international day of climate action

This Saturday, over 4000 events are being planned in over 170 countries to make a loud statement about the importance of action to abate climate change. It may just be the most widespread day of environmental action in the history of the planet.

To participate, you can volunteer to host an event, like arranging a screening of an important environmental film, such as A Sea Change. (Find out how here. Then join the facebook event here.)

Or you can join in one of the many existing actions - Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, go to a climate awareness festival in Palo Alto or a picnic in Abu Dhabi. Go here to find out how you can take part (or just consult the map below).


View Actions at 350.org


According to 350.org, all events are designed to do one thing: show the support for the most important number in the world: 350.

What’s the big deal with 350? 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for parts per million carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. 350 is the number humanity needs to get below as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. Most immediately, 350 is the number world leaders need to lead with as they prepare to meet in Copenhagen this December to draft a new global climate treaty.

How will you get involved?

give synthetics the boot (bag)

Icebreaker, maker of some of the finest Merino wool activewear around, will be "bagging synthetics" next week.

Starting Monday, October 5, the New Zealand based company will be taking your stinky old synthetic, petroleum-based t-shirts (think polyester) and turning them into reusable marathon shoe bags in the Paragon Sports store window, on the spot, and for absolutely free.

Bonus for marathoners and aspiring marathoners: get 26.2% off your Icebreaker GT purchase and get a free pair of Icebreaker socks (from Oct 5 to 12).

So why should you ditch your old synthetic tee for a Merino wool one?

Synthetic tees:

• stink after a run
• feel unnatural
• are made from oil

Icebreaker merino apparel:

• made from all-natural wool from free-range Merino sheep
  
• feels soft to the touch
• has natural wicking abilities
• doesn't stink when you sweat in it
• non-polluting
• biodegradable
• suitable for all seasons

Plus you can run in Icebreaker apparel for weeks without washing it, so energy costs are reduced and less detergents are put into the environment. Read more about Icebreaker's ethos.

And here are the details for the event:

Monday, October 5 to Monday, October 12
11 am – 7 pm
Paragon Sports
867 Broadway at 18th Street, NYC

stuff for pedal pushers

Despite the fact that I "fell off" my bike last Saturday (I was cut off & spilled off) and bruised my back & neck up pretty good, I'm still gung ho about biking in this fair city. It's a great way to get around, it burns calories instead of fuel, and it's often faster than driving a car. Luckily for those of the pedal-powered persuasion, new bike paths have been established in the last few years, making it a bit safer for riding amongst the mostly apathetic motorists (even tho' I was in a bike lane when I had my little accident & the guy did stop thankfully).

Groups like Transportation Alternatives, Streets Blog, and Brooklyn Greenway Initiative are fighting for cyclist rights and the establishment of more continuous bike paths or greenways. Resources for cyclists are ever-improving as well.

Here are some great go-to sites for bikers:

Ride the City
Great tool for finding the safest or most direct route to your destination

NYC Bike Maps
Pretty self explanatory

CityRacks
Find bike parking anywhere in the city

Spokes
The NY Times bicycle news blog

Bike Blog NYC
More bike news


If you like cycling group-style, a la Critical Mass, some events coming up are:

Escape NY
This Saturday the 26th. Get out of town!

Four Corners NYC Bike Tour
Also this Saturday the 26th. Via Hey I'm Walkin' Here (facebook group)

2009 Tour de Bronx
October 18th


Other cyclist-centric fare:

Biking Rules
It's a PSA competition run by Transportation Alternatives to improve the public image of city cyclists. Hurray, if you want to enter, the deadline is Monday the 28th! PSA's will be screened at BAM on Tuesday, November 17th.

Bike Shorts
A cleverly named ongoing short film get-together. Submit a film, you could win $100. Next screening is this Sunday the 27th


Be safe kiddles, where your helmet!

brooklyn skillshare: a day of learning, making, sharing, doing

I just love learning new skills. How 'bout you?

In the last year I've taken classes on block-printing, jewelry making, and sewing, and taught myself crochet. I'm also learning about permaculture, and I've signed up for a lotion and soap-making class that starts this fall (oh yeah, Happy Autumnal Equinox!). I keep piling on learning upon learning, and I'm hoping there's room in my noggin to squeeze in some more new skills.

That's where Brooklyn Skillshare comes in. The Brooklyn Skillshare is a one-day event of learning, making, sharing, doing!

The best part is, it's free to the public with a suggested donation for participation. But in order for it to remain free, Brooklyn Skillshare needs your help. They have 18 days to reach their goal of $1200 to cover costs such as renting the venue for the event, paying a bike valet, supplies, food, and more.

It's shaping up to be an amazing event with the following groups sharing skills:

* Bags for the People - create sustainable alternatives to plastic bags using re-purposed materials
* Fiber Arts - knitting and felting using natural materials
* Treasure Everywhere! - glass bottles into cups, bowls, and vases
* Home audio production using Digital Performer
* Bicycle Mechanics 101
* How to brew kombucha
* Natural/organic metal casting and jewelry making
* Screen-printing basics & DIY techniques
* Taking care of yourself with massage basics
* DIY Electronics: Fun with LEDs, solder, sound, and the Arduino
* Basic Raw Food Preparation: the art of “uncooking”
* Party Favorites: infused liquor, homemade ginger ale & tasty snacks
* Make Your Own Butter and Ricotta (with Recipes and Ideas for Using Both)

It's an all day affair with 5 blocks of classes that are 1.5 hour long, and 3 classes happening per block. You can attend as many or as few classes as you wish, so make the most of it and attend the whole day!

