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Fairfax on Foot: Fall Equinox Hike – Loma Alta

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Fairfax On Foot: Fall Equinox Hike: LOMA ALTA

Saturday, September 21 – 4:00~6:00pm
Distance: 4.3 Miles
Difficulty: Fairly strenuous, steep, some uneven, gravelly terrain
MEET: At Glen Drive Fire Road at end of Glen Drive.

Fairfax on Foot is back! Explore the beauty of Loma Alta Open Space Preserve with a group of enthusiastic hikers interested in learning more about our natural environment. Loma Alta is a hidden secret among locals, tucked away between Fairfax and San Anselmo. Our Marin Municipal Water District representative, Larry Bragman, will be joining us and will talk about watershed issues in the area. Marin County Open Space Ranger Mike Warner will also be attending.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Wear good hiking boots. Poles may be helpful. As always, bring water and wear sunscreen, as there is little shade.

We will go to Iron Springs Pub after the hike for food and/or drinks (optional).

Climate Strike – Friday, Sept 20

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Swedish youth climate activist Greta Thunberg, center in blue, joins other young climate activists Friday for a climate strike outside the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

On September 20th, three days before the UN Climate Summit in New York, young people and adults will strike all across the US and world to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis. Millions will take the streets to demand a right to a future, and you are invited to #strikewithus !

SAN FRANCISCO: Meet 10am at the office of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s offices at 90 7th St. in San Francisco to begin the march.

Email Claire Seda if you would like to take a bus from West Marin at sedaclaire@gmail.com.

You can also take Golden Gate Transit from Fairfax, catching Line 24 at 7:50am from downtown Fairfax to the Financial District, and catching BART or Muni along Market St to the Federal building.

MARIN: Although people are encouraged to attend the San Francisco March, 350Marin is organizing a Climate Strike – March and Rally in Marin, in Novato for those that cannot make it to San Francisco. It starts at 10:00am at Novato City Hall and goes until 12:00pm. Contact Silke at 415 272-5287 or silkevalentine8@gmail.com for more information.

It is important for people of all ages to come out to support the youth in taking action. We are in a climate crisis and there is no time to waste! For more marches around the country, please visit: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/us-climate-strikes

Community Clean-Out Day: E-Waste, Mattresses, Tires & Bikes

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In partnership with Sustainable Fairfax, Fairfax Market is hosting a

COMMUNITY CLEAN-OUT DAY!

Saturday, August 24, 2019 

10am-4pm

Parking lot of Fairfax Market, 2040 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax

RECYCLE these items:

Used mattresses

Old tires (includes bike tubes and tires!)

Electronic waste*

*Anything that plugs in is e-waste

(collected by Conservation Corps North Bay)

DONATE these items:

Used bikes and bike parts (must be in good condition)

Trips for Kids will be collecting these items to support their youth development programs.

Thank you to Fairfax Market for being a Sustainable Fairfax Sustainable Steward!

Waste-Less Tour at Good Earth Natural Foods

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Waste-LESS Tour at Good Earth Natural Foods

Wednesday, August 21, 2019 –  6:30-7:00pm… and every third Wednesday of the month!

Join us to learn how to shop with zero-waste in mind, healthfully, sustainably, and locally! Reserve your spot HERE.

Questions? Email info@sustainablefairfax.org.

SWAP not SHOP! School and Box Lunch Supply Exchange

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SCHOOL AND LUNCH BOX SUPPLY SWAP

NOW until Saturday, August 24th!

Location: The outside alley at Indie Alley, 69 Bolinas Road, Fairfax

School supplies are expensive and are often made of materials that cannot be recycled. Sustainable Fairfax wants to connect people who want to get rid of school supply clutter with those who need materials for the upcoming school year!

Feel free to DROP OFF your unneeded school and lunch box supplies to the outside space at Indie Alley any time this week through Saturday, August 24. (It is the alley next to the FairHemp store).

Or, if you need supplies and want to cut down on waste, come by the alley this week to PICK UP any supplies you need. (We suggest not coming to pick up supplies until Wednesday).

Let us know if you have any questions at info@sustainablefairfax.org or call 415-408-6008.

 

Water Conservation Resources

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Below are some great resources for water conservation and management. Please check them out, and let us know if you have resources to add.

Water Conservation in the Home

Marin Municipal Water District

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MMWD is a public agency that provides drinking water to 185000 people in a 147-square-mile area of south and central Marin County. Their website has great information about reservoir levels, conservation techniques, rebates, and more.

Get a FREE Water Use Survey – Are you looking for ways to reduce your water use and your water bill? Through MMWD’s Conservation Assistance Program (CAP), MMWD offers FREE, personalized water use consultations for your home or business. Click here for more information.

Weekly Watering Schedule: Not sure how much water your garden needs? MMWD’s  Weekly Watering Schedule is updated every Friday based on current weather conditions, so your plants always get just the right amount of water.

Home Water Works

Explore water conservation with the water use calculator from the  Alliance for Water Efficiency

Tips from fellow Fairfaxians:

  1. Use a plate scraper instead of running water to scrape plates.  This is huge!.
  2. Keep a wash bucket in your sink.  Use dirty water to pre-wash dishes.  Save clean rinse water to use for wiping counters.  (you also realize how much water goes down the drain when you collect it to make every drop count.
  3. Keep a large container in your shower to fill up waiting for the water to get hot.  You can save 2 gallons of water per shower!  use it to flush toilets or water plants.
  4. Turn off your shower when soaping up.  You can easily install a quick cut-off valve right at your showerhead.  Seriously, it’s easy.
  5. ONLY run full laundry loads AND full dishwasher loads.
  6. Plant only drought tolerant plants.  use lots of mulch to retain moisture.
  7. Replace water guzzler toilets with low-flush.  Still though, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow”.  You’ll save 10-20 gallon of water per day per person.

Water Conservation in the Home Landscape

Bay-Friendly Garden Walk

Receive a free residential garden evaluation from a Marin Master Gardener. Get expert advice on water-wise planting and tips for a beautiful, healthy landscape. Call 499-4204 to schedule or to learn more click here.

Green House Call

Receive a free indoor efficiency evaluation from one of California Youth Energy Services’ friendly and professional young staff, plus free installation of energy- and water-saving equipment. To learn more, go to www.marinwater.org or call (510) 665-1501 ext. 10 to schedule. 

 Graywater

Greywater Action

A collaborative group of educators, designers, builders, and artists who educate and empower people to build sustainable water culture and infrastructure. Using water from sinks, showers and washing machines to irrigate plants is a way to increase the productivity of sustainable backyard ecosystems that produce food, clean water, and shelter wildlife.

County of Marin

The County of Marin provides information on gray water systems with a “Laundry to Landscape” pamphlet.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has a great manual for a DIY gray water installation.

Click here to learn how you can harvest the rain in your yard!

Water Management

The Bay Institute

The Bay Institute is the leader in protecting and restoring the entire watershed which drains into San Francisco Bay.

North Marin Water District

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North Marin Water District serves a suburban population of 61,000 people situated in and about the City of Novato which is located in a warm inland coastal valley of Marin County, California and several small improvement districts in the West Marin area near the coast.

Tomales Bay Watershed Council

The Council is deeply committed to supporting and encouraging active stewardship of the natural resources in the Tomales Bay watershed.  They also provide current health status of the beaches within their stewardship.

The North Bay Watershed

The North Bay Watershed Association (NBWA) is a group of 16 regional and local public agencies located throughout Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties.