Free Natural Building Lecture Series

Join the Ecology Center for a 2-part lecture series on natural building. Part 1 on July 22nd will give you an in-depth introduction to natural building, answering the questions, “What is natural building and where does it come from?” and covering traditional natural building techniques from around the world. Part 2 on August 5th will cover the current state of natural building: what happens when industrial cultures like our own begin to take interest in biodegradable and traditional building methods? This free lecture/slideshow is offered by Sasha Rabin and Massey Burke of Vertical Clay Construction. Click here for event details.

Join Us at the Eat Real Lit Fest August 27-29

Come hear some of the Bay Area’s most outstanding food writers recount their most memorable, humorous, bizarre, daring, satisfying, and enlightening food experiences. The Eat Real Lit Fest, taking place Friday-Sunday, August 27-29 at Jack London Square, gathers writers, chefs, and the food-obsessed to entertain us on various food themes: Street Food on Friday; Making, Growing, and Finding Food on Saturday; and an Eat Real Food Storytelling Slam on Sunday. Books by each of the writers will be on sale at the Ecology Center table at the Eat Real Lit Fest on Friday and Saturday. For more information on the Eat Real Lit Fest, and for a list of authors, click here.

The Berkeley Farmers’ Market wins Best of the BayList!

The Ecology Center’s Berkeley Farmers’ Market placed #1 among over 70,000 votes in the SFGate BayList’s Best Farmers’ Market category. Thank you to the loyal customers who shop our markets and helped us come out on top!

Berkeleyside, a local interests blog and news source for Berkeley-related topics, interviewed Berkeley Farmers’ Market Program Manager Ben Feldman, one of the many faces that make the Berkeley markets possible. Learn about what makes our markets unique, some challenges of running a successful market, as well as Feldman’s local food hero! Click here to read the interview.

East Bay Express Article Covers Poaching

Poaching has long been a hot-button issue, but with the proposed increase to recycling fees in Berkeley, the frustration around the illegal collection of recyclables has never been higher. Reporter Caitlin Esch interviewed Ecology Center Executive Director Martin Bourque and Recycling Program Manager Daniel Maher for the article, which you can read here. [Photo by Stephen Loewinsohn]

My Health is Important to Me: an Interview with Raheem Hill

This Digital Story features an interview with Farm Fresh Choice Intern Raheem Hill and was produced by First Voice Media as a project of Heart2Heart and LifeLong Medical in Berkeley. On the day this video was shot, Farm Fresh Choice was conducting outreach at McGee and Oregon Streets, where the Heart2Heart mobile health clinic was parked to give free blood pressure screenings and H1N1 shots. Raheem’s work and willingness to be proactive about his own health are an inspiration to us all.

Measure to Ban Plastic Bags Heads to State Senate

California could become the first state in the nation to slap a ban on one-time use disposable plastic bags in stores. The California Grocers Association is now backing AB 1998, a bill that would do just that. "Under this bill, if shoppers forget their reusable bags, they will be able to purchase a recycled paper bag made of 40 percent post-consumer material for a reasonable cost," Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), said. The bill passed in the Assembly and is now heading to the Senate. Take action by telling your representative that you support the bill. And vote in the online poll that KCRA has posted here.

Sign Up for a Climate Change Action Workshop Series

The Ecology Center’s Climate Change Action Project helps neighbors, families, co-workers, friends, and other groups to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Through a series of free workshops, the center offers tips and ideas for how each of us can significantly downsize our carbon footprints and save money at the same time. Click here to learn more about this fun project.

Climate Action Workshop Series at the Ecology Center:

• Mondays from 6:30-8:30pm, July 12, 19, 26

Join a group hosted by the Ecology Center, invite us to facilitate a group at your workplace or in your community, or get trained to lead your own group. Write to debra@ecologycenter.org or call 510-548-2220 x240 to sign up.