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Greetings!
President's Message Another very successful year is drawing to a close. I hope to see all of you members at the Annual Meeting to hear the details. In addition, I want to take this opportunity to thank the EFM board and "off board chairpersons" for their hard work in making this success possible. I especially want to recognize those wonderful contributors who are going off the board for their outstanding service to EFM: David McConnell, Past President David Weckler, IDC/Conversations on the Environment Director Cathy Rosekrans, Membership Director John Nygren, Webmaster Kim Sauve, SEF Director Valerie Merrin, SCS Director Bruce Ackerman, Community Education Director We were truly blessed to have you on the board and look forward to continuing to work with you in a non-board role. Enjoy the luxury of the third Thursday of the month at liberty. Finally, we recently sent out the EFM survey. Please take this opportunity to let us know what is on your mind. We really want your input!
Vicki Rupp
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Final Note on Sustainable Communities Seminar 2009
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SCS 2009 ended on March 28 with a final session focusing on presentations from local organizations active in sustainability and environmental issues. Several members of the class also let the class know about the organizations they are already involved in. The purpose of this class was to give students some ideas and opportunities to continue their involvement in environmental issues. We hope to see many of you at the annual meeting and volunteering for EFM and other worthwhile organizations. We also hope we'll see some of you in the fall at the Sustainable Earth Forum. Thanks again to the coordinators for the informative and thought provoking speakers and topics.
Valerie Merrin, Director Donna Bohegian, Asst. Director
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Attention Novato Citizens: Marin Clean Energy Needs You
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To date, Novato has resisted joining the Marin Energy Authority, which means Novato citizens and businesses will not have access to renewable sources of electricity if the MEA chooses to contract for community choice aggregation in Marin (a.k.a. Marin Clean Energy).
The Novato Sustainability Committee is meeting on May 4 to discuss the issue. The meeting will start off by a presentation by PG&E and Pat Eklund and Jim Leland run the Sustainability Commission so they will both be there.
Please come out to let your voices be heard on this critical issue! When: Monday May 4, 6:30 p.m. Where: Meeting Room 3 at the Margaret Todd Senior Center (1560 Hill Road, Novato)
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EFM Members In Action
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Class 36 graduates have been busy! First, Rachel Wear and Norma Pomerance joined with Cathy Rosekrans (20) to assist the Marin Farmers Markets (in collaboration with Green Sangha) with "Greening the Market," an ongoing educational program at MFM's Eat Local 101 booth. The three were there to share what they've learned about the many environmental and health costs of "free" single use plastic bags and and to inform and inspire shoppers to bring their own reusable bags and containers. Second, the entire class of 36 took on an email letter writing campaign to generate support for changing the California Plumbing Codes for grey water. Linda Nave and Rachel Ginis (SCS 09) also attended grey water stakeholder meetings at the Department of Housing and Community Development in Sacramento. Watch for their Grey Water (good) News report in the upcoming June newsletter.
Last but not least, Hilary Jeffris and Julie Hanft are happy to report that their April 25th Kick-off Block Party for the Marin Open Garden Project (their EFM project) was a big success. Lots of their neighbors from Mill Valley attended, and they were grateful to have the support of classmates to celebrate the start of the backyard garden sharing program. There was produce sharing, a seedling giveaway, food and drinks, and lots of chatting about the program. Cathy Rosecranz (20) came out to collect canned goods for the Food Bank and talk about the hazards of plastic. Norma Pomerance showed off her bee boxes and educated people about native pollinators. The official start date for the garden bounty exchanges will be May 9th in Mill Valley (9:00 - 10:00 a.m. at Boyle Park), San Rafael (11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the San Rafael Library on E and 5th Ave.) and Corte Madera/Larkspur (5:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Piper Park), and May 10th in Novato (9:00 - 10:00 a.m. at Dogbone Meadow) and Ross (11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Ross Commons Post Office). Scarecrows will be set up to mark the meeting spots. Hilary and Julie plan to provide gleaning to residents that need help harvesting fruit from their trees and pairing up gardeners with land with gardeners without land. A garden tool lending library, the beginnings of a microclimate-specific seed bank and the expansion of the number of community gardens in Marin are also in the works.
