February 2024
This Month's Issue:
The Endangered Species Faire is Back
Trees PLEASE
On the Edge: Valley's Edge Discussion
Eggs in the Classroom
We Need your Tennis Ball Containers
Build Planters Boxes with BEC
Recycle your Mess of Plastic Bags
Cooking with Scraps February
Biochar Training Workshop
Landfill Trips Begin this Spring
Let's Grow with Butte County Local Food Network
Reduce your Food Waste
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The Endangered Species Faire is Back!
The 45th Annual Endangered Species Faire will be held Saturday,
April 20, 2024 from 10 am to 4 pm at Chico City Plaza.
Each year about 5,000 people of all ages visit and participate in Northern
California's oldest annual environmental faire held in Chico!
Visit our website to learn how you can participate in our Procession of Species Foot Parade through Downtown Chico.
Table Opportunity - We are looking for local businesses, organizations and other community partners to table at the event. If your entity would like to participate in the event, please fill out our form online.
Sponsorship Opportunity - If your entity would like to sponsor the event, you may qualify for a complimentary vendor space! Sponsors starting at the $250 Silver Steward level include a guaranteed 10'x10' booth space.
BECome a “Friend of The Faire” - Do you want to help support everything that goes into planning this event? Support us by making a donation online.
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... And That's a Wrap!
Trees PLEASE has officially come to an end!
Through this program, BEC was able to plant 255 shade trees in twelve different community spaces and in thirteen public schools across three counties. We were able to involve and educate over 1,000 students and volunteers.
The goal of this program was to educate the community about the importance of trees through classroom workshops and in the field through tree planting events.
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Thank you to our funders at California ReLeaf, CAL Fire and the Urban Forestry Program for providing us with the resources to plant, educate and involve so many members of our community. The impact that this program has made on the community will have a long-lasting effect.
We would also like to thank all of the community partners who aided in the success of this program!
We are no longer offering Trees PLEASE at this time, however BEC is seeking funding to continue its urban forest efforts in Butte County and the surrounding region.
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On the Edge: A Valley's Edge Discussion
There will be a public forum at Chico State on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. where the University’s Geography and Planning Department will review the Valley’s Edge Specific Plan. It will be held at the Bell Memorial Union in Room 309.
A panel will hold a discussion that reviews the “potential environmental, social and economic impacts of the Valley’s Edge plan, in addition to alternatives.” Panelists include:
The California Presidential Primary Election takes place on March 5, 2024, and mail-in ballots will start arriving at residences in early February so check your maill boxes!
The vote on Valley's Edge takes place on March 5, and mail-in ballots will start arriving at residences in early February.
There will be two local measures related to the Valley’s Edge housing development. Measure O and Measure P.
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Eggs in the Classroom is Back! | |
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We had so much fun raising our 35 Chinook Salmon last fall and getting to know our 12 homeschool families who participated, that we’re excited to offer another opportunity. Beginning Feb. 26, the BEC office will be rearing 35 steelhead eggs to the fry stage.
We will be providing FREE workshops to homeschool families in our office, 313 Walnut St. Suite 140, to teach children about the steelhead life cycle, climate action, an endangered native species, and our local fisheries.
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If you would like to participate in this workshop, please visit here to sign up. | |
Fin-ished with your Tennis Ball Containers?
We are partnering with “Stow It Don’t Throw It” to build fishing line recycling containers to place near waterways in Butte County.
The tennis ball containers will be up-cycled to help keep used fishing lines out of our waterways. Homeschool students who participate in our Steelhead Eggs in the Classroom program will build the containers using the old tennis ball containers.
You can drop off any containers to the BEC office 313 Walnut St. Suite 140 or email action@becnet.org to arrange for a pickup.
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This event is Bring Your Own Tools (BYOT). Drills, levels, squares, anything useful is needed. Gloves will be provided
Get your hands dirty and register to volunteer here.
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Build Planter Boxes with BEC
Spring will be here before we know it. Come help us get our Community Garden ready!
You can volunteer to build 10 new garden boxes on Feb. 17, from 10 am to 1 pm at Oak Way Community Garden, 1800 Nord Ave.
If you’ve never experienced our community garden this is a great way to check it out, and see if one of the new plots we will build is right for you!
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Learn more about Novolex and the Bag2Bag program below:
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Recycle Plastic Bags at WinCo Foods
Did you know you can recycle your plastic bags?
Normally, in Butte county our plastic bags aren't accepted in our recycling bins and end up in landfill. However, at the WinCo Foods in Chico, you can bring your plastic bags and plastic film in to be recycled.
