Tag: environment

SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica will be hosting a Home Electrification event on Monday, June 17. The event will educate the public on ways to create safe and healthy properties by switching gas appliances with electric options.

The free two-hour workshop will cover everything you need to know about building electrification. Topics include:

-Electric appliances (heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops)
-Electricity cost impacts and more!
-Lower chance of fire, lower carbon emissions, renewable energy sources with Clean Power Alliance.

The event will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will be hosted by the city of Santa Monica, QuitCarbon, and green-building expert Robert Fortunato. The workshop is for homeowners, architects, engineers, property managers, city staff and everyone else interested in electrifying their homes. Free registration is required.

To register visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/a-practical-guide-to-home.

By Trevor

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Saturday, April 20, the city of West Hollywood will host an annual Tree Planting at 9 a.m. in the public parkway at 1146/1148 Formosa Avenue.

Four paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) trees, which are widely planted throughout Southern California and are native to Australia, will be planted on April 20.

The paperbark is a rounded, evergreen tree with a maximum height of 40 feet. It has a low water use rating and features exfoliating bark and oblong leaves with seasonal flower displays in the summer and fall that will attract pollinators and birds. Sun exposure ranges from partial shade to full sun.

Members of the West Hollywood community are invited and asked to participate in this year’s annual tree planting event. Individuals can drop by without an RSVP.

Supervision, instruction, tools, and gloves will be provided. The event will begin with a short ‘how-to’ planting session, followed by a discussion on the benefits trees provide to the urban environment.

By Trevor

MALIBU—On Thursday, March 21, the city of Malibu announced that community members are invited to attend the 2nd annual North Santa Monica Bay (NSMB) State of the Watershed 2024 event on Thursday, April 25. The event will occur at Malibu City Hall from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“Protecting our beautiful natural surroundings is a big part of life in our community and Malibu is committed to securing the future of our watersheds and marine ecosystems,” said Mayor Steve Uhring. “The North Santa Monica Bay State of the Watershed provides a rare opportunity for residents and multiple public agencies to come together to discuss the challenges our local ecosystems face and how we can address them.”

The city of Malibu announced on its website that the event is a collaborative effort with Watershed Coordinator Melina Sempill Watts and the NSMB Watershed Area Steering Committee, including the cities of Calabasas, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, and Los Angeles County Flood Control District, along with other local organizations.

Participants will be able to learn about each jurisdiction’s efforts to enhance water quality, increase access to local water supply, and preserve the wildlife and habitats within our shared ecosystem. Speakers will be available for questions on water quality issues, ongoing initiatives, and actions for a healthy and pollution-free watershed.

Seating is limited and RSVPs are required for the free event. RSVP online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-santa-monica-bay-state-of-the-watershed-2024-tickets-861204083597?aff=oddtdtcreator. For those who can’t attend in person, virtual participation options will be available.

For more details on the event, including virtual meeting links, visit: https://malibucity.org/EarthMonth. To learn more about the North Santa Monica Bay Watershed Area at visit: https://safecleanwaterla.org/north-santa-monica-bay-watershed-area/

By Trevor

MALIBU—On Tuesday, January 30, the city of Malibu Community Services Department announced the invitation for children to join the new “Agents of Discovery” augmented reality program that promotes environmental education and encourages exploration of Malibu’s natural habitats.

The city of Malibu indicated on its website that the mobile app guides kids ages 4-12 on a “mission” throughout Malibu’s Legacy Park to learn about native plants, insects, animals, and birds. It begins at Malibu Library and has 11 challenges, such as finding and identifying plants and animals and answering trivia questions. Children who complete the mission will get a free Malibu Agents of Discovery badge at the Malibu Library. The Malibu Library is located at 23519 West Civic Center Way, Malibu, across the street from Legacy Park.

To get started, participants should download the free Agents of Discovery mobile app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Click on the “Legacy Park” mission, and the City’s great blue heron will guide the user through the challenges.

The challenges are aimed to start and finish at the library and can be started anywhere in Legacy Park by opening the app and scanning the QR code on one of the informational signs posted around the park. New challenges will be created each season to provide young explorers with new opportunities to learn about Legacy Park’s ecosystems and habitats.
For more details about the Agents of Discovery Program, visit the website.

By Trevor

MALIBU—The city of Malibu announced on its website on Monday, May 22, that Westward Beach is one of only two beaches in the continental United States to receive the Blue Flag Environmental Award for meeting more than 30 criteria in environmental education, environmental management, safety and services, social responsibility and environmentally responsible tourism.

As reported on the city of Malibu website, the award from the international environmental organization Blue Flag recognizes Westward Beach between the Zuma Lagoon and Birdview Avenue, and the Blue Flag will be in place from May 25 through September 30.

Residents are invited to attend a public flag-raising ceremony with Blue Flag representatives, officials from the city, Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors (LACDBH) and others on Thursday, May 25 at 2 p.m. on Westward Beach by the restroom building.

As part of the award program’s mission of sustainable development through environmental education, Westward Beach will provide environmental educational activities to the public. Details about the activities will be posted on an information board at Westward Beach.

“Our sites have worked hard for several months to implement and maintain more than 30 diverse criteria to achieve award status. Their staff and communities can raise their flags with pride for going above and beyond US standards to receive international recognition for sustainable management practices,” said Annie Mercer, program coordinator for the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA). As a National Operator for the international Blue Flag program, ASBPA administers the program in the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii, as well as supports sites in reaching criteria compliance.

The program was started in 2020 by staff from the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors as a beach management entity advising ASBPA on feasibility information, and officially entered the program as a pilot site in 2021 when the international jury reviewed their Gap Analysis.

“We’re thrilled and honored that the Westward Beach portion of world-famous Zuma Beach will fly one of the first Blue Flags in the United States. The Blue Flag will provide visitors with extra assurance that we are responsibly caring for our coast,” said Gary Jones, Director for the County of Los Angeles’s Department of Beaches and Harbors.

The Blue Flag handed out to over 5,000 beaches, marinas and tourism boats from 50 countries internationally. Sites in the Blue Flag USA program participate in four stages of engagement between the host location and the USA program: Interest, Candidate, Applicant, and Award. Interested beaches engage in Blue Flag presentations and conversations with staff.

Candidate sites submitted their Self-Assessment Questionnaire for staff review and are working to meet criteria through partnerships, educational webinars and toolkits, and one-on-one meetings with staff. Applicant sites meet all the criteria and are ready to submit a full application in the next award cycle. Applications for the Blue Flag USA program open in September and close in December. Awards are issued to sites by the International Jury each year and audited by staff.

For details about the Blue Flag program, visit blueflag.global and blueflag.us.