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: 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: October 17-19

Read about food waste and attempts to deal with it. Learn about lawns. Join others for a picnic, a festival or a bike ride. Plus: local exhibitions and petitions, and a survey.

Festival. The City of South Pasadena is hosting an event on Saturday to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Nature Park. Visit and enjoy the Nature Park while learning about native plants and water conservation. Also on the program: booths, a guided nature walk, a plant sale and fun for the entire family.

Picnic. The Pasadena Community Garden on Pasadena Avenue and LA Community Gardens are hosting a low-waste picnic on Saturday. Expect live music, children's activities, garden tours and exhibits as well as the honoring of Yvonne Savio for her continued support of community gardens throughout LA County.

Water, gardening. For Sunday morning, the Neighborhood Church has invited native plant expert Roger Klemm (JPL Green Club) to discuss the topic of lawns: Which resources go into keeping grass green? What are the ecological benefits and drawbacks of lawns? Which alternatives are there? The event is titled How To Murder Your Hungry Lawn. On Sunday evening the Urban Village Garage is hosting a presentation on all things water by Dan Sharp, a water management engineer for L.A. County. Transition Pasadena's Throop Learning Garden meets on Sunday morning.

Petition 1, styrofoam. Day One, a Pasadena-based non-profit community organization, has introduced a petition urging the City to phase out the use of polystyrene foam (styrofoam) food containers. The implementation of a styrofoam ban by 2017 is one of the recommendations in the City's Zero Waste Plan. After approval by the Municipal Services Committee earlier this month the Zero Waste Plan will come before the City Council on Monday, October 20. More than 70 cities in California have already banned the use or even the sale of polystyrene foam food containers. Local grassroots groups are pushing for Pasadena to adopt a ban in 2015.

Petition 2, 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.

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. Stay tuned for the grand opening of the co-op on October 25!

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. Did you know that about one third of the food we produce globally never makes it into our mouths? That we could feed three billion people with the food that is lost and wasted worldwide on farms, in kitchens and in-between? A recent article on the website of National Geographic, One-Third of Food Is Lost or Wasted: What Can Be Done, looks at where and why we dump food, at how our behavior impacts water usage and generates greenhouse gases, and at what we can do to fix things. Some of the numbers in the piece — yes, it's a dry read — boggle the mind: "If global food waste were a country," Elizabeth Royte writes, "it would be the third largest generator of greenhouse gases in the world behind China and the United States." On a more uplifting note, the State of Massachusetts implemented a ban on commercial food waste disposal on October 1. The first such statewide ban in the nation, it forces businesses to divert food wastes from disposal to composting, conversion, recycling or reuse. And what's happening locally? According to the draft of the Zero Waste Strategic Plan for the City of Pasadena diversion programs for food scraps, other organics, and compostables are on the horizon. The deadline for their implementation is 2020. (Post updated at 5:30 p.m. on 10/17/14)

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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.

Styrofoam ban: Environmental Advisory Commission to continue discussion on Tuesday

The City of Pasadena is continuing to weigh a local styrofoam ban. The Environmental Advisory Commission will pick up the discussion again at its next meeting, on August 19, and a subcommittee for the issue already exists. Other items on the agenda for the meeting on Tuesday include updates on water conservation and on the Climate Action Plan.

At the last meeting of the EAC, on July 15, nine residents, activists and business owners voiced their support for a ban on polystyrene food and drink containers. The Commission discussed how such a measure would fit in with the City's Zero Waste Pasadena 2040 Plan that is being prepared. Public Works staff has indicated that they will begin work on a styrofoam ban after the Zero Waste Plan has been adopted.

Meanwhile, a petition is underway that supports a local styrofoam ban. As of the publication of this post it had reached 129 supporters.

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What: City of Pasadena Environmental Advisory Commission meeting
When: Tuesday, August 19, 6 p.m.
Where: Permit Center, Hearing Room, 175 North Garfield Ave

Will Pasadena ban styrofoam?

More than 70 cities in California have already banned the use or, in some cases, even the sale of styrofoam. Is Pasadena next? A potential ban of polystyrene foam (i.e. styrofoam) food and drink containers is one of the action items on the agenda of the Environmental Advisory Commission's meeting tonight (Tuesday!)

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When: Today, Tuesday, July 15, 6 p.m.

Where: City of Pasadena, Permit Center, 175 North Garfield Avenue

What: Regular meeting of the City's Environmental Advisory Commission