Please let us know what you're doing so we can include more information about EFM members. Email enews@marinefm.org. Thank you!
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Tour Marin's Eco-Friendly Gardens
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Sponsored by the Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program in cooperation with the Marin Art & Garden Center, this self-guided tour on Saturday, May 9th will feature a host of eco- friendly practices, including native and drought tolerant plantings, rainwater catchment facilities, "smart" irrigation controllers, edible terrains, permeable surfaces, rain gardens, pollinator gardens, native no mow sod and much more. A landscape professional or homeowner will be available at each location to discuss the eco- friendly features. Included on the tour will be the home garden of Ellen Obstler (35). Her eco-landscape designer, Ellen Hopkins (SCS 07) will be there to show you how she helped the Obstlers go from Tier 4 to Tier 1 in water use. SPAWN will also be participating in the tour at the Marin Art and Garden Center.
Register by calling Gina Purin 415-499-3202. For more details, visit the website below. Registration of $10 (free for students and low- income participants) includes a "Garden Guide" with a description of gardens, locations, map and driving instructions. Most locations are open from
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Eco-Friendly Garden Tour |
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Join the Marin Human Race
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The 27th Annual Marin Human Race 5K Run/Walk/Stroll is a non-profit event to raise awareness and funding for Marin's participating schools and non-profit organizations, including Marin Organic (who is looking for runners, walkers, volunteers and contributions of any size to support their participation - please call 415-663-9667). Produced by the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin, and attended by over 4,000 people, this race is the largest collaborative fundraiser in the county. Thanks to generous sponsors, the Center is able to return 90% of all donations raised to the community. Last year the Center returned over $350,000 to the community for the benefit of 115 nonprofits and schools.
When: Saturday May 9, 7:00 a.m. for same-day registration, race starts at 8:30 a.m. Where: Marin Center Fairgrounds
Please register early.
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Marin Human Race |
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May Native Plant Walks
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Joe Kohn (34) will once again be leading wildflower hikes in May.
All hikes are free and open to the public, so please invite your friends. Saturday, May 30, 2009 10 a.m. Fremontia or Bust! Pine Mountain Fire Road In 1999, while out bush-whacking far above Cascade Canyon in Fairfax, Dick O'Donnell literally stumbled upon a previously unknown population of Fremontodendron californicum ssp. napense (Flannel bush), the only shrub of the Sterculiaceae (Cacao) family that exists in California. To date, only that one population, comprising close to 20 individuals, has been found growing in Marin County. About a year ago, Marin CNPS organized a treasure hunt to try to find that Fremontia population, but due to the ruggedness of the terrain, never did manage to find them. But Brad Kelley was persistent, and equipped with his GPS unit, he eventually managed to find and record the location of the Flannel bush. He led a group of us there in early April, and we vowed to return when the Fremontia was in flower. The location of the Fremontia is about two miles from the Pine Mountain Fire Road trailhead. As we ascend Carson Ridge, we'll pass through a serpentine ridge with a dwarf Sargent Cypress forest, and the unique plants that live there. If our timing is right, we'll see Ground Cones (Boschniakia strobilacea) and Gentiana affinis (Oregon Gentian) and perhaps the last of the Calochortus umbellatus (Oakland Star-tulip) of the year in flower. Please beware that a short but strenuous cross- country (off-trail) hike is required to reach the Fremontia. For your protection, wear long sleeves and long pants. Meet at the (unsigned) Azalea Hill/Pine Mt. Fire Rd. parking area, about six miles south-west of Fairfax on the Fairfax- Bolinas Rd. That's about one mile past the Meadow Club, on the way towards Alpine Dam from Fairfax. Please come prepared for any type of weather or conditions, and please bring lunch and plenty of water, binoculars and/or hand lenses, and your favorite field guides. For further information, contact Joe Kohn at 415- 459-0231 or drop him a line at joko@foxvalley.net
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Marin CNPS |
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San Francisco International Film Festival
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Several films at the 52nd International Film Festival focus on environmental issues. Upcoming in early May are the following: The Age of Stupid Director: Franny Armstrong, England An archivist (Pete Postlethwaite) on the dying planet Earth circa 2055 looks back at our species' current reluctance to address climate change in this cautionary, pre-apocalyptic tale that blends verité storytelling, cutting-edge graphics and gallows humor. For more Information and Screening Times: http://fest09.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=2
California Company Town Director: Lee Anne Schmitt, USA This portrait of forgotten California industrial towns unsparingly documents their current condition with poignant commentary amid a backdrop of vast horizons and vacant factories. For more Information and Screening Times: http://fest09.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=15
