Garden School Foundation, August 13

This Sunday at The Green Tent, the Garden School Foundation will be making seed bombs — the perfect way to spread the love! Bring the kiddos by to cultivate a new generation of guerrilla gardeners and teach the little ones that you can garden anywhere!

The Garden School Foundation stands as the premier model of garden-based education in Los Angeles. After 7 years at the 24th Street Elementary School in West Adams, they’ve developed not only a thriving, organized, beautiful, and sustainable garden classroom but a comprehensive curriculum that speaks to the particular needs of schools in under-served communities. Since 2003, they’ve been turning asphalt into ecosystems, working to create a healthy, educated and aware future generation that care for their bodies and for the earth. GSF’s Seed To Table (S2T) program, which is comprised of K-5 year-round curriculum, operates in six Title I elementary schools and their new Greenhouse Program teaches vocation-based curriculum to students with developmental disabilities at Widney Career and Transition Center. 

GSF holds Community Garden Days every month at their various sites, providing a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and volunteer in one of their school gardens. Please visit their website if you are interested in participating on a Community Garden Day. You will also find details for their Greenhouse Seedling CSA Program and news on their amazing expansion into 10 new schools providing teacher training workshops! Check out their website for more exciting things happening at The Garden School Foundation. 

Art Lee, August 6

DIY PERSONAL SOLAR PROJECTS

Do you have a small project such as a green house, garden fountain or a circulating fan that could be powered by one or more solar panels? Do you have a tiny home or RV and would like power without hooking up to the grid? Or maybe you are a backpacker and would like to have power to charge a GPS, cell phone, and flashlight batteries deep in the woods. 

By now most of us have heard of solar panels. Many people have installed them on their rooftops.  The energy generated by those panels go directly to the "grid", so during a power outage, we do not have access to the electricity they generate.  

Come to the Green Tent on August 6 and learn about installing your own personal solar panel for small projects or emergency power for your cell phone, laptop, or ham radio.

Guest presenter Art Lee is also an expert on home greywater systems. Bring your questions!

Green Tent taking day off, July 30

The Green Tent is closed this Sunday, July 30. It will return August 6. 

The Mar Vista community mourns the recent loss of Paul Herzog. Paul was an amazing partner in the launch of our Mar Vista focus on sustainability. A celebration of his life will be held at TreePeople August 6^th from 10 to 1. Click here for complete details and to RSVP. 

Master Gardeners, July 23

They’re BAAAACK!!

Did you miss them? Last month the UC/CE LA County Master Gardeners took a little time off because two of the organizers were out of town. But now they’re back at the Green Tent, Sunday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. They’re giving away free seeds and free plants. 

This time they’re focusing on helping Mar Vistans assist monarch butterflies in their migration south with ASCLEPIAS seedlings. These are the plants on which monarchs lay their eggs and begin their lives, first as a caterpillar, later metamorphosing into a chrysalis, and finally emerging as beautiful butterflies. Here’s an article about Asclepias.

They’re also bringing bush beans — both tricolor green beans (yellow, green and purple) and French Filet beans, those lovely, slender, tender veggies that taste great as a side dish or in salads…or just eat them raw with some hummus or any kind of dip! And they’re BUSH beans, so you don’t need a trellis to grow them! 

The Master Gardeners want to take this opportunity to remind you that there are many helpful articles on gardening here: http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/ UC_Master_Gardener_Program/Gardening_Articles/. And they have a help line too! So send in or call in your gardening questions: http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/ UC_Master_Gardener_Program/Gardening_Questions/.

If you’re trying to save water, here’s a great resource http://www.bewaterwise.com

And don’t forget to bring your empty plastic six packs to the Green Tent so the MGs can plant up more goodness for you for next month. And this month, if you have any leftover 4 inch pots, they’re happy to take them off your hands, too.

SMC Sustainable Technologies Program, July 16

SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES IN MAR VISTA!

Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday and meet Stuart Cooley, Professor of Renewable Energies at Santa Monica College. 

See demonstrations of a solar-battery driving a "floating magnetic earth," LED lighting and virtual reality viewers! Get your questions answered on solar energy, energy efficiency, battery storage and EVs. Learn more about the Sustainable Technologies program. 

Teaching Wellness, October 1, 2017

How Do Your Eating Habits Impact the Environment?

