Mycological Society of San Francisco

Every year in December there is an annual mushroom festival, called the Fungus Fair, hosted by the Mycological Society of San Francisco. If you missed it this year, you can still join the Society.

Mushrooms are amazing; some varieties cure the bird flu, others are high in vitamin D and some are good for dying fabric. Check out their website to see how you can get involved.

Something to think about...

“If I am not for myself, who will be? But then, if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”-Hillel

Bioneers 2008

Art Installation by the Eco Art Matters class at Bioneers, 2008

Watersite, a gathering place

Wishing well made from a discarded satellite dish

Buying Local, organic produce is simplified!

Sign up for either Grub Box 

or

 with Phat Beet produce 

to get a weekly bag of locally grown, organic produce. 

Picking up the grub box at your neighborhood drop off location is like Christmas- you never know what seasonal produce is going to be in there!

Drop off locations are around the San Francisco East Bay.

You can have weekly, bimonthly or monthly grub boxes. 

Both nonprofits offer low income options.

And Phat Beets has a 1/2 box option.

Sign up now and make your life easier.
No more having to remember to go to the farmer's market or to have bring cash and your own bags.
Instead pickup local, organic produce around the corner by prepaying for it online.

Painting class with the option to use natural dyes

 

Judi Pettite teaches a regular painting class with the option to paint with eco materials. You can sign up for one of her classes (beginning, continuing or special projects painting). 

All three classes run concurrently on Wednesdays 6-9:50pm, at Berkeley City College, starting January 25, 2012. 

  

Judi also teaches occasional workshops, say once or twice a year on how to make your own plant and earth pigments.

 

 Check out Judi Pettite's website: www.biohue.com

Judy Pettite, Untitled

2010

Watercolor

8" x 10"

Drip experiments using various earth and plant pigments.

 

Global Warnings

Global Warnings, June Steingart Gallery, Laney campus, Fall 2009

More photos to come for this group exhibit.

Installation by Kiki Rostad 

My work was focused on The book : Last Child in the Woods; by Richard Louv, Saving our children from Nature Deficit Disorder. At that time I was working with a group of children at a mental health center with a psychologist and we focused on  art & nature all that fall. I could not use pictures of the children or their names so my piece was a “sand tray” filled with  an old type writer and items from nature like a touch and feel box or tray. 2 pick-nick baskets filled with pine cones and seeds and Walking stick. All the joys of nature. The photograph is stagnant  the piece was “alive” you had to be there!

Kiki Rostad teaches ceramics at The Richmond Art Center 

Green classes at Merritt College

"The Merritt College Environmental Management and Technology Program, and Environmental Center (Self-Reliant House) are located in the Oakland Hills between two wild land watershed open spaces.

Courses offered cover an array of subjects including: Ecological Restoration and Watershed Management, Agroecology and Urban Farming, Alternative Energies, Ecology, Global Warming, Ecological Restoration, Food Security, Environmental Justice, Sustainable Cities, Policy and Planning, Human Ecology, Forests, Wetlands, Water Resources, Ranger/ Naturalist Training, Environmental Education, Air Quality, Recycling, Pollution, Wildlife, Population, Transportation and Green Building.

The Merritt College Environmental Center is also home to the East Bay
Watershed Center and the David R. Brower, Ronald V. Dellums Institute for
Sustainable Policy Studies.

For more information, contact: Merritt College Environmental Programs at
510-434-3840, or 510-436-2418 for the Landscape Horticulture and
Environmental Program office assistant."

-text borrowed from eco Merritt's website

Bay Area Green Business Program

Are you looking to shop locally at businesses that care about their employees and the environment? 

Bay Area Green Business Program has a strict set of requirements for being awarded a Green Business. Store owners proudly display their certification on their website and on their store front. 

Find a Green business on Bay Area Green Business Program.

Ecology Center

"The ECOLOGY CENTER provides the public with reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living. Our programs enable people to adopt practices that are environmentally and socially responsible. We run Berkeley's residential curbside recycling program, the Berkeley Farmers' Markets, Farm Fresh Choice food justice program, EcoHouse demonstration home and garden, the Ecology Center Store, and a variety of Information and Climate Change Action programs," quoted from the Ecology Center's website.

Other things to check out at the Ecology Center:

• Free 4 session course on analyzing your carbon foot print and how to reduce it.