Won't you help fund this incredible event? I just did. So far they've received $221 in funding. That means they only have $979 to go. You can pledge as little as $1. So after you pledge (click on the widget above or go here), go tell 978 of your friends to help out with this amazing day of skill sharing.

Oh, and here are the details for the event:

The First Annual Brooklyn Skillshare
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10th, 2009
@ Gowanus Studio Space
119 8th street
Brooklyn, New York, 11215
Suite 202, Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

See you there!

hop on the waterpod while you still can

Have you caught a glimpse of that fantastic vessel, the one growing squash & tomatoes & chickens? The one that composts, harvests rainwater & sustains its shipmates? Perhaps you have, perhaps you've stepped on board. But if you haven't, and have the slightest inkling of curiosity as to what the Waterpod holds, you only have 2 weeks to quench your thirst.

The Waterpod is about to sail off into the sunset (well, technically, it doesn't "sail"). Below, a message from the pod regarding their last hurrah.

The Waterpod would like to invite you to join us for our final two weeks open to the public on New York waterways. We will celebrate the closing of our amazing four-month journey with "Future of Mobility, Urbanity, and Water(pods)" at the World's Fair Marina Pier 1 in Flushing, Queens from September 16 - 27th. Visit our website for up-to-date information and events: www.thewaterpod.org.

This celebration will include events with The Queens Museum of Art, Conflux Festival, Underwater New York, Swimming Cities, Terreform, Wicked Delicate's Truck Farm, Andrew Faust and the Center for Bioregional Living [aside: this is who's teaching me the wonders of permaculture], hands-on workshops for Thriving After the Flood by artist Christopher Robbins, Secret School and the K.I.D.S and Natalie Jeremijenko's Environmental Response Systems.

We will conclude with an all day "I Remember Future" party on Sunday, September 27, 2009 from 11am-11pm in conjunction with the Queens Museum of Art. There will be trolley service from QMA to the Waterpod. The day will include, "Ascend" a pirate television broadcast/planetarium installation by artist James Case Leal, a globular sound installation curated by Lauren Rosati, and DJ Trent Wolbe from WFMU, among other futuristic happenings.

We are at the Worlds Fair Marina Pier 1 from Sept. 16- Sept 27.
We are open to the public Thursday/Friday 8am-4pm and Saturday/Sunday 11am-7pm.

Here is schedule of events, please join us!

Friday 9/18:
Conflux Festival 2-4:30pm on the Waterpod. Waterpod team talks about life on board.
5pm Piledrivers music

Saturday 9/19:
3pm Urban Permaculture workshop with Andrew Faust; Regenerating Today's Cityscapes
5pm Betsy Bradley,Father Knickerbocker Meets the Future: Lecture about the World's Fair

Sunday, September 20:
1pm Christopher Robbins & Matt Bua --Waterborn edibles in New York / Build a solar cooker
3pm Underwater New York Readings
6-10pm Swimming Cities Fundraiser Party

Saturday, 9/26:
1pm- Christopher Robbins & Douglas Paulson-Jerry-rigging 101: Build your own boat from urban detritus/Knot tying-bring stuff that might float
3pm Secret School and the K.I.D.S. host a "wild tea party": a workshop on making jam and tea from foraged wild edible fruit.
4pm: Terreform Lecture founders Maria Aiolova and Mitchell Joachim. talk about the Future of Urbanity
6-7pm Artist Hector Canonge "Utopia" video showing
6-8pm Jérémie Gindre and Frédéric Post, Special show case and sound performance, co-curated by Espace Kugler in Sweden

Sunday 9/27: Final Day of Waterpod
11a-11pm "I Remember Future" all day Goodbye Waterpod Party in conjunction with The Queens Museum of Art (Trolley from QMA to Waterpod)
12pm Barbara Flanagan "Water Homes" lecture and book signing
1pm - Christopher Robbins & Ian Warren-Making portable gardens, Cereal banks (D.I.Y. protectionism) and food preservation
2-6pm Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis present their Truck Farm
3pm Urban Secret School and The K.I.D.S. make jam and tea and Cassie Thornton Barter System Beauty Salon
4-6pm Natalie Jeremijenko's Environmental Response Systems
6-8pm Lauren Rosati curates sound installation in dome
4-11pm James Case Leal's Ascend Planetarium video installation in dome and broadcast at The Queens Museum of Art
8-11pm Trent Wolbe of WFMU will DJ
9-11pm Band TBA

Subway Directions: From Grand Central Station take the 7 train to Willets Point Blvd - Mets Station. Head towards Citi Field. Take the sidewalk to the left of Citi Field until it ends. Cross the Whitestone Expressway and the World’s Fair Marina Pier 1 is across the street and to the right. Waterpod™ is located at the end of Pier 1.

Google Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=108226320777055742290.0004739489a1697c86cf6&ll=40.76148,-73.85381&spn=0.010792,0.021265&z=16

Thank you,
The Waterpod Team

even old new york was once new amsterdam

It's been 400 years since Hudson "discovered" what is now the great city of New York. And people are celebrating this historic occasion in varying ways. Here are a handful of interesting events happening now:

New Amsterdam Market



I got a taste of delicious local food at this open air market where the old Fulton Fish Market once called home. Pasture-raised dairy from farms like Hawthorne Valley, Painted Goat Farm, and Valley Shepherd Creamery; natural meats from Fleisher's and Dickson's; and other tasty treats from the like of Marlow & Sons, Stone Barns, Saltie, and Hot Bread Kitchen filled the stalls, doling out samples and food for purchase. A couple of newcomers included Maple Hill Creamery and Basis, a healthful/local/affordable food market coming soon to 14th Street in Manhattan.

