| | Published April 1st, 2009
| Lamorinda Earth Day
| | By Sophie Braccini |  | | Deva Rajan and the Moraga Community Garden will sell heirloom tomato plants in the "eat local" section of the fair Photo Sophie Braccini
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"A Celebration of Local Solutions" - April 19 from 11 to 4, Stanley Middle School 3455 School street, Lafayette.
The 4th Lamorinda Earth Day aims at inspiring residents to put their passion for a better planet to work locally. Everything this year will be local: eat local, shop local, move local, act local, power local. "The idea of trying to eat locally grown food and shopping locally has really caught on recently, but the idea also applies to transportation and power and many other areas as well," says Steve Richard, one of the founders of Sustainable Lafayette and member of the City of Lafayette's Environmental Task Force, "this year's festival is designed to inspire, share and collaborate on ideas for 'going local,' in many different ways, to create more sustainable and earth-friendly communities."
The Lafayette Environmental Task Force and Sustainable Lafayette have invited groups from our three cities to join in to offer a fun and instructive destination for a day for all residents. This year, the three Chambers of Commerce are participating along with other groups and businesses from Moraga and Orinda.
The Eat Local section is spearheaded by a sub-group of Sustainable Lafayette. "Our objective is to find sources of food in our closest proximity," says Linda Riebel of Sustainable Lafayette, "whether it's growing your own supply, buying from local farmers or a CSA (community supported agriculture), or from retail stores that make an effort to support local agriculture." In this section of the fair, visitors will be able to sample local foods offered by about ten restaurants, growers, and other organizations that will host booths, including Nature's Bounty, Nibblers, Farm Fresh to You, Eat Outside the Box, Contra Costa Farmers' Market, and the Brentwood Agricultural Land Trust. Attendees will even be able to buy plants to start their own garden from local sources such as Mt Diablo Nursery or the Moraga Community Garden that will sell some 100 of the heirloom organic tomatoes plants that the group started from seed this winter.
Greg Wikler of Global Energy Partner and a member of Sustainable Lafayette coordinated the power local section. The purpose of that section is to help the community learn about the latest techniques for saving energy and also for producing renewable energy. "We wanted to present innovative solutions for the home and office," says Wikler, whose company manages energy efficiency programs around the country.
Among other booths, guests will be able to visit with a solar consultant answering questions on trends and policies, an architect presenting sustainable space planning, a vendor that will showcase green-based heating implementation systems: high efficient product for furnaces and air conditioners. Additionally, Springhill elementary will present a science project on energy efficiency that was developed by the young students.
The Move Local Zone is all about transportation and alternatives to driving around town. "One of the highlights will be a bicycle rodeo for kids where they can learn safety and tips for biking around town," says Bart Carr, another of Sustainable Lafayette's founders. Also included will be smart cars, scooters, commuter bikes, and a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). 511.org will be on hand to promote ridesharing and their public transportation online trip-planning guide.
"The Act Local section of the Earth Day Festival will host a booth from Sustainable Lafayette, where t-shirts and metal water bottles will be sold," says Janet Thomas, member of the Lafayette Environmental Task Force and a Chemistry and Environmental Science teacher, recently retired from Acalanes High School. There will also be booths from Sustainable Moraga and the Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority, where composting will be highlighted. There will be stands from the Lafayette Environmental Task Force, Voice of the Soil, which will explain soil testing and amendment. Students from Acalanes, Campolindo and Stanley Middle School will also participate.
"Earth Day is an opportunity to show people that 'being green' is not only about buying green products, but also about choosing to live a lifestyle closer to one's own community for the benefit of the whole," says Grant Stubblefield of the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. Local merchants displaying their green products are expected to participate in that section as well.
Organizers expect hundreds of people to participate, share ideas, and learn new ways to live sustainably. "We are excited to have our community focus on Earth Day and we look forward to neighboring communities sharing great ideas for making our cities healthy and sustainable," says Steve Richard.
Family Fun on Earth Day
(see www.sustainablelafayette.org for schedule):
- Bicycle safety rodeo. Children grade K to 6th are invited to bring their bike and helmet for free practice riding through a mini version of a city street. Bike and helmet safety checks.
- Collaborative Art Piece. Another unique feature of the festival will be a collaborative art piece entitled "Our wishes for the world" where everyone can share their wishes and actions for creating a more sustainable World.
- Live Music: Calaveras - Original acoustic roots music from this well-known local band; Laura Zucker - Local award-winning singer/songwriter in the style of James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, and Melissa Etheridge; Michael Black - Electro-melodic Americana
- Green Movie Shorts - Several short movies will be shown on a continuous loop. The Story of Stuff, the history of food, etc. in room 401
- Alliance for Climate Change Education ~ Presentation Slide show covering climate change issues and what kids can do about it.
Speakers:
- Kathryn Lyddan for the Brentwood Land Trust.
- Dr. Ellis Jones who has won numerous awards for his work on social responsibility and global citizenship. Dr. Jones is a professor at UC Davis and the author of the Better World Handbook and Better World Shopping Guide.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA