Francis Mendoza with Carla Muñoz, Tribal Chairwoman of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe)
with Francis Mendoza
Naturalist, interpreter and environmental educator, Francis Mendoza will talk to us about the history of the Chochenyo land that we inhabit. He will also focus on horticultural and medicinal ways Ohlone peoples use to take from and give back to the land.
The Indigenous peoples of the area now known as the Oakland Bay Area have talked story, lived sustainably and protected their land from invaders since time immemorial. As we acknowledge the land we live on, it’s also increasingly necessary to learn the true history of invasion, subjugation and trauma that native peoples have endured and continue to endure to this day. Through discussion and demonstration, Naturalist Francis Mendoza will present a holistic view of native people in the bay, one based on culture, language, food and land management. He will focus on TEK or Traditional Ecological Knowledge having come from the Philippines, where traditional Indigenous knowledge is also valued and shares a similar history of colonization by first, Spanish Colonizers, and later, American Imperialism.
Francis Mendoza (he/hey/sila) is a naturalist, environmental educator and JEDAI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusion) Consultant with more than thirty years experience serving marginalized communities at the intersection of race, gender, culture and nature. He is the JEDAI Section Director for NAI (National Association for Interpretation) and a Certified Interpretive Guide and California Naturalist. He can be reached on Instagram as @roving_ranger.
Here is a list of resources provided by Francis Mendoza:
- Ohlone Curriculum with Bay Miwok Content and Introduciton to Delta Yokuts by Dr. Berverly Ortiz, EBRPD, download at www.ebparks.org, 2015
- Native Peoples of the East Bay by Dr. Beverly Ortiz et al., EBRPD
- Bad Indians by Deborah Miranda, Heyday Books, 2012
- An American Genocide by Benjamin Madley, Yale University Press, 2016
- The Ohlone Past and Present: Native Americans of the San Francisco Bay Region, compiled and edited by Lowell John Bean, Ballena Press Anthropological Papers; No. 42, 1994
- Tending the Wild, by M. Kat Anderson, University of California Press, 2013
- Indian Summer: Traditional Life Among the Chiomumne Indians of California’s San Joaquin Valley by Thomas Jefferson Mayfield, California Historical Sociaety, 1993
- The Way We Lived: California Indian Reminiscences, Stories and Songs, eidted and with commentary by Malcolm Margolin, Heyday Books, 1992
- The Ohlone Way by Malcolm Margolin, Heyday Books, 1978
Join Alameda Backyard Growers as we work and learn at Farm2Market, one of our favorite Alameda places. Farm2Market (2600 Barbers Point Road) is a great place to learn innovative and sustainable techniques for growing fruit and vegetables. Lots of different tasks will be available – at least one should fit your interests and abilities! Have fun, gain some gardening know how and enjoy the company of other food growers while helping out a valuable Alameda non-profit.
Farm2Market is a small, diversified working urban farm and a social enterprise of Alameda Point Collaborative. The farm employs APC residents to work with staff and volunteers to produce delicious, nutritious fruits and veggies, raw honey and beautiful flowers. Proceeds from its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership program are used to help sustain APC’s supportive housing community.
COVID precautions: If you are fully vaccinated, you are not required to wear a mask. If you are not fully vaccinated, you must wear a mask whenever you are within six feet of another person.
Bring along your garden gloves, water bottle, sunscreen, your favorite hand tools, and whatever else you’d like to make your gardening work comfortable – knee pad, stool, kneeler, etc. Be sure to wear sturdy closed toe shoes!
Volunteers will help weed, sheet mulch, weed whack, compost, etc. After the work party tours of the farm and neighboring MakerFarm will be available.
After you get your ticket, we’ll contact you so you can sign the APC waiver, which is required in order for you to volunteer at this work party.
Questions? Email info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org and put WORK PARTY in the subject of your email.
Mano Tondre of DIG Cooperative
with Mano Tondre Owner and Designer, DIG Cooperative
Water conservation and water stewardship are vital now in our second year of severe drought. It is time to look for other sources of water to keep our gardens alive. Join us and learn about harvesting and using Greywater, Rainwater Catchment and groundwater systems such as Rain Gardens and Swales for keeping water in your soil. These systems can help save significant amounts of water and help wean us from our hoses.
Mano Tondre is the Owner and co-founder of DIG Cooperative. During California’s drought conditions of 2005, a group of builders and ecologists founded DIG Cooperative Inc. and built the first permitted residential constructed wetland for greywater treatment in California. The greywater wetland is located at the Berkeley Ecology Center’s EcoHouse. He continues to pioneer permitted greywater reuse and rainwater catchment systems across the greater Bay Area, including large scale projects at Chabot Space & Science Center, the San Francisco Zen Center and Skyline High School as well as smaller residential systems.
Enjoy a video of Mano’s presentation by clicking here.