November Eco-Bulletin
November is here, and that means the holiday season is right around the corner! But as days get shorter and the weather gets (hopefully) cold and rainy, ECOSLO is still hard at work on the programs and environmental issues you care about. Check out what we have been up to (and what we have in store) including a clean-up at Santa Margarita Lake, exciting fundraising events, and advocacy updates!
We hope you can get involved and stay connected with your local environmental center - ECOSLO!
A fishing boat in Morro Bay, photo by Heath Hooper
In This Issue:
Go Green this Holiday Season
HumanKind Shopping Day
Whalebird Kombucha Craft Fair
Looking for a Weekend Activity?
Become a part of ECOSLO's Tree Planting Efforts
Call to Action: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
Update on the Illegal Oil Drilling in Arroyo Grande
Join the ECOSLO Tree Keepers Committee
Green Business Sponsor Spotlight: Thank You, SLO County APCD!
Go Green this Holiday Season!
Here are 4 quick tips that help you have a more sustainable festive season:
1. Use Reusable Supplies: One quick way to reduce your waste is by using reusables at your parties. Don't have enough plates, cups, and cutlery for all your guests? Throw a Bring Your Own Plate Party (BYOPP) where all your guests bring their own items.
2. Sustainable Decorations: It can seem tempting to buy cheap, single-use decorations every year, but investing in permanent festive decorations will save you time and money in the future. Choose items that are made from sturdy materials like wood or cloth and use them year after year, instead of plastic or polystyrene that are more likely to get damaged in storage.
3. Get Thrifty: Keep in mind your local thrift stores for all your fun parties and decorations. By going to a thrift store first, you are not only saving money but giving new life to items that would otherwise be thrown away. Check out Gathering's Thrift, a SLO County Green Business in Atascadero, for all your second-hand holiday outfits and decorations!
4. Compost Your Food Scraps: Remember, if you live in SLO County you can place your food scraps into your green bin as long as they don’t have any plastic on them. Place three accessible bins at your party one for food scraps, recycling, and trash, make sure to label them so your guests know where to put what. For more information on what goes into the three different bins check out IWMA’s website here.
Get a Head Start on your Holiday Shopping at HumanKind!
We are working with our good friends at HumanKind Fair Trade in downtown San Luis Obispo on Friday, November 12th for a Shopping Day! 10% of sales from both online and in-store (during their 10 am-6 pm hours) will support ECOSLO's efforts. If you are in need of a holiday gift this is the perfect place to get beautifully handmade gifts that are fair trade and eco-friendly. We hope to see you there!
Event at Whalebird Kombucha
We hope you can join us at Whalebird Kombucha next Saturday, November 13th for a craft fair at the pop-up 'Booch Garden' from 11 am to 4 pm. A percentage of proceeds will be donated to ECOSLO. So come show your support for local artists, live music, and a local business (who is also Green Business certified!) and their tasty kombucha, and ECOSLO - all in one day! We hope to see you there.
Looking for a Weekend Activity?
Our annual Creeks to Coast Cleanup event is over, but ECOSLO still has leftover cleanup kits! If you would like to do cleanup around your neighborhood, park, or a local beach please sign up to receive a FREE clean-up kit here.
Would you like to be a part of ECOSLO's tree planting efforts?
Help plant trees as a part of the ECOSLO Urban Tree program around San Luis Obispo county.
ECOSLO has several plantings throughout the months of December to April. Safety and communication will be our highest priority at these events. Please note that tree plantings can be quite labor intensive as they require lifting heavy objects as well as patience with digging in San Luis Obispo's tough soils.
Call to Action: Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary
If the recent oil spill in Southern California has told us anything, it’s that we cannot afford continued inaction in protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on a thriving, healthy ocean.
The time has come to designate the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary in order to ban future oil exploration, exploitation of natural resources, and instill critical protections for both people and the planet. The more than 25,000 gallons of crude poured into the Pacific ocean last month will wreak havoc on fragile marine habitats and work their way up the food chain.
You can make a difference and avoid this fate here on the Central Coast! Please visit this link to add your voice to the thousands of individuals calling for the Biden Administration to designate the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.
Update on the Illegal Oil Drilling in Arroyo Grande
ECOSLO is disappointed in the recent decision by the SLO County Board of Supervisors to approve Sentinel Peak's permit extension. This extension will allow for the drilling of another 31 wells on top of those it had already quietly approved since their permit expired.
The time has long since passed for us to transition away from fossil fuels and this decision only entrenches SLO County in the past. Though this result is disappointing, the fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground and pollution out of our lungs and water will continue! We also want to thank all who made written or public comments on behalf of the environment and public health.
Join the ECOSLO Tree Keepers Committee
Tree Keepers Committee members assist in the planning and planting of trees throughout San Luis Obispo County. Committee members scout locations and outreach to interested neighborhoods, schedule with individuals and ECOSLO staff on when trees will go in the ground. They work closely with ECOSLO staff to determine the next steps in planting trees around our neighborhoods, log data on the trees, and monitor them.
Green Business Sponsor Spotlight: Thank You, SLO County APCD!
We want to give a HUGE shout-out and thank you to the SLO County Air Pollution Control District for recommitting to be a San Luis Obispo County Green Business Program sponsor at the Eco-Friendly Entrepreneur level!
The SLO County Green Business Program is an entirely FREE program because we believe sustainability should be a goal of all businesses, not just the ones that can afford it. Our amazing funders and sponsors help make this possible! Not only has the SLO County APCD shown their commitment to the environment and our community by becoming a Certified Green Business themselves, but their decision to participate in our sponsorship program allows us to help other businesses in San Luis Obispo County become Certified Green Businesses as well.
Thank you for being a leader in our community and for all the hard work you do!