Three more opportunities are coming up for you to get in on the scrumptious action: Sundays October 25, November 22, and December 20. Get the details.


(left: peppers from the Garlic Farm; right: olive oil cake from Saltie)


Pioneers of Change

Longing for a bit of the old world? Look no further than Governors Island this coming weekend:

A festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture on New York’s Governors Island to celebrate a 400-year Dutch-American friendship

Conceived and curated by Renny Ramakers, co-founder and director of Droog, as part of the NY400 week celebrations, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch to New York.

Pioneers of Change highlights a more responsible and sustainable approach to living by celebrating the blurring of low- and high-brow, establishing new collaborations, encouraging involvement, emphasizing sustainability and valuing handcraft and the local context.

Activities will take place in and around eleven officers' houses at Nolan Park, Governors Island, New York.

[via Droog]

Open: Fri 18 Sept, 10am - 4:30pm
Sat 19 Sept / Sun 20 Sept 10am - 6:30pm
Download Ferry schedule.

Get the full details here.


Enviromedia Mobile: Urban Trekkers' Summer Festival '09
Designated as an official Quadricentennial Ambassador by the State of New York.



I happened upon The Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy's Enviromedia Mobile Museum yesterday in Red Hook (after hopping on the free water taxi to Ikea). What an impressionable display complete with tepees, information on falconry, info about threats to native wildlife and health, and a live barn owl!

The Enviromedia Mobile Museum will be back at Erie Basin Park (next to Ikea, one of the sponsors) on October 10th. But if you can't wait that long, here's their full schedule.


(top: barn owl in tepee; bottom: info on PCBs)

september in the city - UPDATE!

I love September in New York. Dry sunny days, crisp clear nights. A perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors. Yes, we do have great outdoors in NYC. Here are some great ways to experience them this month.

I've added a couple things I thought you should see:

Queens County Farm BBQ & Campout
This weekend!
September 6 to 7


Here's your chance to nosh on some tasty chicken BBQ'd by none other than celebrated butcher Tom Mylan while sipping on some local suds courtesy Brooklyn Brewery. And if that's not enough, there'll be delish pie, a DJ spinning tunes, camping, and wake-up bloody Marys! Hello?! Why haven't you bought your ticket yet? Get 'em here.


Central Park Bird Walks
brought to you by the Nature Conservancy
September 3 to October 26



NYC is a big stopping off point for birds migrating south for winter. Learn the ins & outs of bird watching with Kellye Rosenheim in Central Park. Get the full schedule and details.

Reservations are required. Please contact (212) 381-2194 or nycbirdwalks@tnc.org for reservations and cancellations.

Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Events
September 4 to 26


Waterfront walking tours, kayaking Staten Island, tugboat races, and many more activities are on MWA's calendar this month. Check it out!


Governors Island Art Fair
brought to you by 4heads
Every weekend, September 5 to 27



Over 150 independent artists and galleries from around the world come together on Governors Island – free ferry to and from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Get the details.


Solar Powered Film Series
brought to you by GreenEdge NYC & Solar One
September 10 to 19



Get your fill of sustainable films in this series of serious documentaries – screenings powered by the sun.

Doors open at 7:00 pm each night at Solar One (23rd St. & FDR Drive)
Films start at 7:45 pm, followed by Q&A

September 10: Addicted to Plastic (trailer)
September 11: Who Killed the Electric Car (trailer)
September 12: Flow (trailer)
September 17: A Sea Change (trailer)
September 18: The Garden (trailer)
September 19: Burning the Sun (world premiere!)

Plus, every night of the series features a segment from Brooklyn filmmaker Michelle Vey’s From Elegance to Earthworms. Get more info.


National Parks Week NYC
September 19 to 27



I'm a big fan of National Parks. I've only been to 5 of them (soon to be 6!), but I've got my sites set on many more. Luckily, this month, the National Parks are coming to me – and everyone else in this fair city. The National Parks Conservation Association is hosting a full line-up of events all over NYC, including coastal clean-ups in Queens, a tour of Grant's tomb after dark in Morningside Heights, and screenings of clips from Rick Burn's latest documentary about the parks in Central Park. There are just too many events to list here, so here's the full schedule.

lettuce eat local!

I mean Let Us Eat Local. It's a gala event for Just Food, advocates for healthful, sustainable food access for all. Check it!



Tickets are now available for our second annual Let Us Eat Local Gala and Award Ceremony, a fundraiser that helps support our programs. More than 30 chefs from NYC's finest restaurants will be serving up 100% local food paired with local craft beers. The McKinley Hightower-Beyah Awards will honor farmers, organizations, journalists, and gardeners who work to bring fresh, locally grown food to those who need it most.
Let Us Eat Local!

DATE: Wednesday, September 16, 2009
TIME: VIP hour begins 6 PM
General Admission begins 7 PM

LOCATION:
Prince George Hotel Ballroom
15 East 27th Street, NYC
Get Your Ticket!
$235 VIP (entrance to event, 6:00 PM)
$150 General Admission (entrance to event, 7:00 PM)
$135 Just Food Members (entrance to event, 7:00PM)
Purchase Tickets Online

Menu
Starters:
VIP Exclusive with an extra hour and special tastings

The Main Course
So much to savor, so little time. 30 Chefs. 40 Local Producers.

Perfectly Paired
Each tasting is paired with a local craft beer.
Orchestrated by NY Craft Beer Week.

