05 Jan 2014 EcoCalendar and Partner Preview
Selected Partner Highlights:
In 2014, Growin' Together plans to expand their afterschool and summer camps to include more kids, more hands-on projects, more volunteers and more parental involvement. They're partnering with the Amala Foundation to host two Kid Artisan Days where youth ages 7-12 will get to learn four different craft projects they could make and then sell at the Kid Artisan Market on April 27th. They're planning another 6 weeks of amazing hands-on summer camps where kids will get dirty, use tools, and have a blast with projects that combine the creative arts with sustainability. They'll end the summer with the 3rd Annual EcoArt Fest featuring food, music, vendors, workshops and student project presentations on August 2nd.
In 2014 the Natural Gardener will continue to work on dealing with the climate change. They are re-inventing themselves and hope to stimulate these ideas to as many nurseries that they can influence (just like they did with Organic Gardening. They are working on an “Austin Friendly” type of theme for their business model. They are are using low water use, well adapted and native trees and shrubs as their plant stock. They will continue to pay attention to GMO’s to prevent them from coming into the store, (seeds, etc). There will be more classes about topics relevant to our Austin Friendly theme.
RideScout released their transportation solution in 2013, and plans to grow rapidly in 2014. RideScout is the only app that provides public transit, carpool and private options like car2go, bikeshare, and rideshare in one view. They are nationwide and expanding, so expect app updates and a completely different Android app early this year with new social features so you can plan trips with friends. They'll also be adding new partners so you have more ride options to choose from.
EcoRise Youth Innovations has a goal to triple the # of schools they are in (from 20 to 60) which includes piloting in 3 satellite cities (Temple, San Antonio, & either Dallas or Houston) & launch an online educators community. They will launch the Eco-Audit Curriculum so students can conduct environmental audits of their campus & homes this year as well. The pilot for “Biomimicry for Social Innovation” curricula kicks off in the fall aimed at high school science classrooms.
In.gredients is hosting more monthly, free culinary workshops with Traveling Recipes focusing on seasonal, plant-based recipes this year. They will also be hosting in.SouthBy – in.gredients' own acoustic southby line up in the beer garden – and the First Annual Cherrywood Spring Parade and Lantern Walk on March 21st.
The Compost Pedallers are one year old! They just jumped over-I35 and DOUBLED their service area by opening the composting service to the Hyde Park neighborhood. They have more plans for neighborhood expansions throughout the year. They will be launching their first apartment valet composting program early this year and are developing a pilot to bring composting to a large affordable housing property in Austin. In 2014, the Compost Pedallers resolve to compost 600,000 pounds of organics – that’s 300 tons kept out of the landfill and used to fertilize crops and feed livestock at local farms & community gardens across Austin.
Barton Creek Farmers’ Markets are now in two locations – Barton Creek Mall on Saturdays 9:00am – 1:00pm, and S. Lamar and Bluebonnet (2323 S. Lamar) on Sundays 11:00am – 3:00pm. Every third Saturday at Barton Creek Mall they will be featuring Tiny Tails to You petting zoo for kids and every Saturday they are now offering Swede Farm goat milk and products.
Instructors and staff at ImagineSolar are excited to begin what promises to be another great year for the solar industry in Texas. Mark your calendars for February 1st, 2014. ImagineSolar will be kicking off the year with a Solar First Saturday feature presentation from Tom Ortman of Concurrent Engineering and Andrea Ricuarte of CleanTX. Attendance is free to all, so bring a friend and come join their latest discussion on advocacy, policy, and opportunity in the solar industry at their training center at 4000 Caven Road. Saturday, February 1st will also be the first day of their PV Power Package that gives you a 5-day workshop on Solar PV System Design and Installation combined with 6 months of access to their PV201e online course and their Online LIVE sessions with their instructors. This is ImagineSolar’s foundation course – designed for the “four E’s”: Entrepreneurs, Engineers, Electricians, and Everyone Else interested in applying solar electric system knowledge toward their career and/or business.
In 2013 EcoClean’s PROPS program passed the $10,000 mark in cash donations to local non-profits! Customers who take garments and household items in to be cleaned at any EcoClean location on Wednesdays automatically make a contribution to their partner of the month. January’s partner is Clean Water Fund.
Become an Austin EcoNetwork Partner today!
2014 Green Events, US Holidays, Seasons and Election Dates
Every week Austin is home to several great farmers’ markets – Saturdays at Republic Square, Barton Creek Mall, and Sunset Valley, Sundays on South Lamar and Bluebonnet, Wednesdays at the Triangle, Tuesdays at MLK Metro station. The second Tuesday of most months there is a Chicas Verdes luncheon. Every Thursday at 1pm on KOOP 91.7FM is Shades of Green Environmental Talk Radio. There are a few other weekly or monthly recurring events but in order to help you plan ahead (or plan around if you are an event organizer). We have assembled a list of special events that are coming up in 2014 that you might want to mark on your own calendars.
