Thursday, April 30, 2015

Downtown Women's Center, May 3

MADE BY DWC AT THE Farmers’ market IN TIME FOR MOTHER’S DAY! 

The Green Tent is taking this Sunday off. In our spot at the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market, we’re happy to have the Downtown Women's Center. In its 37th year of service to the women of Skid Row, DWC is excited to help celebrate Mother’s Day with a selection of gifts locally hand made from sustainable materials as part of the MADE by DWC social enterprise.

Located in DWC’s LEED-certified San Pedro Street facility, the MADE by DWC gift boutique and café was launched in 2012 as a workforce development program, to break the cycles of chronic unemployment and homelessness by empowering women through vocational opportunities.

The women of MADE generate economic and social capital by conceiving, producing, and marketing handMADE products such as journals bound from salvaged library book covers and chic travel pouches sewn using reclaimed fabric remnants rescued from landfills. The full range of DWC’s handMADE gifts includes soy candles poured into vintage teacups, seasonal felt ornaments, and all-natural soaps.

These beautiful products are available at MADE by DWC Café & Gift Boutique (438 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles) as well as at the MADE resale boutique (325 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles), Bloomingdale’s Century City, the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Hudson News at LAX (terminals 4, 6, and 8), Raven+Lily, the Skirball Cultural Center, , and on Etsy. Take advantage this Sunday for your first pick!

A nationally recognized pioneer of permanent supportive housing, DWC is the only resource in Los Angeles that is exclusively dedicated to serving the unique needs of homeless and very low-income women in downtown’s Skid Row community.





Monday, April 20, 2015

Master Gardeners, April 26

Your friendly neighborhood UCCE/LA County Master Gardeners will be back at The Green Tent from 9 am to 1 pm. 

They've planted some lovely spring seedlings to give away, and, right now, many of them have popped their heads up and will be ready by market day.

In addition to plants that haven’t come up as of this posting (the Master Gardeners will bring them once they do), so far the Heirloom Lemon Cucumbers, Italian Zucchini, Raven (a darker variety) Zucchini, Asian baby leaf lettuces, Baby Mesclun mix lettuces and the Rainbow Chard are well on their way to feeding you at home. 


Come peruse the free seasonal seeds and the lovely seedlings that the Master Gardeners give away to get you excited about your garden.


There’s never been a more important time to be WATER WISE. Click here to find out more about how.  


Here are your MAY tips for growing. 


Join the e-lists! Free Email Updates of Gardening Events and Resources. Email ydsavio@ucanr.edu and specify which topic(s) : 1) Home Gardening, Community Gardening and Food Security or 2) School Gardening.


And don’t forget to bring your empty “six packs” so the MGs can plant up even more seeds for May.


Happy gardening!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Green Garden Showcase Preview, April 19

The 7th Annual Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase is almost here! It's Saturday April 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday for a preview of what you'll see and get help planning your tour. This year's Showcase features 54 gardens with a wide range of sustainability features including California native and other drought tolerant plantings, water capture, wildlife and pollinator habitats, edible gardens. There are even chickens!


Thinking that drought tolerant is synonymous with barren? We'll have photos of some very lush gardens, including some that are primarily cacti and succulents.

Curious about water capture? We'll explain bioswales, rain gardens and other methods, and tell you where you can see them. 


Wondering how you can go drought tolerant without spending a bunch of money? Find out where to see examples of do-it-yourself garden designs. Learn how homeowners have not only reduced their water bills, but also the time and expense of garden maintenance. 

Find out about some special events planned for this huge Earth Day celebration.

We'll have copies of the Mar Vista Community News. It's crammed with helpful articles about sustainable gardens and includes a large map you can take along on your tour.

Click here to check out the gardens online. Scroll way, way down - after the list of participating gardens - for garden tags to help you identify gardens with specific sustainability features. There's also an online map.

If your garden is included in this year's tour and you haven't yet picked up your "Garden Host" badge, parkway flag, and other materials, be sure to stop by. Or contact us at shelleyhwiseman@gmail.com and we will bring them to you.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Recycle by City, April 12


Do you know what goes in your blue bin?

According to LA's Zero Waste Report, 30% of what we put in the blue bin (by weight) is stuff that shouldn't be there! And as a nation, we toss over $7 billion worth of recyclable materials away each year.

Better recycling saves natural resources, saves landfill space and provides much needed revenue to our cities. The City of LA made $3.8 M from the sale of recyclables in the 2013-14 fiscal year!


Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday and boost your Blue Bin IQ. Play
a hands on recycling sorting game using real everyday items, with different levels of difficulty for kids and parents alike. You'll likely have some of your recycling myths shattered. Learn some recycling tips from a pro and where/how to dispose of Household Hazardous Waste. Get your recycling questions answered. 

Guest Tracy Bugh is on a mission is to increase awareness about proper recycling. To this end, her company, Recycle by City, built a digital recycling platform with simple, in-depth info on local recycling programs. The site also has a myth busting quiz and a page full of recycling tips and tricks - which is local to the bone. And they provide the marketing to get people interested in recycling. 



Thursday, April 2, 2015

Peels2Meals, April 5

The Green Tent is taking this Sunday off. We're pleased to welcome Peels2Meals to our spot. Program founder Heidi's vision is the co-creation of a more and more and more eco-harmonious present-day way of life. 

Stop by and learn about Peels2Meals compostables pickup service - taking compostables (peels, cores, pulp, food scraps, coffee grounds...) from your home to compost to gardens.

Heidi will have  worms at the booth so kids and adults alike can stop by and connect with their vital and masterful Mother Earth tending wormships.