A Celebration of Our Region's Finest
Journalist
Organization
Farmer
Gardener

Silent Auction
Featuring gardening and cooking gear, hand-crafted jewelry, cooking classes, and more!

Satisfaction:
100% of proceeds support our efforts to change the world through food.

Plus goody bags with delicious treats and cool items to take home!

local food love: the bk farmyards fundraiser

Come one, come all to the BK Farmyards fundraiser event - our own little slice of local food heaven right here in Brooklyn. Guaranteed to be a good time with live bands, original artworks, dance, local food & drinks, cooking demonstrations, and games. Won't you join me?

CELEBRATE LOCAL FOOD



bk farmyards FUNDRAISER
hosted @ COMPOUND brooklyn
AUGUST 22, 2009, 2pm-12am

1287 Atlantic Ave, near Nostrand: 2 blocks Nostrand A stop; 2-3 blocks B44, B65 , B25; LIRR Nostrand stop steps away

RSVP on facebook

Live bands, original artworks, dance troupe, local food & drinks, growing display, cooking demonstrations, and games: Fun for all ages.

Bring along a blanket to picnic on the grass.

Suggested donation $5 at the door or pay what you can. All donations go toward creating more farmyards. We are currently working with developers on converting 3 acres to farm next year.

Gift certificates for Get Fresh Table and Market, Ici, Franny's, The Farm on Adderley, Brooklyn Kitchen, Edible Brooklyn, and more will be auctioned off.

Pass the word along! Help us build more farms!

grow your knowledge in an east village garden

Come learn about the latest in sustainable design in a quaint little garden in the East Village. Brought to you by the New York Restoration Project.

Series on Sustainable Design in East Village Garden!
Toyota Children’s Learning Garden
603 E 11th St between avenues B & C

Join us in the Toyota Children’s Learning Garden for a 4 part discussion series highlighting techniques to green our limited urban space. Whether you’re working in a garden, apartment, business, or home, come and learn from New York City’s leaders in sustainable design.
__

The discussions and workshops will take place every other Thursday, July 30th-September 24th, in the garden from 7:00-8:00pm. We will also highlight the area's environmentally conscious restaurants and businesses at the presentations. Following the discussions we invite everyone to join us for hors d'oeuvre and giveaways in the garden generously donated by Sustainable NYC, Angelica’s Kitchen, Quintessence, Hummus Place, Spino, and more.

July 30, 2009: Sarah Siegel, of Michael Van Valkenburg Associates: designer of the Toyota Children’s Learning Garden. She will give a short garden tour and speak about urban garden design, specifically the shad tolerant planting palette and sustainable technologies in this garden.

August 13, 2009: Chris Collins, Executive Director Solar1, will discuss benefits of renewable energy, the work of Solar1, and how to feasibly incorporate such technologies in your everyday life.

August 27, 2009: GreenItYourself Green Roof Workshop: Lori Gibbs and Atom Cianfarani, believe that living a healthy and environmentally responsible lifestyle should be accessible to everyone! They will teach about green roofing and prove tips and techniques for gardening in small spaces.

September 10, 2009: Marni Horowitz, CEO and founder Alive Structures, will speak about green wall installation and other techniques to make sue of our abundantly available vertical space. She will also discuss ecological gardening practices which mimic natural ecosystems that increase abundance, beauty, and biodiversity.

Space is limited, to RSVP and for more information about New York Restoration Project please contact Rachael Brody, 212-333-2552 or rbrody@nyrp.org

brooklyn food coalition general meeting

Do you like food? Do you like food that's healthful and sustainably produced? Want to get involved in shaping the way food is produced and distributed locally?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, come to the first
Brooklyn Food Coalition General Meeting!

What: Brooklyn Food Coalition General Meeting
Why: To approve the mission and structure of the Coalition and the convening of neighborhood groups
When: WEDNESDAY, JULY 22nd from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Where: Brooklyn Ethical Culture Society
53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Get the full details here.

upcoming events - food, water, walking, and more

Friday, July 17

The Transition Movement Talk
7pm to 8:30pm
(RSVP for location)

The Transition Movement is a method of community organizing and education that builds broad, grassroots support for sustainability while increasing resilience to the climate change, energy and economic crises. The future will be increasingly low carbon and local. Engaging people now in a planned transition will ensure ways of life that are more abundant, fulfilling, equitable, sustainable, and socially connected. Since emerging in Ireland in 2005, the Transition movement has spread virally across the UK and beyond, with hundreds of Transition initiatives now underway. Learn about this rapidly growing global movement. Tina Clarke of the Sustainability Institute has served as director of Greenpeace USA’s citizen action network and as campaign director for Clean Water Action. The Training will show you how to set up a successful Transition Initiative, or to enhance current sustainability projects. Receive imaginative and inspiring tools for community outreach and engagement.

The talk is free, but the subsequent workshop, held over Saturday and Sunday is $250.

More info here


Saturday, July 18

City of Water Day
@ Governor's Island
10am to 4pm
FREE

A FREE day of entertainment, education & adventure for the whole family celebrating the potential of our waterfront!

On July 18th thousands from the Tri-State region will float, ferry, paddle, row, splash, canoe, and kayak their way to beautiful Governors Island for the 2nd Annual City of Water Day Festival.

From the upper Hudson to Raritan Bay, we are a City of Water—yet too many of us are cut off from this tremendous resource. Help us revitalize the waterfront with a festival for the entire family.

