Category Archives: Sustainable Works

Meatless in March: Join us!

Happy March! Join us as we celebrate Meatless in March by incorporating more plant-rich meals into your lifestyle. The more meals the greater reduction in your carbon foodprint. Meatless in March is a City of Santa Monica campaign to encourage individuals to reduce their meat consumption in an effort to reduce their carbon foodprint and improve health. To learn the importance of reducing one’s meat consumption,

Why?

The Meatless in March Pledge encourages residents and businesses to incorporate more plant-rich meals into daily practice. By incentivizing participants during the month of March, the hope is to raise awareness and grow the movement toward plant-rich foods.  As a city that is driving toward carbon neutrality and a city of wellbeing, it is important to emphasize a plant-rich diet and reducing one’s foodprint.

Meatless in March is part of Santa Monica’s commitment to sustainable food. The City of Santa Monica promotes awareness about the effects of food choices on climate change. In addition to reducing meat and dairy consumption, we also promote eating organic, buying local and locally grown, avoiding processed foods, and minimize packaging and food waste.

Meatless in March also creates a dialogue around sustainable food. As we look at the impacts of one’s behaviors, we begin to look at how we can create more sustainable food systems for our community.

JOIN THE MEATLESS IN MARCH SCAVENGER HUNT
Click here for full details

“The Diet that helps fight Climate Change” Produced by University of California in partnership with Vox

Movie Screening: Wasted! The Story of Food Waste

Consider the fact that one-third of the food grown annually for human consumption is never eaten – for one reason or another, it ends up in the garbage.

WASTED! THE STORY OF FOOD WASTE FILM SCREENING
 
WASTED! The Story Of Food Waste aims to change the way people buy, cook, recycle, and eat food. Through the the eyes of chef-heroes like Anthony Bourdain, Dan Barber, Massimo Bottura, and Danny Bowien, audiences will see how the world’s most influential chefs make the most of every kind of food, transforming what most people consider scraps into incredible dishes that create a more secure food system. WASTED! exposes the criminality of food waste and how it’s directly contributing to climate change and shows us how each of us can make small changes – all of them delicious – to solve one of the greatest problems of the 21st Century.
When: Wednesday, February 28th, 7:00 pm
Where: Aero Theater, 1328 Montana Ave. Santa Monica
A Panel discussion featuring experts in the field will follow the screening.

If you are a Santa Monica Resident, High School/College Student or a Sustainable Works Member, register HERE for your free tickets. If not, you can purchase tickets at Fandango


 

*Please arrive by 6:40 to guarantee you get a seat

Zero Waste Event – Enjoy the concessions, but when finished, please discard in a sustainable manner to minimize waste…ideally ZERO!
Bring Your Reusable Water Bottle! Water provided by City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment.
Ride, Walk or Take Public Transportation, Don’t Drive If You Can

This event is presented by the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment along and Sustainable Works and American Cinematheque.

 

Connecting to Nature is Key!

Connect to Protect Gallery Event & Natural History of Santa Monica Bay Bike Hike

If you live, work or play in Santa Monica, you are invited to submit a photograph of how you connect to the natural world within the city. It can be a picture of yourself, your friends or your family picnicking in the park, hanging out at the beach, working in the garden or anything else that inspires you.
  • Selected photo submissions from the community will be on display at the event.
  • The evening will start off with Wine and Hors d’oeuvre networking.
  • A short presentation about Santa Monica parks and open space will be given by a representative from Community Cultural Services.
Sylvie Rokab, the Producer and Director of Love Thy Nature will give a short presentation and end the evening with a Blue Marble Contemplation – “Pay it forward”

Connect to Protect Gallery Event 
When: Wednesday, March 29th at 7pm 
Where: Lois Lambert Gallery at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica, 90404
In accordance with the Sustainable City Plan, the goal is to help residents recognize that they share the local ecosystem with other living things that warrant respect and responsible stewardship.
Submission Guidelines:
  • All photos should be in highest resolution possible
  • Include name, email address and phone number
  • Include a one sentence description of the photo or why you chose it
  • Photos should be taken in Santa Monica
When: Photo Submission deadline is March 18th
Where: Email photos to gina.garcia@sustainableworks.org


Need some inspiration?
Join the Natural History of Santa Monica Bay Bike Hike

When: Saturday, March 11th – 9am* – 12pm
Where: Meet at the Santa Monica Pier South Entrance (near the original Muscle Beach sign near the lifeguard headquarters)

The bike hike will be lead by William Selby. Bill is a recently retired professor from the Earth Science Department at Santa Monica College. He has led hundreds of learning and research field expeditions and is author of the geography book on California, “Rediscovering the Golden State”.

Do you ever wonder what natural forces and processes are shaping Santa Monica Bay and surrounding landscapes? How can you better observe and understand the natural systems and cycles that have been impacting our region for millions of years? The coastal plain and cliffs, the beach, and the ocean all have fascinating stories to tell if only we would pay attention. On our bicycles, we will explore the natural history of Santa Monica and its bay to get a better understanding of what we built our city on and how these natural landscapes are changing around us.
In about three hours, we will explore from the Santa Monica Pier to the end of the beach bike path just past Temescal and then return to the pier. You must be capable of safely riding your bicycle along the beach path. Arrive a little early and bring some cash if you plan to rent from one of the nearby private bicycle vendors. There is also a nearby Breeze Bike Share Station. You are required to sign a waiver to participate.
Steady rain cancels, but scattered drizzle won’t stop us.
Take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect to nature. This event is open to anyone who lives, works or plays in Santa Monica.
*Please arrive a little before 9:00am so you are not left behind!

Take photos during the bike experience to submit to the Connect to Protect Gallery Event

If you have any questions about the bike and hike, text Bill Selby at 310-463-8636

Space is limited!

Both the Connect to Protect Event and the Bike Hike are presented by the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability of the Environmentalong with Sustainable Works.

Student Poster Contest: Deadline March 31st

2017 Poster ContestSustainable Works, along with the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment is very excited to announce the 9th Annual Sustainable Santa Monica Student Poster Contest!

 The Poster Contest is open to all K-12 students who attend school and/or live in Santa Monica. Each year, students use art to investigate a theme of sustainability relevant to Santa Monica. This year’s theme is Saving Energy Today for a Brighter Tomorrow. Sustainable Works will be scheduling 20 minute presentations to share the principles of sustainability in Santa Monica as it relates to this year’s theme.

Attached is a flyer with the contest rules, selection process and information on submitting posters. To help us continue to grow this wonderful event, we welcome your help in spreading the word to your contacts and encouraging participation! When the community promotes the contest, students participate. Last year over 450 students participated in the contestand this year we’re looking forward to even more.

Prizes for winning posters include $10 – $100 gift cards. The winning posters will be displayed in the of City of Santa Monica, helping to further showcase our budding young artists while raising awareness of the benefits of energy conservation.

Next steps:

  •          March 31st: Deadline for Poster Submissions
  •          Early April: Winning Posters selected
  •          May: Contest awards ceremony and celebration to honor student winners and all participants. Gift bags and raffles for all!

If you have any questions, please contact Gina Garcia at gina.garcia@sustainableworks.org.

2017 Poster Contest Back