WARNING: Once you realize the importance of food selection in reducing your carbon footprint, you may never be able to eat mindlessly again. 

But here's the good news!  With a few simple changes, you can save the planet while improving your physical health, sense of wellbeing, weight and weekly food budget. 

Here are some tips to get you started.  Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday and learn more or share your own suggestions.  

Buy only what you need. Buy an assortment of foods that include some that can last a week or more.  

Eat foods in their original form.  No processing to degrade food value, no packaging to deplete the environment.

Grow your own  No processing to degrade food value, no packaging to deplete the environment.  Food is right outside your door.  Don't have space for your own garden?  Help a friend or neighbor with their crops and share the bounty.

Save Water
Eat Lower on the Food Chain

Eat Lower on the Food Chain
Replace beef with other forms of protein to save water, money and lives.  And when you do consume animal protein, look into how it was raised.  Choose farmers who use more humane practices at all stages of meat production.

Prepare  and eat meals at home. You will burn about 250 calories for each meal you prepare.  If you have young children, you will teach them a valuable skill which is empowering and a money saver.  

Mar Vista resident and Green Committee Chair Jeanne Kuntz is a certified wellness coach.  Stop by the Green Tent and get a free consultation on habit change.  Learn more at her  website, Teaching Wellness .

Our Food Pyramid is heading in the right direction for a healthier planet!

Peels2Meals, July 2nd

Do you have questions about composting? Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday! Heidi, our guest, is an expert. She'll have  worms at the booth so kids and adults alike can stop by and connect with their vital and masterful Mother Earth tending wormships. 

Heidi is the founder of Peels2Meals, a compostables pickup service - taking compostables (peels, cores, pulp, food scraps, coffee grounds...) from your home to compost to gardens. Heidi's vision is the co-creation of a more and more and more eco-harmonious present-day way of life. 

Notice: Possible cancellation due to rain. Please check the weather before heading for the Green Tent this Sunday. If it's just a light sprinkle, we'll be there. If it's pouring, we'll reschedule Peels2Meals for a more Southern California-like day.

Food Forward, June 25

SHARING ABUNDANCE WITH THOSE IN NEED

Learn how you can help provide fresh fruits and veggies to the hungry in your community! Food Forward is a Southern California based non-profit that recovers produce from backyard fruit trees, farmers markets and LA's downtown wholesale market and then donates 100% of what is collected to local hunger relief agencies. 

Food Forward not only battles hunger in Southern California but also works to curb the environmental issue of food waste. Recent studies have shown that 40% of the food in the country never makes it to the table and 20% of what goes into municipal landfills is food. Southern California is an abundant land of agriculture and donating surplus food to the 1.28 million food insecure in LA county is a win-win!

Since forming in 2009, Food Forward has collected over 35 million pounds of produce, which has helped to feed 100,000 clients a month through 300 diverse distribution partners across Southern California. 

Sign up to volunteer at https://foodforward.org/volunteer/sign-up-to-volunteer/.

Food Forward hosts 150+ volunteer-powered events per month so, whether you'd like to pick fruit or go to the farmers market with us, there are many opportunities to contribute to our efforts in providing nourishing fruits and veggies food to those most in need. 

Greensulate, June 18th

Green-Roofs and Urban Agriculture… . its for all of us!! 

Have you ever wondered whether green roofs, green walls, or vertical farming might be for you? Did you know that green roofs can eliminate close to 90% of vertical heat gain through your roof during hot days. And both green roofs and walls can be a good spot for growing veggies.

There is much unused space on roof tops and on building walls (both inside and out) and there are many ways to make the most of it while providing important environmental benefits, green space, and increasing your property value.

Find out more! Greensulate has been in the green roof/green wall and urban agriculture space for ten years and they’ll be at the Green Tent to answer your questions and walk you through your project ideas.

Seed Library of Los Angeles, June 11

This Sunday at the Green Tent, representing the Seed Library of Los Angeles, David King (Garden Master of the Venice Learning Garden) will have seed samples and information on upcoming SLOLA events! 

SLOLA is our local organization protecting the diversity of our food supply – come and talk to David regarding the squash he is growing for the season and some tomato varieties the garden is obsession over this season!

SLOLA always has something amazing going on at the monthly Seed Library meetings. Come learn about vermicompost this month!