More info here and here


Sunday, July 19

Rooftop Farms
Farm Market and more!
9am to 4pm

Rooftop Farms, a 6,000 square foot organic vegetable farm in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

• 10am-4pm Farm Market! We’re selling straight from the farm. Help keep us packaging-free by bringing your own favorite bag or basket
• 9am-4pm Volunteers welcome. Email rooftopfarmer@gmail.com for details
• 2pm Free workshop on urban gardening and farming. Troubleshoot, ask, grow!

More info here

[Tip-off thanks to Judy Harper @ GreenEdgeNYC]


GreenEdge NYC & Green Boroughs Walking Tour
12:45pm to 3pm

The tour on July 19 (register now!) begins in the West Village and ends in Soho. It features a wonderful green bakery, two beautiful community gardens, and a couple of charming green boutiques. The last stop will be the new Green Depot store in Soho. The tour on Sunday, October 25 (register now!) is in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It features a couple of charming green boutiques, 3R Living, a wonderful Revolutionary War museum, and a community garden. All tours have plenty of opportunities to stop and rest, buy a beverage, or use bathroom facilities.

Tickets: Special recession pricing $15! (was $25)

More info here


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Farm Stand
@ The James Beard House
167 West 12 Street
6:30 to 8:30pm

The Food Bank For New York City Young Professionals and James Beard Foundation Greens present The Farm Stand. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Food Bank and the James Beard Foundation. Proceeds will go towards purchasing farm shares at Roxbury Farm to help fill the Food Bank's Community Kitchen & Food Pantry of West Harlem with seasonal fruit and vegetables for hungry New Yorkers.

Participating Chefs:

• Daniel Eardley of Chestnut, Brooklyn
• Shanna Pacifico of Back Forty, Manhattan
• Matt Weingarten of Inside Park, Manhattan

Tickets are $85; or $75 for James Beard Foundation Members
For reservations, call 212.627.2308 or 1.800.36.BEARD

More info here

[via Manhattan User's Guide]


And in the near future...

Let Us Eat Local
Gala & Award Ceremony
brought to you by Just Food

Wednesday, September 16
6pm to 10pm
Tickets available now at the New York Charities website. Early Bird ticket prices available for a limited time only. Click here to buy your tickets now. General Admission: $150 - early bird $125 VIP: $235 - early bird $215 This year, we will offer tastings from more than 30 of NYC's best restaurants and food producers, including: Angelica Kitchen - Aureole - Blue Hill - Candle 79 - Cookshop / Hundred Acres / Five Points - Da Silvano - Dirt Candy - Gramercy Tavern - Great Performances - The Green Table - Jean Georges - Jimmy's No. 43 - Marlow & Sons - Mas - Pure Food and Wine - Rose Water - Rouge Tomate - Saul - Telepan - The Tipsy Parson - Join us as we celebrate Just Food's delicious mission -- to connect New York City residents with sensational, seasonal, locally grown food.

celebrate the sun with solar one

This weekend, Friday 7/10 through Sunday 7/12, Solar One Presents City Sol -- Independent Music, Art & Sustainability Festival.

Daily events:
Friday -- 6:00PM - Dance Party
Saturday -- 12:00PM - Live Music Day
Sunday -- 11:00AM - Workshops and the Wide Open Eco-Pet Fashion Show!

Full details:
Since 2004, Solar One has held an annual festival celebrating sustainability and encouraging NYers to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle through fun and informative performances and exhibitions.

The schedule so far for Citysol 2009:

Friday July 10 at 6pm DANCE PARTY
"Mr. Lower East Side" Moonshine Shorey, Poet Extraordinaire
The Alien Comic- Legendary downtown performance artist confronts climate change
Party for a Solar-Powered NY- Join the I Heart PV campaign to increase solar energy generation in NYC! Find out what you can do: talk to a solar installer, write a letter to your legislators in exchange for a free drink, design a solar racecar and enter it in our competition and dance till you drop!
Solar-powered DJs from HomeBase Collective

Saturday July 11 at 12pm LIVE MUSIC DAY
Schwervon!
Love Like Deloreans
Outasight
Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers
The So So Glos
Hi Red Center
Fiasco
DJ Green Lantern
Dead Prez

Sunday July 12 at 11am
The Rachel Show
BioBus Mobile Laboratory
Make Your Own Generator with the Magdagascar Institute
PLUS Workshops, panels and exhibits from a variety of local sustainability organizations- check www.citysol.org for details, coming soon!

AND... Beer!
Bring your own cup, Get a discount on beer! Reuse the cup you get, Get a discount on beer! Write a letter for The I HEART PV CAMPAIGN, Get a beer on the house!

Event sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery

Here's how you get there:
Map/Directions

blogging for brooklyn food coalition

I'm psyched. I'm part of an amazing movement that's happening in Brooklyn right now. It started with the Brooklyn Food Conference (well, I guess it started months before the BFC, by those great people that planned and organized that incredible event). It's taken on new life as the Brooklyn Food Coalition, and it has the power to change the way people in this borough (and city, and nation) eat, for the better.

My part in this whole thing is specifically participating in neighborhood meetings, especially meetings in my own neighborhood, and blogging about it.

Check out my first post on the Brooklyn Food Conference/Coalition website

And in related news...
New food co-ops coming to Brooklyn
If you live in Park Slope or any of the surrounding neighborhoods, you probably know about the Park Slope Food Co-op. It's a thriving cooperative business that provides a community of participants with healthful food choices, including locally sourced produce. Well, it seems other neighborhoods in Brooklyn are seeking a similar arrangement. As I mention in the BFC post, new co-ops are springing up in other parts of Brooklyn. That's good news for small farms in the New York area, for the local economy, and of course for Brooklyn residents. When I wrote the post, I didn't know about a new Bay Ridge food co-op that's forming, but I was quickly informed. (See email message below). So if you live in Bay Ridge and are interested in becoming a member, check out their website, sign up for their newsletter, check them out on Twitter (@thefoodcoop), get involved!

Hi Liz - just saw your piece on the Brooklyn Food Conference site, and thought I'd get in touch. I'm coordinating the effort to bring a food co-op to Bay Ridge, and sat on the food co-op panel at the conference, alongside Greene Hill, Kalabash and others. I wanted you to know a little bit about us too.

The Bay Ridge Food Co-op has a database in excess of 700 people, and is now moving to start collecting membership equity from people, we've made as much progress as the other co-ops you've mentioned. Like all the nascent co-ops though, we need help to drive membership, and if you do anything on co-ops again, it would be great to get a mention...

Best wishes,
David Marangio

food rules: events coming (really) soon!

Food. We can't live without it. This fact is especially clear to two disparate groups: the impoverished and the powerful (i.e., big agro-biz). And because of this (and other reasons), our current food system is pretty messed up. Learn how you can get involved by supporting local food and getting informed with these events, from film screenings to bee celebrating.


Brooklyn Food Coalition neighborhood meetings
Starting Wednesday, June 10

The recent Brooklyn Food Conference held in Park Slope Brooklyn, a wildly successful event brimming with valuable information on how to secure healthy food for all has spawned these neighborhood gatherings to help people get involved in food policy and other food-related action. Find out if your neighborhood is hosting one and when it's happening at the BFC website.


Food, Inc. (the film)
Wednesday, June 10
@ Bell House

An eye-opening look at the current state of the creation of modern food. This looks like a must see, for sure. Too bad it's happening at the same time as my neighborhood BFC meeting!
Here's a little preview:


Watch the official trailer
Get tickets
[via Brooklyn Based]


We Feed The World (another film)
Thursday, June 11
@ The Be-Hive
(55 Bethune St #215)

$10.00 suggested donation
Doors Open at 6:30 pm, screening begins at 7pm
Bring a dish for a Potluck Supper!
Stay for the discussion after the film

In case one disturbing food film isn't enough for you - A sobering portrait of the people who define the contemporary food industry, where the constant pursuit of profit takes precedence over the health of the workers, the hungry & the environment. (Austria-96 min)

The trailer is in German, but you'll get the idea:


Learn more about the event here.

NB - If you can't make it to the screening, this one's on DVD, and I think the whole movie is available online here.


Celebrate Pollinator Week
with Just Food
Monday, June 22 to Sunday, June 28

In honor of our hard-working, winged friends, Just Food and the Pollinator Week Planning Committee are pulling together a whole series of sweet events in order to raise awareness and support for urban beekeeping. We hope you'll join us:

Beekeepers Ball
Monday, June 22
Water Taxi Beach - South Street Seaport
(Pier 17 - 89 South St)
I'm getting buzzed just thinking about it (ha!)...
A not-to-be missed evening of sweetness and buzz... Indulge in the nectar of honey-infused cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and waggle dance the night away.
Find out more and get your tickets here.

New York Nectar
All week long
Mmmmm, I'm getting hungry!
Signature Pollinator Week dishes & drinks featuring local honey at New York's favorite restaurants, including: Back 40, Bobo, Jimmy's No. 43, Mae Mae Cafe, Palo Santo, Rose Water, Savoy and many more!

Honey Fest
Friday, June 26
@Union Square
A full day of fun at Union Square Greenmarket! Come enjoy tastings, demonstrations, and costumed antics in the park - and don't forget to pick up some local honey while you're there!

And stay tuned - there's more to come!
Sign up for Just Food updates to stay in the loop.


Sharecropper
All summer long
Throughout the city
An experiment in urban agriculture...

Sharecropper invites you to participate in this public art project and micro farming installation by artist Leah Gauthier for one growing season in New York City, Summer 2009. Leah will be using organic growing methods to plant rare and endangered heirloom vegetables and herbs, and to cultivate wild edibles on 17 parcels of donated land or growing spaces located in each of the five boroughs. A portion of the harvest will be shared with local soup kitchens, and series of public programming, including urban farming panel discussions, art happenings, and cooking performances around the city are being planned. This is a personal journey exploring agricultural plant matter and wild edibles as sculptural material, community building through growing and cooking food, re-imagining land use, and re-incorporating agrarian sensibilities and simplicity into modern life.

Read more about this local harvest at Brooklyn Based and Inhabitat.

a whole lotta stuff going on this weekend

Oh man, this is what I live for. Stuff swapping, supporting local arts, enjoying the great outdoors of the urban jungle. Unfortunately I won't be around for the fun this weekend. Hopefully you'll get to enjoy some of these tasty events...

Saturday May 30

"Score!" Freecycling Event
@ BKLYN Yard
11am - 6pm
FREE!


Start gathering your old Twisted Sister albums, ill-advised sample sale purchases, well-intentioned gifts from grandma, those jeans that just don’t fit anymore, etc, and get ready to exchange them for new treasures.

MeanRed Productions is teaming up with FreeNYC, Newmindspace and RefugeNYC (the same folks who brought you the Wall Street Pillow Fight) to transform the waterfront venue, BKLYN Yard, into an open-air free boutique.

Over hundreds of records, clothes, household items, and regretful “impulse buys” will find new homes. This one-day event celebrates the joys of finding treasure in some one else’s trash.

Also:

• Enjoy delicious sweets from the Treats Truck
• All leftover stuff goes to Rock and Wrap It Up – an anti-poverty “think tank” that distributes donations to worth non-profits throughout the city

Full details here.

Sunday May 31

Brooklyn Bike Jumble
@ JJ Byrne Park & Old Stone House
10am - 2pm

On May 31st, JJ Byrne Park and the Old Stone House will host the 1st Brooklyn Bicycle Jumble, New York's only outdoor bicycle flea market and celebration of New York City bike culture.

At this one-day-only-event, private, non-professional vendors will be on hand to sell bicycles, bicycle components, and clothing to the public. If you're looking for kid's bikes, cruisers, BMX, mountain, racers, fixed gears, or any wheeled, pedal-powered machine, or any part for one, come to the Brooklyn Bicycle Jumble.

Click here to send us an email.

[via Brooklyn Based]

All weekend: Friday May 29 to Sunday May 31

Local Produce
You won't find locally grown veggies here - more like fresh food for the creative spirit. Park Slope's own creativity and performance art haven, Spoke the Hub, is putting on one heck of a weekend full of dance, music, stilt walking, hula hooping, you name it. Activities for kids and adults. Let the good times roll. Full details here.

And coming soon, every Sunday in June

Summer Streets
Vanderbilt Ave in Prospect Heights
(this is my 'hood!)


[Not my shot. Image via Brownstoner]

During four consecutive Sundays in June, three blocks of Vanderbilt Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic and transformed into a temporary pedestrian plaza.

Summer Streets on Vanderbilt is designed to encourage the community to come together to shop, stroll and socialize. There will be music, art and gardening, face painting, sun and trees, eating and relaxing, biking and performances, people watching - and whatever else you might like to do. Plus a few surprises.

This temporary, experimental street closure, organized by the Vanderbilt Avenue Merchants District and the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council in cooperation with the NYC DOT, is a smaller version of the successful Summer Streets program that ran along Park Avenue in Manhattan last August and is part of the city’s efforts to create a healthier, more livable and sustainable city as envisioned by the PlanNYC initiative.

How can you help?
You can help by: setting up and clean up on any of the days of the event; distributing flyers and postcards; supervising activities in the "kids zone"; arranging musicians and performers; making a donation to help cover expenses and spreading the word to friends and neighbors. See our contact here.

What if you want to perform?
We welcome musicians, acrobats, visual artists, etc. We'd appreciate it if you could contact us in advance – especially if you are interested in using our sound system and stage. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to bring out your acoustic guitar, juggling balls or hula-hoops.

Can you sell merchandise or promote your business?
No. This is different than a street fair; we will not have outside vendors.

[Streetsblog via Brownstoner]

time to evolve

I don't know about you, but I feel a transformation coming. Like a great awakening, individuals, policy makers, and companies are changing their attitudes and actions to create a greener, more sustainable future.

Are you ready?

This Sunday, May 31, the evolution begins...

Evolver Town Hall

Economic recession, energy crisis, global warming -- OK, so what are we going to do about it?

Join a city-wide gathering of innovating individuals, groups, and nonprofits who are transforming today’s challenges into tomorrow's opportunities. Discover how we New Yorkers can re-imagine our beloved Big Apple, making it resilient, thriving, funky, healthy, and green. The event features workshops, panels, music, art, food, info tables, and more. Speakers will specifically address how YOU can make a direct impact in their area of expertise. Topics include: renewable energy and efficiency, green jobs, food justice, conscious health and living, locally supported agriculture, climate change, DIY art, rooftop and community gardens, media activism, resilient neighborhoods and communities, local/alternative currency, and more. Each person will come away with the ideas, information, connections, and contacts they need for getting involved within the community. Be a part of the local solution. This event will celebrate the launch of evolver.net, a social network for conscious collaboration, and mark the beginning of their off-line community, Evolver NYC. This is the first in a series of events to bring New York’s diverse tribes of transformation together to enact meaningful change.

St. Marks Church in the Bowery
Corner of 10th Street at 2nd Avenue
Manhattan
1:30-5:30p; $5
EvolverTownHall@gmail.com
evolver.net/event/townhall

events for memorial day weekend and beyond

No plans yet this Memorial Day weekend? Here are a few eco-minded events for the holiday and beyond.

Saturday, May 23

Flatbush Supper Club Compost Potluck
Get your hands dirty digging in compost and enjoy a lovely (vegetarian or vegan) potluck meal with some new friends. The fun begins at 3pm.

The Flatbush Supper Club - an ongoing series of community-led potluck meals and environmental discussions - is sponsored by Sustainable Flatbush, GreenEdge Collaborative NYC, and Educating Tomorrow.

Hosted by collaborators just like you, these small potlucks are intended for neighbors to get to know neighbors while sharing their skills, ideas and interests in urban sustainability.

RSVP and get the full details at GreenEdge NYC.

Saturday, May 23 or Sunday, May 24

Crawfish Boil to benefit the Make It Right Foundation
@ SolarONE
(2420 FDR Service Road East @ 22nd Street)
Help yourself to some tasty crawfish while helping the Make It Right Foundation rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans using environmentally sound designs and materials. Make It Right is working with the heavy-hitting cradle-to-cradle architecture firm of William McDonough + Partners.

The feast includes 4 crawfish pours (4-5lbs of crawfish per person) along with corn on the cob, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sausage and spices served with unlimited beer and New Orleans Hurricanes!

The good times roll from 4 to 8pm.

Get tickets here.

