Pasadena weekend: March 13-15

Join a book discussion, educate yourself about the environment in general and about water in particular, honor Pi Day. Plus: a new interfaith coalition, ongoing and recurring events, and surveys.

Spring into Green! is the title of the Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair at the Arboretum (Arcadia.) The fair for children, families and educators will feature organizations such as Kidspace, Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots and TreeMap LA. There will also be music, community art stations, storytelling, live animals exhibits, workshops, food and family-friendly entertainment.

"A More Beautiful World." In preparation for Charles Eisenstein's local speaking engagement next week, Transition Pasadena will host an informal reading and community discussion of his book “A More Beautiful World" on Friday evening. (Eisenstein will not be at the reading circle.)

Water and You is the title of a four-part workshop series that the Neighborhood Church’s Green Council has organized. The fourth and last session, on Saturday afternoon, will explore the topic How to be an agent of change to support wise water use. Free and open to the public.

A new environmental coalition. Representatives from several faiths have formed the Arroyo Interfaith Environmental Coalition to help each other change practices, campuses and/or legislation to be more earth-friendly. The kick-off summit with speakers and panels will take place on Sunday afternoon.

3-14-15 is Pi Day. In honor of this event (in our lifetime uniquely, the date lines up as the first five digits of the irrational number π, 3.141592...) the Arroyo Food Co-op is hosting a Pie Contest on Saturday afternoon. The jury will award prizes for best sweet, best savory, prettiest and healthiest pie.

Gardening, workshops and hands-on. 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 Arboretum (Arcadia) will host a workshop on organic fruit and vegetable gardening. On Saturday afternoon, there will be a Free-Food Garden work party at the Arroyo Food Co-op. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden will meet on Sunday morning.

Bird and other walks, docent-led. On Saturday morning the Arboretum (Arcadia) is holding its monthly bird walk. On Sunday morning there will be a bird walk at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. 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.

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.

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: 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.

Free "smart gardening" workshop tomorrow

Tomorrow morning (Saturday) the LA County Department of Public Works is hosting a "smart gardening" workshop at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center. Attendees will learn how to improve their garden or lawn, and how to reduce waste. After the workshop, they can buy a worm compost bin at a discount. Reservations for this 1.5 hour long event are not required. An instructional video of what will be discussed is posted here.

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What: Workshop on "smart gardening"
When: Saturday, August 16, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Eaton Canyon Nature Center

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.

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 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 July 4-6

Happy Independence Day!

For 4th of July parades see Pasadena Now's calendar of events.

The Arroyo Food Co-op's board of directors meets this Saturday. All members are welcome to attend. Also on Saturday morning, permaculture expert Sylvia Holmes will talk about the Free Food Garden project in front of the store. The 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.

Gardens. 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.