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: February 6-8

The big thing this weekend is a Love Fest at the Arroyo Food Co-op. Also on the calendar are the City's e-waste round-up, gardening opportunities and docent-led walks as well as some ongoing and recurring events.

Love Fest. On Saturday afternoon, the Arroyo Food Co-op is holding a Love Fest to celebrate its members and volunteers. Party guests — all are welcome — can participate in "the heart-felt cookie contest" with awards in the categories of biggest, best, weirdest and heart-healthiest cookie; they can also expect vendors' samplings, live music and a kids corner. Existing members will receive a 10-percent shopping discount all day. Those who join the co-op at the party will get 15 percent off all purchases. The Love Fest will take place from noon to 4 p.m. (For a complete list of cookie contest entry rules and other party details see the Love Fest's Facebook page.)

E-waste round-up, document shredding. On Saturday, the City of Pasadena will host a recycling event at the Rose Bowl.

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

Walks, docent-led. For Sunday morning, the California Native Plant Society has put a 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.

Gardening, hands-on. 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.

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.)

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. 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: January 30 - February 1

Learn about water in nature and about safe bicycling, walk in the Arroyo. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

Water and You is the title of a four-part workshop series that the Neighborhood Church’s Green Council has organized. The first session, on Saturday afternoon, will explore the topic Water in Nature. Meditation, discussion and action component included. Free and open to the public.

Traffic skills for cyclists. On Sunday Bike San Gabriel Valley will host an all-day class in El Monte: Traffic Skills 101. Aiming to instill cyclists with the confidence to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail, it will teach participants how to conduct bicycle safety checks, fix a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. RSVPs required. Attendees must be 18 or older.

Walking Pasadena will host a walk on Saturday afternoon to explore the trails in the Lower Arroyo Seco starting near the Rose Bowl and heading to South Pasadena. The route is about 5.5 miles round trip. Easy walking with lots of nature and urban views. Suitable for all.

More walks, docent-led. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) has docent-guided seasonal walks on its calendar for Saturday and Sunday morning. On Friday and Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host docent-led walking tours.

Gardening, workshops. On Saturday morning, Descanso Gardens (La Canada) will host the last of three sessions in a workshop on organic gardening. On Sunday afternoon the Throop Learning Garden will host a workshop dedicated to the care of fruit trees.

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

One petition, two City surveys. Change.org's petition for a ban of styrofoam containers in Pasadena is still up and active. Pasadena Public Works is asking members of the community to weigh in on the future of trees in the city. The tree survey will end February 1. 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.)

The Arroyo Food Co-op will be open Saturday and Sunday. In fact, it is now open seven days a week: Store hours are Monday-Friday 4-7 p.m.; Sat and Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cycling. On Sunday morning Pasadena Cyclery will hold 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. 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: January 23-25

From Repair Café and Share Faire in the Park to gardening lectures and an authors' event in Sierra Madre, there will be lots of opportunities to share and learn this weekend. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

Sharing economy 1. Transition Pasadena will host a Repair Café on Saturday morning. It will be bilingual with several Spanish translators on hand to help out with language issues. As always, visitors can bring their broken goods for repair. They may also expect fresh fruit from the Time Bank's Neighborhood Fruit Harvest and the traditional Really Really Free Market where they can contribute usable items and take anything they want or need (remainders will go to Goodwill.) The Café will be off the grid, with power coming from a solar battery.

Sharing economy 2. On Sunday afternoon RIPE Altadena will hold its monthly Share Faire in the Park.

Meet the Authors is the title of an event that the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society and First Water Design will hold on Saturday afternoon. The event will feature authors who are experts on all things pertaining to the San Gabriel Mountains and vicinity, from local trails, destinations and pioneer history to the Mount Lowe Railway, the Saint Francis Dam, the Angeles National Forest and more. Authors will be selling and signing their books as well as engaging in a panel discussion at 2 p.m. All are welcome. Free.

Soap making and food labeling. The Arroyo Food Co-op will host a soap making class on Saturday morning and a talk on food labeling on Sunday afternoon. The new and improved store hours are Monday-Friday 4-7 p.m.; Sat and Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Gardening, workshops and lectures. On Saturday morning, Descanso Gardens (La Canada) will host the second of three sessions of a workshop on organic gardening. On Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will hold a lecture about tree diseases and pests. On Sunday afternoon the Throop Learning Garden will host a workshop dedicated to the care of roses.

Gardening, hands-on. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden (usually) meets on Sunday mornings. The Free Food Garden at the Arroyo Food Co-op will meet for a garden workday on Saturday afternoon.

Walks, docent-led. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) has docent-guided seasonal walks on its calendar for Saturday and Sunday morning. On Friday and Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host a docent-led walking tour. For Saturday it has scheduled a fruit tree walking tour. 

Two City surveys. Pasadena Public Works is asking members of the community to weigh in on the future of trees in the city. The tree survey will end February 1. 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 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. 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: January 16-18

Participate in an organic gardening workshop, hike the Angeles National Forest. Plus: ongoing and recurring events.

Gardening, workshop. On Saturday morning, Descanso Gardens (La Canada) will host the first of three session of a workshop on organic gardening.

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

Hike. For Saturday, the Crescenta Valley Group of the Sierra Club has put a day hike in the Angeles National Forest on the calendar.

Walks, docent-led. On Saturday morning, the Arboretum (Arcadia) will host a walking tour, and the Eaton Canyon Nature Center will offer a guided walk for families. Descanso Gardens (La Canada) has docent-guided seasonal walks on its calendar for Saturday and Sunday morning.

