Events

Brown Bag: SalmonAid, Raising Awareness, Getting Involved

Presenter: Sara Randall of the Institute for Fisheries Resources
Thursday, March 5, 12:30PM to 1:30PM
Pacific Room at Tides

“We need to mitigate the problem all together. We need to save the fish, save our economy and save our future.”
Chris Hall, President, Coastside Fishing Club, Half Moon Bay, CA

SalmonAid aims to inform the public about the historic, cultural, economic, dietary, and environmental benefits of healthy wild salmon populations and the threats to their continued existence. Sara will give examples of the crisis facing wild salmon and explain how the deep decline in the salmon population is a serious sustainability issue that will impact our health and quality of life.

SalmonAid celebrates wild Pacific salmon as a valuable cultural resource for all Americans, an important economic resource for West Coast fishing communities, an exciting recreational fishing experience, a nutritious food source, and a vital ecological link between our freshwater and marine ecosystems.

SalmonAid is always looking for passionate volunteers to help spread the word about the salmon plight.

Thoreau Center Clothes Swap—
A Spring Cleaning Event

Wednesday, March 18
11:30AM to 1:30PM
The Seed Gallery

While you consider employing the green tips listed below, include recycling your clothes, too, at the first-ever Thoreau Center Clothes Swap.  It’s a simple step to leaving a lighter carbon footprint on the Big Blue. Your seemingly out-of-date fashions are considered “hot” must-haves by some fashionistas and anti-fashionistas.

Contact Bruce DeMartini to reserve a table to display, exchange, and sell your clothing and accessories. Deadline for reserving a table is March 16th. Thoreau Center will organize an Out Of the Closet pickup for any leftover or unwanted clothing from the event.

Seed Gallery Art Opening

Artist: Robert Buelteman
Opening: Thursday, April 9, 5:00PM to 7:00PM
Exhibition Date: April 9 through June 6, 2008

In “Preserving Open Space: Photography and Philanthropy Working Together,” Robert Buelteman, a photographer with a particular mission, illuminates even further the beauty of our preserved beloved local landscapes. For over 20 years, Robert has worked out his activism toward land preservation by sharing his commissioned photography to help raise awareness about the importance of sustaining our local natural habitats. The exhibition will feature black and white photographs, whose genesis began under commissions to various land preservation organizations, including Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Peninsula Open Space Trust, Mid-Peninsula Open Space District, Sempervirens Fund, Committee for Green Foothills, and the International Rivers Network.

Whole Earth Library Book Club

Discussion leader: John Bertland, Librarian, Whole Earth Library
Wednesday, April 15, 12:30PM to 1:30PM
Whole Earth Library

Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough & Michael Braungart

Come join your friends and co-workers and share your thoughts about Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough & Michael Braungart. Guided by the principle that “waste equals food,” the authors offer a radical new vision for the way we design the things we make that challenges the one-way, “cradle to grave” manufacturing model and the enormous amounts of waste and pollution it leaves in its wake. They show how products can be designed to follow the example of natural systems so that they provide nourishment for something new at the end of their useful lives. Part social history, part green business primer, part design manual, this book grapples with some of the most fundamental issues in the creation of a more sustainable world.

An Earth Day Celebration Activity: ArtSeed’s Art-a-thon—
an Art-Making Marathon Fundraiser

Saturday, April 18th, 10AM to 10PM
(make art for as long as you can)
Thoreau Center Galleries

What is an Art-a-thon? A marathon of creativity where participants are challenged to create the best and the most art possible for as long as they can last. Each hour, distinguished critics, curators, and gallerists will be introduced before Seed Gallery Lead Artists demonstrate a variety of approaches to a wide range of media. You may partake in these workshops or create art on your own in a quiet zone. A sampling from the works produced will be shown in ArtSeed’s spring exhibition at the Thoreau Gallery in May.

Learn how to participate. Register now!

Green Tips for Spring Cleaning

Here are some simple green tips to practice as you kick off your spring cleaning for the year. For more Green Tips, go to Co-op America:

1. Buy green cleaners at your local natural foods store or via mail order or the Internet.  Find green cleaning products in the National Green Pages™ »
2. Use old clothing and sheets for dusting and cleaning rags, rather than paper towels.
3. Eliminate the need for chemical fabric softeners by adding ¼ cup of vinegar to your washing machine’s rinse cycle.
4. Let your houseplants do the cleaning! Some houseplants—such as Boston ferns, English ivy, rubber plants, and peace lilies—can help clean your indoor air by absorbing toxic chemicals.
5. While you’re at it, save more money. Make a plan to save a little more each month and start or increase contributions to a retirement plan. Search the following National Green Pages™ categories for socially responsible banking and investing options:

• Banks & Credit Unions »
• Financial Consultants: Advisors and/or Planners »
• Financial Consultants: Money Managers »
• Mutual Fund Companies »