Calendar


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

Jun
23
Tue
2020
Tour of Italo’s Garden at the Alameda Boys and Girls Club @ Alameda Boys and Girls Club
Jun 23 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Italo's GardenAlameda Backyard Growers invites you to attend a

Self-guided Tour of Italo’s Garden 

Tuesday, June 23 2020
Italo’s Garden (ABGC)1900 3rd Street, Alameda, CA, 94501  

6:30-7:15pm 20 people/tickets
7:15-8:00pm 20 people/tickets

More information on the ABGC Garden

In 2012 the Alameda Boys & Girls Club had a vision to transform a neighboring ¼ acre urban lot into a thriving healthy foods and habitat garden that would support the nutritional health and develop the ecological literacy of Club youth. In summer of 2013 the Club hired its first Seed to Table Director, Kristen Getler. Italo Calpestri, together with other Board Members and ABGC staff, began fundraising and reaching out to community partners like GoDaddy to enlist in help with projects such as building and filling the raised beds. His background as an architect and experience on the board was instrumental to the garden’s successful and accessible installation. A keystone of the Club’s Health and Wellness Initiative, the garden provides a living, outdoor classroom where youth steward the garden using organic practices to grow annual and perennial food crops. A complementary culinary education program teaches our youth how to prepare the garden-fresh produce into healthy-foods recipes they are able to share with their families. Current Seed to Table Director Gretchen Doering took over in March 2015 and continued the installation of fifteen additional planter beds, a bioswale, greenhouse and outdoor classroom. The garden continues to grow with support from local Eagle Scout projects, the Alameda Garden Club, Alameda Backyard Growers, invaluable volunteers, and other generous donors.

Click here for a downloadable map of the garden tour. 

Click here for the downloadable Alameda Boys & Girls Club – Italo’s Garden Master Plant Descriptions

Click here for a downloadable list of plants in Italo’s Garden.

Alameda Boys and Girls Club garden

Eric Kos and Italo Calpestri look on while Marla Koss and Gretchen Doering teach kids how to plant a fig tree.

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

Dec
12
Sat
2020
Help Franklin Park Trees with Mulching Project @ Franklin Park
Dec 12 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

100K Trees 4 Humanity is back mulching trees!

This Saturday 12/12 – 9am-12pm
@ Franklin Park. 1432 San Antonio Ave. 
map: https://goo.gl/maps/R2bkhKqecwPDMAyz8

10:30am-12pm @Washington Park
740 Central Ave., Alameda, CA
map: https://goo.gl/maps/aLDF1xuALVbard17A

Join us and Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) as we work to help save these trees on this day of mulching!

First 40 people to sign up get to volunteer.  Signup here!

Masks are mandatory. We follow a strict COVID protocol of social distancing and work procedures found here. We ask all participants to adhere to these guidelines at all events and work projects.

Tools: We are providing mulch, buckets, wheelbarrows and shovels. 

Optional: If you want, bring your own gloves, water bottle, and shovel.

See you on the 12th!

Tree Mulching Franklin Park

Jan
15
Fri
2021
Container Gardening Presentation
Jan 15 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Container Gardening Presentation

Container Gardening Presentation, January 15 at 1:00pm via Zoom

Are you interested in learning more about container gardening? With limited space, container gardening gives you the opportunity for cost-effective, manageable gardening. Jeff Bridge, Ploughshares Nursery Manager, will be discussing container gardening in a meeting hosted by the Alameda Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Jeff’s presentation, followed by questions and answers, is expected to last one hour.

Register in advance for this presentation here.

Jan
21
Thu
2021
StopWaste SWEET Online Course Deadline
Jan 21 all-day

The deadline to register is January 21, 2021!

StopWaste SWEET Training