• EcoCalendar lists environmental and social justice classes, workshops, exhibits, tours, films, and events. 

SOS Save Our (earth) Ship

SOS Save Our (earth) Ship, June Steingart Gallery, Laney campus, Fall 2010

More photos to come! Stay tuned! 

 

 

Conversations with Earth

Conversations with Earth, Big Daddy's Garden, Emeryville, CA May 2011  

More photos to come! Stay tuned! 

Oakland Occupy 2011

Impromptu field trips may occur over the semester all depending on what's happening in the world. 

The Fall 2011 Eco Art Matters class was asked to go to the General Strike on November 2nd and to write why they were either for or against Occupy Oakland and to watch several forms of coverage on the strike.  Below is one students thoughts, which is beautifully written.  


 "In my opinion the Movement is a big step in the right direction.

It might not have its goals specifically defined yet, but its very existence is letting everyone know that the time has come for the majority of people to take their lives and life in general back into their hands.

         Currently the beginnings of the Occupy Movement remind me of starting a creative piece of work – one usually begins to brainstorm by writing down any idea that comes to mind; one might also take a piece of charcoal and loosely put down an overall sketch that will later provide the basis for a composed and detailed drawing. Similarly, this Movement is starting by generating ideas; it’s trying to stay free of established mindsets; it feels organic; it feels logical, healthy, honest, necessary, and if not a bit late – definitely timely. 

         With all that’s wrong with our society, economy, environment, this movement tries to be all-inclusive. Everyone can feel a part of it and present their agenda. This should serve richly as the basis for specific proposals, strategies, and the forming of a public face.

         Whether or not people agree with the Movement, it brings out the same issues everyone within the 99% is familiar with – social and economical inequality among other things.

         I support the people’s Occupy Movement because I don’t see any other way change could happen. Sacrifices are made on behalf of the big bank and the corporation every day. Sacrifices will now have to be made on behalf of the remaining 99%.

         It was an incredible experience at the Oakland strike on Nov 2^nd. There were a wide variety of people of different professions and orientations – teachers, priests, business people, artists. There were many same sex couples. Students spoke about being in debt. I spent some time talking with the folks at the National Labor Federation booth. I was interested in how they help people deal with abuse committed by PG&E (smart meters are one of my big health concerns, and our neighborhood has had no say about them whatsoever). Overall, the feeling of solidarity and understanding among all participants was beautiful.

         KPFA supports the Movement; the station followed the strike by broadcasting live a 5 hour meeting of Occupy supporters and the Oakland City Council on Thursday. 141 Oakland residents spoke; many came up with specific strategies for the movement; many were concerned about the state of Oakland schools and the number of foreclosed homes in the area.

         FOX News compared Occupy protesters to hippies and Nazis. It also reported on a speech by Rudy Giuliani in which he stated that the Movement is president Obama’s fault and the result of his class warfare.  

         Rachel MADDOW seemed to be trying for more balanced observations and evaluations; it is very clear from her approach that she is a supporter. She said that the demonstrations have ‘altered the political discourse of the U.S.’ mainly because politicians and banks just cannot help but be aware and acknowledge the 99%.

         Today CNN provided some very positive descriptions and stories from protests in different cities around the country. It sympathized with the 1,500 senior citizens who in Chicago hit the streets to protest the cutting of social programs. CNN called the Occupy movement ‘a call to action against unequal distribution of wealth”."

- Martina Ladova, Former Eco Art Matters Student

Bay Area Salvage Yards

Do you love the thrill of the hunt, searching for thrift store treasures? Whether you are repurposing them into art or making over your home, the key is knowing where to look to maximize your time.

Thanks to Omega Salvage for compiling a list of Bay Area Salvage Yards. 

While you are out, drop by Omega Salvage in Berkeley, CA. At Omega they actively go out their way to great you, they are knowledgeable and the salvage yard is clean and organized.

Annual Green Festival in San Francisco, every November

Eco Art Matters Class Brochure

EcoArtMatterClass brochure

What and Where to Recycle

Stopwaste.org is the go-to spot to learn about what and where to recycle in Alameda County. They even have a hotline number (1-877-STOPWASTE) where you can ask where to recycle your odd ball items like scratched CDs or dead batteries.