Calendar


May
30
Wed
2018
Straws – Free Film Showing @ Alameda Free Library
May 30 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The City of Alameda is now a leader in reducing plastic pollution!

Join us May 30th (6-8 pm) for the award-winning documentary STRAWS, and meet the woman who inspired Alameda’s local student movement to eliminate plastic straws (and now all plastic food ware) in Alameda.

DETAILS:

Jackie Nunez, founder of The Last Plastic Straw, will present an award to the City. Jackie will show a special presentation of the 30-minute film “Straws” (narrated by Tim Robbins) which highlights impacts of plastic pollution and how communities across the nation, like Alameda, are making a difference. ReThink Disposable Youth Ambassadors (local high school students) will present new findings.

Alameda is an island impacted on all sides by marine litter, mostly single- use plastic food packaging. Last year, Clean Water Action’s ReThink Disposable program selected Alameda for its groundbreaking community-wide project, Unpackaging Alameda, where over 100 restaurants throughout the city are being recruited to reduce disposable food ware in favor of reusables.

On May 30th, The ReThink Disposable Youth Ambassadors will present their findings, celebrate the ReThink Disposable restaurants in Alameda (over 40 already signed-up!), and inspire us as we make our transformation toward a plastic-free Alameda.

Sponsored by CASA, Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund, and City of Alameda’s waste reduction initiatives. This is a FREE event. All attendees will receive their very own reusable, metal straw!

Aug
4
Sat
2018
Jean Sweeney Park Public Tour @ Entrance to Jean Sweeney Park on Sherman
Aug 4 @ 9:30 am – 10:30 am

Enjoy a Saturday morning walk in the park and see what’s new!

Join the tour and see how the construction is progressing toward an October or November opening day.  Amy Wooldridge will be leading the tour and will be available to point out the features of the new park.

Aug
9
Thu
2018
Jean Sweeney Park Public Tour @ Entrance to Jean Sweeney Park on Sherman
Aug 9 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Enjoy an evening walk in the park. Be sure to wear sweaters. It can be cool in the evening.
Join the tour and see how the construction is progressing toward an October or November opening day.
Amy Wooldridge will be leading the tour and will be available to point out the features of the new park
Oct
17
Wed
2018
CASA Presents the Film – Just Eat It, A Food Waste Story @ Elks Lodge
Oct 17 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

On October 17th (5:30-8:30pm), please join CASA for our 2018 Annual Fundraiser focused on the very important topic of Reducing Food Waste in our homes, our businesses and throughout our lives.

This year’s event will feature “Just Eat It”, an award-winning documentary film that looks at our systemic obsession with expiration dates, perfect produce and portion sizes, and reveals the core of this seemingly insignificant issue that is having devastating consequences around the globe.

The film will be preceded by a book signing + reception, and followed by a panel discussion featuring:

  • Dana Gunders: Former NRDC staff scientist and a leading national expert on food waste reduction, the author of the NRDC issue paper “Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill” and the how-to book “Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food” (she is also in the film!!)
  • Nick Balla: San Francisco star chef of Bar Tartine and Duna fame, and passionate food waste warrior
  • Tara Duggan: James Beard award–winning journalist, food waste educator and author of “Root-to-Stalk Cooking: The Art of Using the Whole Vegetable”

5:30 pm – Reception & Book Signing
6:30 pm – Feature Film
7:45 pm – Speaker Panel & Discussion

100% of proceeds will support local non-profit (501-c3) Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA); All donations are tax-deductible.

Tickets:
$25 – Adults
FREE – All Students & Teachers
For student volunteering & community service hours OR for student scholarships, please email: info@casa-alameda.org

For more info OR if you would like to sponsor the event, please contact: info@casa-alameda.org

Dec
15
Sat
2018
Grand Opening of Jean Sweeney Open Space Park @ Jean Sweeney Open Space Park
Dec 15 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Grand Opening of Jean Sweeney Open Space Park @ Jean Sweeney Open Space Park | Alameda | California | United States

On Saturday, December 15, at 10:00 am, the Alameda community will celebrate a historic occasion with the grand opening of Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. This 25-acre park on the west side of the island includes open space areas and active uses such as a natural based playground, picnic pavilion, open lawn area, a gazebo that is a restoration of the last Alameda Belt Line train waiting station, a plaza, small picnic areas, landscape with California native and drought-tolerant plants, and a segment of the Cross Alameda Trail for bicyclists and pedestrians. Future phases will add a community garden, more playgrounds, bike skills loop, demonstration gardens, outdoor classroom, and hiking trails through woodland areas.

The Jean Sweeney Open Space Park is located on the former Alameda Belt Line Railroad property that was secured by the City at its original purchase price due to the advocacy efforts of local resident, Jean Sweeney. This area extends from Constitution Way and Atlantic Avenue (by the Alameda Food Bank) to Sherman Avenue.

The history of this park is rich and colorful. After the railroad was decommissioned in the 1990s, the land was slated to be sold to a housing developer. Through tireless research, Jean Sweeney found the original contract between the City and the railroad, which entitled the City to purchase the land back at the original purchase price plus improvements. This land was valued at $20 million and the City was able to purchase it for just under $1 million. Jean Sweeney also initiated a ballot measure to zone the land as Open Space, which passed by a large majority of voters. The process to develop the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park master plan exemplified the residents deep-rooted commitment for this park development. Kristoffer Kr of KKDesign generously developed the parks master plan at no cost to the City and more than 1,000 residents participated in the design process.

“This has to be a park.” As Jim Sweeney explained, These were the inspired words Jean expressed when she first visited the Beltline Railroad yard property after observing the quiet, pristine, and secluded nature reigning there which surrounded her. She recognized it as a wonderful treasure that had to be preserved. It has taken 20 years, but through her dedication and persistence and that of many others her dream has come true. The strong community support of

Sweeney Park is also evident in the funding sources of this $10 million project to date. Major funding came from grants from the Active Transportation Program, administered by Caltrans, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, administered by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and Tim Lewis Communities. Additional significant local funding came from the Rotary Club of Alameda, Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Fund, Alameda Kiwanis Club, and Alameda Community Fund – plus the City of Alameda. Sweeney Park is the culmination of the work and thought of our entire community. People who attended meetings, contributed to concept and design ideas, volunteered for clean-ups, donated funds, wrote letters of support, and voted. This park is here because of the desire and commitment of Alamedans, remarked Amy Wooldridge, Director of Alameda Recreation and Parks Department.

Mar
10
Sun
2019
Introduction to Drawdown @ Alameda Free Library
Mar 10 @ 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Presenters: Damian Mason, and two additional CASA members

Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown is a 2-hour workshop – open to all – that invites our local Alameda community to see the possibility of reversing global warming and to understand that we each have an important role to play in that process.

Through videos and group activities, presenters will introduce a comprehensive plan to reverse global warming from “Project Drawdown“, a scientific study that identifies 100 solutions which, if implemented together, can begin to not just slow down, but to actually roll back, global warming by 2050.

“Drawdown is that point in time when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere begins to decline on year-to-year basis.” ~ Project Drawdown

Need more info? Contact: drawdownalameda@gmail.com

Jul
20
Sat
2019
Help Save our Monarchs in Alameda @ Shoreline Park #1
Jul 20 @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Help Save Our Monarchs by Planting Milkweed and Flower Seeds!

Last Thanksgiving, only 28,429 monarchs were counted in their wintering colonies compared to a historic population of about 10 million in the Western Monarch migration. Today monarchs face several challenges, the most intractable being a lack of milkweed (Asclepias spp.), where females typically lay their eggs, as well as a lack of winter blooming nectar plants to feed them along their journey. They are also being decimated by the increased use of glyphosate in agriculture, which kills milkweed and other sources of food for these butterflies.

If you have a sunny, open 4′ x 4′ space where you could plant milkweed and butterfly flowers – you could be part of the solution!

At this special workshop we will talk about how to plant and maintain a butterfly garden, then help you plant California native milkweed (and other flower seeds) so you can create your own butterfly garden. You will leave with milkweed, winter blooming flowers and information on how to help the monarchs!

Jan
15
Wed
2020
Cultivating the Urban Forest @ Alameda Free Library, Stafford Room
Jan 15 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

The City of Alameda’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan recognizes the importance of trees:

  1. Trees sequester carbon by breathing in carbon dioxide and storing the carbon as plant material
  2. Trees not only help settle airborne particles during wildfire smoke events, but also remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce heat impacts

As part of its climate action and resiliency efforts, Alameda is updating its 2010 Street Tree Plan. A vibrant urban forest can help protect us from the impacts of climate change, sequester carbon, increase property values, and promote social equity.

Come hear the research conducted by CASA’s (Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda) Brown University winter intern Kian Kafaie on Wednesday, January 15th at 6 p.m. in the Stafford Room at the Alameda Free Library, 1550 Oak Street, Alameda, CA 94501.

Light refreshments will be served and there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Download the event PDF here.

Apr
18
Sat
2020
CANCELLED – Earth Day 2020 @ Upper Washington Park
Apr 18 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Sadly, due to COVID-19, the City of Alameda has cancelled the Earth Day festival in Washington Park. Please celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day by supporting your favorite environmental organization, or participating in any of the many online events via many environmental non-profits.

Take care and stay healthy! Alameda Backyard Growers

Come and visit our booth at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Earth Day! We’ll have tomato plants to buy, information to share (on growing food, going plastic free, planting trees, etc.).

You may also have the opportunity to plant trees around Washington Park.

We’ll be sharing our booth with StopWaste – so you can learn more about stopping food waste, urban carbon farming and much more!

If you’d like to volunteer at our booth, please email us: info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org

Looking forward to seeing you there!

ABG Earth Day Volunteers 2018

Dec
10
Thu
2020
Acta Non Verba Benefit Concert @ Online
Dec 10 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Per Aspera Ad Astra: From Adversity to the Stars

Benefit Concert with Black Violin

December 10, 2020 from 4 – 7 PM Live Streaming

Acta Non Verba Celebrates 10 Years!

Get tickets here

Acta Non Verba benefit concert