The Bag2Bag program takes plastic bags and film that consumers use in-store and takes them to nearby Novolex recycling facilities in Fresno, San Bernardino, and L.A. to make more plastic bags.
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Our first Cooking with Scraps workshop on January 20th was a SUCCESS! We had 5 volunteers bake over 60 kiwi muffins from overripe kiwis which were then delivered to Safe Space Chico. They were a big hit with the folks there and we kept plenty of food waste out of the landfill.
Thank you so much to all the folks that came out to help and enjoy some muffins. We appreciate you and your willingness to help.
Our second Cooking with Scraps workshop will be on Sunday, Feb.18 from 2-4pm at the South Chico Community Assistance Center. This time, we'll be whipping up a hearty potato leek soup with a crispy potato topping. You won't want to miss it! Be among the first to sign up today and register here.
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Exciting Opportunity: Biochar Training Workshop
Are you passionate about sustainability and landscape remediation? Want to learn how to create a highly valued material known for its remarkable benefits including enhancing soil health and carbon sequestration?
This Biochar Training Workshop is for you! This workshop, presented by the Biochar Coalition, will be held on Feb. 17, from 10am- 4pm at Old Durham Wood, 1156 Oroville-Chico Hwy, Durham.
Biochar experts Kelpie Wilson and Wihan Bekker will be giving demonstrations on how to use the Ring of Fire Biochar Kiln and the Charr App. Additionally, attendees can take some biochar home with them.
Interested in attending this educational event? If you want to learn more about biochar and it's fascinating properties RSVP to @BiocharCoalition.org.
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Landfill Field Trips this Spring | |
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Now is the best time to schedule a landfill tour!
Our falconer at the Neal Road Recycling & Waste Facility, Dave Meyers, will be having falcon meet & greets at the facility until the end of March.
This is an exciting opportunity for students to learn how the falcons keep the landfill seagulls at bay and to see that there is no "away" when it comes to trash.
Want a free charter bus to and from the landfill? Register and fill out a charter bus scholarship form, and see the birds of prey before they're gone.
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Butte County Local Food Network's Busy Month
Our partner organization, BCLFN, has a month jam-packed with all things plants.
There will be a variety of events ranging from workshops, socials demonstrations and much, much more.
The month kicks off and finishes with seed swaps on Feb. 3 and March 3. BEC will be at this weekend's seed swap and we hope to see you there!
Check out BCLFN's events calendar for more details.
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Reduce your Food Waste this February
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Does your produce go bad before you can use it? Is your garbage full of smelly fruit rinds and veggie stems? Drop in the Bucket may be the perfect solution for you.
This food scrap collection program turns your scraps into rich compost, created at our community garden. By keeping your food waste out of the landfill, you can cut down on harmful methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas.
Drop in the Bucket currently serves dozens of households all over Chico, and in January alone, we kept over 800 pounds of food waste out of the trash and put it back into the soil.
These scraps end up as worm food, and becomes compost that gets used at our community garden.
Sign up for our donation-based service or volunteer to help us haul compost in your neighborhood here.
For questions, email sustainability@becnet.org
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There are other ways to compost too!
Other than our Cooking with Scraps workshops, be on the lookout for Butte Environmental Council and the Butte County Local Food Network at Chico's farmers markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Bring us your fruits, veggies, grains and coffee grounds to turn them into compost.
Not only does this process create a material that rejuvenates and adds nutrients to the soil, but it keeps food waste out of our landfills.
This is important, as SB 1383 seeks to reduce organic waste in landfills by 75% by the year 2025. The counties that fail to meet this goal will be fined.
Right now the county is considering shipping our organic waste out of county, so it can be turned into compost just to buy it back again.
This "solution" costs the tax payer and creates even more greenhouse gas emissions. Let's show the county that we can reduce our own food waste by composting in our communities.
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Butte Environmental Council recognizes the original occupants of what is now referred to as the Butte County area and the descendants who are still living here. They include:
Tyme Maidu Tribe-Berry Creek Reservation
Enterprise Rancheria
Mechoopda Indian Tribe
Mooretown Rancheria
We acknowledge and are mindful that these first people have a special and sacred relationship with their ancestral lands and the waters that run through these lands, sustaining them for centuries. We strive to learn from their ways and to be considered by the tribes as allies to respect and steward resources in this life-giving place.
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Contact Us!
313 Walnut Street #140
Chico, CA 95928
530-891-6424
staff@becnet.org
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