LB Sustainability Quarterly Newsletter |
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Dear Friend,
Each quarter we create a newsletter with updates on sustainable programs, projects, and events from our office and others in the City of Long Beach.
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Long Beach, CA –In celebration of Earth Week, the City of Long Beach will host a series of fun, free and family-friendly events for residents to enjoy. Earth Day began in 1970 to bring attention to environmental issues and has since spread to weeklong events and celebrations around the world. This year’s activities will offer participants the opportunity to learn more about how the collective community can integrate sustainability into daily life.
“I am thrilled that so many of our City departments are combining their efforts to host these family-friendly environmental events in honor of Earth Week,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Sustainability and being eco-conscious are important to us all and I encourage our residents to participate in these events and learn more about how they can help Long Beach become greener, healthier and more sustainable.”
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The Office of Sustainability invites you to Willow Springs Park (2755 Orange Avenue) on April 30 from 8am-2pm to record and share your observations on the iNaturalist app as part of the City Nature Challenge. The City Nature Challenge is an international event where cities all over the world observe and share the plants and animals around them.
From 8am-2pm there will be staff available at Willow Springs Park to answer questions and assist with the iNaturalist app. The event will also feature community-led yoga, live music, nature drawings, and more!
Willow Springs Park is home to many native plants and animals. There is a walking trail that borders a wetland habitat restoration area and a beautiful demonstration garden at Longview Point where you can explore the many California native plants on display.
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The historic Rancho Los Cerritos is paving the way for climate change, environmental justice, and water conservation with their stormwater retention and recapture project, Looking Back to Advance Forward.
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Certified Green Businesses |
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As part of the California Green Business Network (CAGBN), Long Beach certifies and recognizes green businesses for their efforts to protect the environment. Below are the businesses that were certified and recertified since Winter 2021. |
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$500 rebates are available to support your Green Business Certification!
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Join us for our virtual Native Plant Workshops on Facebook and Instagram @LBSustainability.
Check out these Native Plant workshop videos:
- Exploring Natives and Pollinators
- Getting to Know Encilia Californica
- Fall Planting Basics
- What Makes a Naturalist
- Native Plant Seed Saving Basics
- Native Plant Diversity in Urban Settings
- Native Plant Container Gardening
- Native Plant Propagation
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Join us on Facebook and Instagram @ LBSustainability for our virtual Edible Garden Workshops!
Check out these Edible Garden workshop videos:
- DIY Worm Composting Bin
- Upcycled Potato Planter Box
- Regrowing and Planting Potatoes
- Summer Planting Basics
- ReGROWceries
- Upcycled Planters
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Donna Bergeron-Birge serves the 8th Council District as Commissioner for Sustainability. Her academic background is Spanish and English as a Second Language. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from CSU Fullerton, and a Spanish Teaching Credential from CSU Dominguez Hills. In her retirement, she has dedicated herself to grassroots community service by leading Ridgewood Triangle Neighborhood, and is the Co-Founder for Ridgewood/Bixby Knolls Clean Streets Volunteers . She is an extreme advocate for conservation, community pride, waste reduction, a cleaner, healthier environment, and the preservation and creation of habitat in as many corners of the city as we can (still) find.
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Join us for the next Sustainable City Commission meeting:
Agenda Items: TBD
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Say Hello to Our Climate Fellows! |
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Climate Fellows advance climate actions that engage community members, cultivate change, and leave a lasting impact. The fellowship connects organizations and agencies with talented, motivated emerging leaders to move the needle on climate change in the community. Visit California Volunteers or CivicSpark for more information.
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Vanessa Covington (she/her) is a life long resident of Long Beach. She has two Associates of Science from Long Beach City College, and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. During her fellowship/internship she hopes to help restore Willow Springs Park, and is looking forward to connecting with her community to help inform them of climate change. She wants to better provide her community with resources to help combat the effects of climate change in under-serviced communities like hers while simultaneously fighting racial inequity.
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Brandon Pundamiera (he/him) started his 11-month program of service in November of 2021. Originally from Carson, California, he became a first-generation college graduate in 2020 from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor's of Science degree and double major in Society & Environment and Ecosystem Management & Forestry with a minor in Sustainable Design. Brandon also studied abroad at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. Brandon looks forward to engaging with the Long Beach community to increase access and opportunities for climate action education as well as activating Willow Springs Park as an outdoor education space through curriculum, workshop development, and volunteer coordination.
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Lian Mae (she/they) is an Ilokano environmentalist, UCLA graduate, and current CivicSpark Fellow. They joined the City's Planning Bureau and Office of Sustainability in January 2021 as a Climate Action Corps Fellow to help implement the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). Some of their projects include developing the CAAP Dashboard and the Youth Climate Ambassador Program. She is most passionate about environmental justice and climate resilience, having first-hand experiences of these issues during her upbringing in the Philippines and on the Central Coast (Chumash Land). Ultimately, Lian Mae is driven by collective and intergenerational healing. In her free time, she enjoys watching animated media, attending concerts, and exploring local cafes
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Courtney Chatterson worked with the Office of Sustainability for 5 years as the Communications Specialist and launched the City’s Green Business Program under the California Green Business Network. She has moved on to join the Economic Development Department’s Business Development Bureau as the LBRA Program Manager where she will be managing LB Recovery Act programs to support Long Beach small businesses and their economic recovery. She has an M.S. in Environmental Studies from Cal State Fullerton and an M.A. in International Development from the Graduate Institute of Geneva Switzerland. She spends her free time playing with her two adorable kids, taking her Great Dane, Lola, to Rosie’s Dog Beach, and training to race in triathlons. |
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