Recurring
Tuesday SFC Farmer’s Market: 3-6 M Station East
Wednesday Farmer’s Market: 3-7 Triangle at Lamar and Guadalupe
Saturday Farmer’s Markets: All 9-1 Barton Creek Mall; Republic Square Park; Tony Burger Center
Sunday Farmers Markets: 11-3 Lamar & Bluebonnet; 11-3 Plazo Satillo at E 5th & Comal
January 2014
LBJ Wildflower Center Free Admission Month
Jan 4 – “Cajun Cowboy” Supper Friends
Jan 4-5 – Christmas Tree Recycling at Zilker
Jan 8 – USGBC-CTB Sustainability in Real Estate Tour: M Station Apartments
Jan 9th – USGBC-CTB Monthly Meeting – Energy/PACE
Jan 10-12 – Austin Home & Garden Show at Austin Convention Center
Jan 11 – Ready, Set, Plant! Sapling Plantings
Jan 11-12 – Christmas Tree Recycling at Zilker
Jan 15 – Community Character Workshop South
Jan 16 – Reforesting the Lost Pines in Bastrop
Jan 16 – Community Character Workshop North
Jan 18 – MLK Morning of Service at Urban Roots
Jan 20 – MLK Day Service projects: Urban Roots; Mural at Hosteling International
Jan 22 – Seed Saving Basics Class: Creating a Seed-Saving Community
Jan 22 – Application Deadline for 2014 Cool House Tour (June 8)
Jan 24 – Community Character Workshop Central
Jan 25 – Ready, Set, Plant! Sapling Plantings
Jan 25 – Tree Talk Winter Walk – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Jan 25 – Community Character Workshop East
Jan 28 – Green Boots education series
Jan 30-Feb 2 – TOFGA Conference in Houston – www.tofga.org
*February
Feb 1 – Solar First Saturday at Imagine Solar
Feb 1-5 – Imagine Solar PV201: PV Design and Installation Course and eLab workshop
Feb 2 – GroundHog Day
Feb 8 – Work from Home Day – http://socialgoodsummitaustin.org/
Feb 8 – Green By Design – Austin Energy Green Building workshop
Feb 8 – Ready, Set, Plant! Sapling Plantings
Feb 8 – The Domain “Sustainability in Real Estate” Tour | USGBC – Balcones
Feb 14 – Valentine’s Day
Feb 17 – President’s Day
Feb 18 – Early Voting for Primary Election
Feb 19-22 – Austin Energy Regional Science Festival
Feb 22 – Spring 2014 Permaculture Design Certificate course, Austin Permaculture Guild’s “10 Saturdays” course begins
March
Mar 1 – It’s My Park! Day hosted by Austin Parks
Mar 1 – Sunshine Community Gardens Plant Sale
Mar 4 – Travis County Primary Election
Mar 9 – Daylight Savings Begins -Spring Forward
Mar 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
Mar 20 – First Day of Spring
Mar 29 – International Earth Hour, 8:30pm to 9:30pm by WWF
April
TBA – Family Water Festival – http://coloradoriver.org/events/family-clean-water-festival
TBA – Keep Austin Beautiful Clean Sweep
Apr 5 – Texas Veg Fest – www.texasvegfest.com/
Apr 5-6 – Zilker Garden Festival – http://www.zilkergarden.org/
Apr 15 – Tax Day
Apr 15 – 4th Annual East Austin Urban Farm Tour
Apr 19 – Funky Chicken Coop Tour
Apr 20 – Easter
Apr 20 – Austin Earth Day Festival
Apr 21 – Urban Roots Tour de Farm
Apr 22 – International Earth Day
Apr 25 – Arbor Day weekend
May
Austin Bike to Work Month
Early May – SFC’s 7th annual Farm to Plate fundraiser
May 11 – Mother’s Day
May 16 – Austin Bike to Work Day
May 19 – Early Voting for Primary Runoff Election
May 26 – Memorial Day
May 27 – Primary Runoff Election
June
Jun 7 – National Trails Day- http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/
June 8 – 18th Annual Austin Cool House Tour – http://www.txses.org/solar/content/solar-tours
Jun 16 – Father’s Day
Jun 21 – Summer Solstice
July
Jul 4 – Independence Day
August
TBA – Austin Fall Home & Garden Show
TBA – Austin Batfest at Congress Bridge
September
Sept. 1 – Beginning of meteorological Autumn 2013
Sept. 1 – Labor Day
Sept. 15 – Lake Travis Underwater and Shore Cleanup Colorado River Foundation (not scheduled)
Sept 23 – Autumnal Equinox 2014
Late Sept – National Public Lands Day http://www.publiclandsday.org/highlights/npld-your-town-austin
October
TBA – Austin Energy Green Building – Networking Party (Zilker Club House)
TBA – Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo
TBA Early Oct SXSW Eco http://www.sxsweco.com/
Oct 5 & 6 – Wildflower Center Fall Plant Sale and Gardening Festival
Oct 17-20 – 10th annual Art Outside 2014 at Apache Pass -Three Day Art Festival
Oct 21 – First Day of Early Voting for Travis County General Election http://www.traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.2
Oct 29 Last Day of Early Voting for Travis County General Election http://www.traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.2
Oct 31 – Halloween
November
Early Nov – Third Annual Rainwater Revival in Boerne, TX www.RainwaterRevival.com
Nov 1 – Last day of Early Voting in Person http://www.traviscountyclerk.org/eclerk/Content.do?code=E.2
Nov 2 – Daylight Savings time ends
Nov 4 – Election Day
Nov 11 – Veterans Day
Nov 23 – Empty Bowl Project – austinemptybowl.org
Late Nov – Austin Unchained – ibuyaustin.com
Nov 27 – Thanksgiving Day
December
Dec 1 – Beginning of Meteorological Winter 2013
Dec 16 – First Night of Hanukkah
Dec 21 – Winter Solstice 2013
Dec 25 – Christmas
Dec 26 – Kwanzaa begins
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