors, hair trimmers and knife sharpeners; a wordsmith for your writing needs, a potluck and more. See the Café's Facebook page for additional details.

Gardening. On Saturday morning, join others at the South Pasadena Nature Park along the Arroyo Seco to remove weeds and litter, and to enjoy the park. Also on Saturday morning, the LA County Department of Public Works is hosting a "smart gardening" workshop at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. Learn how to improve your garden and reduce waste, and pick up a worm compost bin at a discount after the session. Work on Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden continues 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.

Co-op-ing. 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.

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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 8-10

Events around gardening and native plants rule the weekend.

Native plants. On Saturday afternoon, Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden hosts California Native Plants: The Big Picture, a presentation by Lisa Novick of the Theodore Payne Foundation. Novick will share her knowledge on the topics of water conservation, habitat preservation and planting with native plants and edibles. On Sunday morning, the California Native Plant Society is holding a walk at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. For Saturday and Sunday, the L.A. County Arboretum in Arcadia has scheduled a cactus show and sale.

Gardening with broken concrete. On Saturday morning, the Arboretum is hosting a presentation on how to create paved areas in your garden by using recycled materials such as broken concrete, local stones, old bricks and stepping stones.

Gardening with others. Work on Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden continues on Sunday. Work on the Arroyo Food Co-op's Free Food Garden, also a Transition Pasadena project, continues on Saturday morning.

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.

Shopping. 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.

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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.

A new phase for the Throop Learning Garden

First imagine the before: a strip of lawn, flat and water-guzzling, stretched out between the tall walls of a Gothic Revival style building, Throop Unitarian Universalist Church, and two busy streets, Del Mar Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue. Like so:

Before: a strip of grass in front of Throop Church

Then envision the after: a garden with low and tall growing plants, with native shrubs in various shades of silver and green, with hummingbirds and butterflies that settle on fruit trees, sunflowers and echinaceas.

After: sages, echinaceas...

...and a winding path invite visitors to linger and learn

The Throop Learning Garden was the work of a group of about 200 volunteers around Transition Pasadena, the Arroyo S.E.C.O. Network of Time Banks and the church — and the eco-transformers aren't done yet. Thanks to a successful online fundraising project in July, the sustainable permaculture garden will soon see the installment of a rainwater harvesting system.

The idea is to collect rainwater from the church roof via a series of gutters and to feed it into a large tank. The water will help supply the fruit trees and food beds in the garden with moisture. During the monthlong crowdfunding drive on Faithify supporters pledged $5.035 to help finance the project.

Transition Pasadena, which initiated the garden at Throop Church as a learning experience for the larger community, also organizes workshops and presentations. This Saturday, Lisa Novick of the Theodore Payne Foundation will share her knowledge around the topics of water conservation, habitat preservation and planting with native plants and edibles.

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When: Saturday, August 9, 3 p.m.

Where: Throop U.U. Church, 300 S Los Robles Ave

What: California Native Plants: The Big Picture (a presentation by Lisa Novick of the Theodore Payne Foundation)

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The "before" image of Throop Church was used with permission from Transition Pasadena.

Pasadena weekend: What to do August 1-3

Goings-on include a discussion on raising chickens and gardening.

Gardening. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday, and work on the Arroyo Food Co-op's Free Food Garden, also a Transition Pasadena project, will be continued on Saturday morning.

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.

"Food For Thought." On Saturday morning, the Arroyo Food Co-op's speaker series, "Food for Thought," will feature a meet-up around the topic of raising chickens. 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 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 weekend: What to do July 18-20

Walk through a garden, work in a garden.

Free Food Garden. The garden in front of the Arroyo Food Co-op store with its flowering, drought-tolerant plants and a winding path of broken concrete is looking better every week. But there is still work to do. Join Transition Pasadena workers on Sunday to help with gardening tasks or to bond with neighbors.

More gardens and gardening. On Friday morning, the Los Angeles County Arboretum is hosting a docent-led adult walking tour. It includes a substantial amount of walking. Reservations are not necessary. For Saturday morning, the Eaton Canyon Conservation Group has scheduled a work day. Community volunteer projects range from native planting and trail repair to weed abatement. Advance sign up is required! Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday.

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.

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.

Pasadena weekend: What to do July 11-13

Got e-waste? Want to develop a green thumb?

The City of Pasadena invites all residents to schlepp their old TVs, computer monitors, cell phones, printer cartridges, microwave ovens and any other e-waste to its roundup event at the Rose Bowl on Saturday. You can also bring up to five boxes of paper documents that need shredding.

Gardens. On Saturday, the Arboretum is hosting a walking tour titled Perfumery. Frank McDonough, the Arboretum's botanical information specialist, will lead visitors through the herb garden. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday.

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.

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.

Arroyo Food Co-op launches speaker series

The Arroyo Food Co-op is making fast progress: the pre-order program is up and running, and this Saturday the member-owned organization will launch a speaker series.

The pre-order program helps the co-op generate income while it explores options for funding a full-scale grocery store. The online store carries grocery items from bulk grains and beans to beverages as well as household and personal care items such as shampoos, moisturizers and household cleaning products. It is expanding its selection weekly.

Consumers need to be members to shop at the co-op, but anyone can join anytime. Online ordering is possible 24x7. Pre-ordered items can be picked up at the store on Tuesday evenings and on Saturday mornings.

Meanwhile, the co-op has also initiated a Saturday morning speaker series. The program begins this week with a presentation by permaculture landscape designer Sylvia Holmes. The driving force behind the Free Food Garden in front of the co-op on Wilson, Holmes will talk about the project. Over the past few months, she and her helpers have turned a strip of boring, water-guzzling grass into a landscaped space with fruit trees and drought tolerant plants. The Free Food Garden is a collaboration between the co-op and Transition Pasadena.

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What: Urban Agriculture, Permaculture and Placemaking (a presentation by permaculture landscape designer Sylvia Holmes)

When: Saturday, 11 a.m.

Where: 494 N. Wilson Ave, Pasadena

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Educate yourself, get a free repair, garden with others.

Events around gardening and native plants rule the weekend.

Goings-on include a discussion on raising chickens and gardening.