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. 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.

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. 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 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.

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, 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.

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: December 5-7

Participate in a cottage foods workshop, learn how to make soap, ride your bike, get involved in the movement against climate change. Plus: ongoing and recurring events and this week's random read.

Cottage foods and the law. On Saturday, the Armory is hosting a workshop titled California Food Law: Locally Grown, Made and Shared. Ideal for foodies, cottage enterprisers, neighborhood harvesters and garden groupers.

Toy ride. Ride your bike with the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition on Friday night to collect toys for local families, explore some of Pasadena's existing great neighborhood streets by night and enjoy some festive, hot, seasonal beverages and goodies.

Feeder ride. Join Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and Caltech Bike Lab on a feeder ride to the CicLAvia on Sunday. Ride will be at a pace that accommodates most cycling levels.

Other rides. 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.

Climate change. Interested in climate change? The Citizen’s Climate Lobby will meet on Saturday morning.

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

The Arroyo Food Co-op is holding a soap making class on Saturday afternoon. The store is open on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as on Tuesdays) for shopping and pick-ups. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up starting next Tuesday. By the way: The Co-op needs volunteers to help keep the store open through the holiday season, especially on December 21, 23, 28 and 30 as well as on January 3 and 4. A special volunteer orientation has been scheduled for Sunday, December 14, 2 p.m. Sign up for orientation and your volunteering slot here.

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.)

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. Research suggests that honeybees and other insects feel pain and emotions, and even turn moody much like humans do. For one entomologist trying to understand colony collapse disorder, Sainath Suryanarayanan, the pain he had to inflict on the bees in lab experiments eventually became too much. He experienced nightmares and would often wake up gagging — until he found a non-torturous way of studying bees. Suryanarayanan ditched the lab and the poison-laced food that scientists use to slowly kill the insects while they study them. Instead, he launched a project to understand bees by observing them in the various landscapes in which they live. Entomologists, ecologists, beekeepers, growers, government representatives and humanitarians will work together on this "transdisciplinary inquiry" to figure out how different levels of environmental toxicity affect bees in different ways. For, as Heather Swan writes in a fascinating story titled The Sorrow of Bees in Aeon Magazine, "the life of the honeybee cannot be divorced from the humans who work with them, count on them, love them."

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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: November 7-9

Take your e-waste and obsolete documents to the Rose Bowl, indulge in all things native plants, help design the 710 freeway ditch. Plus: Pasadena's new watering schedule and this week's random read.

E-waste and document shredding. Got documents for shredding? Electronics for recycling? Bring your paper, televisions, computer monitors, computer peripherals, cell phones, telephones, DVD players, VCRs, radios, copiers, printers, laptops, scanners, cable TV equipment, microwave ovens, fax machines, printer cartridges to the Rose Bowl on Saturday (a City of Pasadena event.)

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.

Native plants. On Saturday the California Native Plant Society will hold a native plant sale at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, and The Huntington will host a workshop for advanced gardeners, Propagating California Native and Drought-Tolerant Plants. On Sunday the California Native Plant Society is hosting a walk at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, and volunteer gardeners meet there to help maintain the vegetation.

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

The Arroyo Food Co-op is now open on Saturdays and Sundays for pick-ups and shopping. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up starting next Tuesday.

Gardening. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden 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. The Deepest Dig is a story about the next frontier in the exploitation of resources; we are about to mine the bottom of the ocean for gold, copper, nickel and other minerals used in electronics. Published in the November issue of The California Sunday Magazine, Brooke Jarvis' narrative looks into conundrums and contradictions surrounding the topic. Corey Arnold's photographs provide a stunning glimpse of what lies beneath the oceans.

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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 31-November 2

Do something about climate change and learn about plans to alter the Hahamongna Watershed Park. Plus: a seed swap, a new watering schedule, this week's random read and more.

Hahamongna Watershed Park. The LA County Flood Control District recently released the final Environmental Impact Report for the Devil's Gate Sediment Management Program in Hahamongna Watershed Park. It will present the plan to the City of Pasadena at a council meeting on Monday. In addition, a series of three public meetings will allow the public to comment on the Flood Control District's plan before it goes to the County Board of Supervisors for their review and possible approval. The first meeting is on Saturday afternoon. Local sustainability groups including the Arroyo Seco Foundation strongly oppose the plan.

Climate change. Interested in climate change? The Citizen’s Climate Lobby will meet on Saturday morning.

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

The Free Food Garden at the Arroyo Food Co-op is hosting a seed swap on Saturday with a work party in the garden to precede it. The co-op is now open on Saturdays and Sundays for pick-ups and shopping. Orders placed online by Sunday midnight will be available for pick-up starting next Tuesday.

Gardening. 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." 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. An environmental disaster story with a happy ending: In the November/December issue of Orion Magazine Rowan Jacobsen explores the history of Yuma, Arizona, a "kiln-dry city of ninety thousand people and 3 billion heads of lettuce." His narrative, Down by the River, shows how upstream damming of the Colorado which was once "an unruly god of creation and destruction" wreaked havoc on the environment and in the local communities; the river's wetlands turned to desert, and the native Quechan and the residents of Yuma fought "a cold war". The turnaround came with the new millennium. Thanks to the persistence and vision of a community developer and a landscape architect the wetlands and a sense of identity have been restored — with water that runs off from the lettuce fields.

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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. This post was last updated on 10/31 at 7 p.m.  

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.