"Urban Acupuncture" 

Mulch For The People

Urban Acupuncture? What’s that? It’s the brainchild of Melanie Winter, founder of Water LA, a collective of non-profits, local government agencies, small businesses, and people like us working for resilience. Like medical acupuncture needles, lots of small-scale, localized, and less costly projects, rather than capital-intensive municipal programs, are an effective way for cities to become climate and water resilient; urban acupuncture revitalizes the whole by addressing the parts.

Water LA encourages residents to grade their yards to catch water, and to cut into curbs to redirect storm water from gutters to flow into their parking strips, where it can soak down to replenish groundwater; of course mulch is included to slow evaporation. Greywater systems, rain barrels, edible gardens and infiltration trenches across concrete driveways are other ways to capture, conserve and reuse water. And with over 60% of the urban area occupied by residential property, engaging and empowering residents to create thousands of small-scale changes can unite communities.

Sylvia Holmes and Lin Griffith of Mulch for the People visited Melanie Winter recently to learn how people in Pasadena could start an Urban Acupuncture program. They were delighted to learn that we don’t have to: the program that Water LA is planning with both the City and County of Los Angeles will be available to all cities in LA County.

Mulch for the People is ready to sign on! Will you?
 
— Lin Griffith

Mulch For The People - Facebook

Photo by LA Creek Freaks, Native Plant "Islands" at Rose Bowl Parking Lot allow water infiltration.

Throop Learning Garden

Notes from the Garden

Sundays — 8:30 to 10:30 am

Throop Memorial Church
300 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena

Spring rains encouraged a riot of wildflowers. We revel in the beauty and bounty of the garden.

We planted blueberries with the “Kids Dig In’” children’s program at Throop. The shrubs were planted in large containers in late March. Already they have nearly doubled in size and are covered with tiny blueberries.

The  “Kids Dig In” children’s program takes root month by month. We meet the second Sunday of every month at 11:00am to practice awareness, meditation, garden skills, how to nurture food crops and habitats, and just enjoy the beauty around us. The program is designed for 5-10 year olds. Younger children are welcome with an attending parent.

This month we will also host children’s events on Sunday 4/17, as Throop celebrates Earth Day. Meet at Throop at 11:00am, after the garden work party.

Hope for Earth Tree

Hang your hopes for bringing peace and healing to Creation on the Throop Olive Tree between April 11-17.

Throop Celebrates Earth Day

Throop kicked off “30 Days for the Earth” with a special service that introduced theconcepts that lead up to making a pledge to change carbon and toxin consumptive habits(ie: pledge to swear off flying or pledge to refuse to use Styrofoam containers)

Hidden City Neighborhood Walk

Join us April 21 from 4-6 pm for curated walks in the neighborhood.

eARTh festival - Saturday, April 16, 4-7 pm in Throop Hall

A celebration of our earth through music, poetry, art, puppetry, climate talks, plant and seed swap and more!  

For more info go to: http://www.throopuupasadena.org/thirty-days-for-the-earth.html

— January Nordman


Throop Learning Garden

Photo by January Nordman

Ban Styrofoam in Pasadena!

Public Support Needed!
Municipal Service Committee – Public Meeting

April 26, 2016 — 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Pasadena City Hall
100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena

GOOD TO-GO Campaign and Styrofoam Free Pasadena needs your support to help rid Pasadena of styrofoam/polystyrene Once and For All in our City!

Please we need you, the citizens, to show up to speak out at the Pasadena Municipal Services Committee April 26 at 4 pm. MSC will be deciding whether to advance the proposed ban on polystyrene to City Council!  (We will post the City Council date once it is determined on our website and Facebook page.)

And, if you can't attend in person, please write a short letter or email in support of the ban!  Email Mayor Terry Tornek at: ttornek@cityofpasadena.net

Let's Make Pasadena Greener and Cleaner!

— Qrys Cunningham

Good TO-GO & Styrofoam Free Pasadena