Sunday, May 24

What Will it Take to Create a New World?
The Awakening the Dreamer Initiative
@ Park Slope Food Coop
(782 Union St btwn 6th and 7th, Brooklyn)
Upstairs in the Community Room
FREE

This workshop connects the dots between environmental sustainability, social justice and personal fulfillment, and zooms out to ask, How did we get here? Experience a new sense of hope grounded in action, understanding the future of our planet as not inevitable, but creatable through the global movement of many acting on behalf of our world.

Combining reflection, video and dialogue, this is an experience you will remember! Please plan to attend from start to finish.

RSVP here

Monday, May 25

On the Horizon: Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Potential in New York City
@ SolarONE
(2420 FDR Service Road East @ 22nd Street)
7pm
FREE

Anyone who has visited the top of a Manhattan high-rise knows that our city enjoys a wealth of wind power potential. However, it is only recently that technological designs have emerged that can efficiently, cost effectively and silently convert that potential into electrical power for city buildings.

Russell Tencer is the CEO of AeroCity, a Hudson Valley based start-up that manufactures and markets vertical axis wind turbines. In this discussion Mr. Tencer will survey the technology’s potential and readiness in the New York City area, and review case studies of current and upcoming projects.

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. Space can be limited, RSVP by calling 212.505.6050 or by e-mail to greenrenter@solar1.org.

Tuesday, May 26

Help Build Biking into NYC's Social Green Map!
@ Open Green Map
(220A East 4th St. in Manhattan's East Village)
4 to 7pm
FREE

We're inviting cyclists and 'non-smoking lane' advocates citywide to Green Map's global office to contribute their fav bike sites, routes and resources to the Open Green Map. Open to exploration, comments and contributions anytime at http://OpenGreenMap.org/nyc, you can help build in the bike sites and lanes in person at this special Bike Month event.

milliontrees nyc announces volunteer opps

[Tree and me]

Just the other day as I stared out my apartment window, I thought about how lovely it was that the trees back there have grown closer our building. The lush green branches and perching birds were a great comfort to me, considering we have no outdoor space in our place. This morning I awoke to the sound of chainsaws. Half the tree is gone. I just hope they made a clean cut at the branch collar so the tree will "heal" properly (tomorrow I have my field day with the Trees NY Citizen Pruner course). 

If you appreciate trees and wildlife as much as I do, maybe you'll be compelled to help the city take care of our little bits of green habitat. MillionTrees NYC just announced their upcoming schedule of events. Maybe I'll see you at one of them...

SPRING INTO ACTION WITH MILLIONTREES NYC
Natural Resources Group: Forest Stewardship Days: Citywide
This spring take part in the restoration of forests in natural areas in NYC. We will be removing invasive weeds, watering and mulching. Volunteers will learn the history and ecology of the sites and help ensure the future of the forest!

Registration is currently open to volunteer with MillionTreesNYC in our reforestation areas!

• Saturday, May 30, 2009, 9:00am-2:00pm: Ocean Breeze, Staten Island Kissena Corridor Park, Queens
  
• Saturday, June 20, 2009, 9:00am-2:00pm: Pelham Bay Park, Bronx Canarsie Park, Brooklyn Idlewild Park, Queens Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island Mt. Loretto Unique Area, Staten Island Randall’s Island, Manhattan
  

Sign up at http://milliontreesnyc.org/html/involved/nrg_registration.shtml
Children under 16 must be accompanied by a guardian. Not recommended for children under age 12.
Contact Ellen Arnstein Ellen.arnstein@parks.nyc.gov with questions

Conference House Park, Staten Island: Forest Stewardship Volunteering
Looking for interesting and meaningful activities in the great outdoors? Experience nature, learn plant and animal species and volunteer at Conference House Park. Activities will include planting, invasive plant removal, and tree-care activities.

• Saturday, May 16th, 2:00-5:00pm 
  
• Wednesday, May 20th, 9:00am-12:00pm 
  
• Saturday, May 30th, 2:00-5:00pm 
  
• Saturday, June 27th, 2:00-5:00pm 
  
• Wednesday, July 8th, 5:00-7:30pm 
  
• Sunday, July 26th, 9:00am-12:00pm 
  
• Monday, July 27th, 9:00am-12:00pm
  

Stewardship events begin at the Conference House Park Visitors’ Center. For questions, directions, and to RSVP, contact Cheri at:cheri.brunault@parks.nyc.gov or 718-390-8021.

this saturday, the great american book drive!

This Saturday, May 16 from 10am to 3pm at the Brooklyn Public Library, it's the Great American Book Drive. Bring your old, your tired, your weary books to the steps of the grand ol' library in Grand Army Plaza and give them a new home. Full details from BPL below:

As many of you know, this Saturday, May 16, is our second Great American Book Drive, held in conjunction with Better World Books (BWB). Better World Books, is an environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible company that collects and sells books to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. This event at Central Library offers you a chance to clean out your bookshelves and donate unwanted materials to a good cause -- your library!

But before you pack up that shopping back full of old textbooks and Windows '98 user manuals, we wanted to clarify our policy regarding donations:

1) Our first step when we receive a donation is to check the ISBNs of the books we receive with BWB's database to see if they're "sellable"
2) We send "sellable" ones to BWB, which they sell and give proceeds back to us
3) We recycle those books BWB cannot sell
4) We also weed our collections so that we recycle worn-out books, or those that do not circulate to make way for more popular materials

So before you come, please review our donation policy as it would be a shame for you to herniate a disc carrying old items to Central that we ultimately can't use.