Crude Director: Joe Berlinger, USA This lively and gripping documentary follows the shifting course of a lawsuit brought by 30,000 Ecuadoreans against Chevron over its responsibility for the country's contaminated waters and streams. For more information & screening times: http://fest09.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=21
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First Annual Environmental Youth Forum: Social Environmentalism
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Speaking of films, parents, tell your children - children, tell your teachers - teachers, sign up: Part of the CFI Green Initiative sponsored by PG&E, this Youth Forum will present some of the newest and best thinking about active environmentalism as well as films that take a different, fresh approach to greening the planet. The Forum will also continue the "active cinema" project started by the Mill Valley Film Festival where audiences are given an immediate means for making social change through projects, face-to- face individual discussions with advocacy group members, and donations for micro-loan organizations. Films will be shown on all three of the Smith Rafael Film Center screens staggered so students can pick and choose, mix and match subjects of films and panels.
When: Thursday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 27, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for films and panels, 11:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. for Active Cinema room Where: The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael
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San Rafael Adopts Climate Change Action Plan
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On April 20, the San Rafael City Council adopted unanimously the City's Climate Change Action Plan. The Plan targets a 25 % reduction of emissions by 2020. Some of the strategies include: development of SMART train/ transit oriented development, greener power sources, energy conservation, zero waste programs, and urban forest programs.
Congratulations to the many EFM graduates who worked hard on this tremendous achievement!
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San Rafael Climate Change Action Plan |
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Help SPAWN Restore Local Habitat
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Creek Habitat Restoration Every Saturday in May 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. rain or shine. Help SPAWN remove invasive plants and plant native trees and shrubs grown in its local native plant nursery. Learn about Marin's salmon populations, how to ID native plants and birds, and gather with a great group of volunteers! For more information please visit the website.
Native Plant Nursery Days Every Friday in May 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. rain or shine. Join SPAWN volunteers in preparing seeds, sowing, and tending native plants SPAWN is growing in its watershed nursery for local stream restoration projects. Volunteers will work with over 26 different species including maples, oaks, hazelnut, all kinds of berries, ferns, willows, dogwoods, redwoods and more. All training provided. First time volunteers are required to RSVP, to sign up and to receive directions to our nursery in Lagunitas, please email blaine@tirn.net or visit the website.
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SPAWN |
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EFM Classifieds
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Job opening: Global Footprint Network is hiring for a new temporary position. The Project Manager will work closely with the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Executive Director to manage the development and implementation of the Ecological Creditor Initiative. The ideal candidate will have outstanding project management and communication skills, the ability to liaise with international experts and government representatives, a proficiency in Spanish and other European languages, and an interest in being part of developing a new global forum for sustainability. For more information, contact: Rachel Hodara Strategic Initiatives Coordinator Global Footprint Network rachel@footprintnetwork.org tel.: +1-510-839-8879 x 327 (-0800 GMT) www.footprintnetwork.org
Do you have or know of a position available? Do you have or know of anything that needs to be bought or sold? Let us know and we'll publicize it in enews. Email us at enews@marinefm.org. Thanks!
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May Green Tip - Quit Your Idling
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From the Union for Concerned Scientists: Would you drive a car that gets zero miles to the gallon? Of course not. Yet that is your mileage whenever your engine idles. Idling wastes money and fuel, contributes to air pollution, and generates carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. No matter what time of year, minimize your idling with these tips:
- When first starting your car, idle for no more than 30 seconds;
- Except when sitting in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait in your car for more than 30 seconds. You can still operate the radio and windows without the engine running; and
- When the time comes to buy a new car, consider a hybrid. Hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles switch off the engine and use battery power for accessories when the car is not moving, effectively eliminating idling.
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