The 4th Annual Green Gardens Tour, highlighting home gardens that demonstrate sustainable designs, practices, and technologies, has been set for Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 10am to 4pm.

This year's theme, Gardening With Intent: Water Management, dramatically emphasizes the tour's motto, "Sustainable is Attainable!"

The tour benefits The Virginia Avenue Project, a free after-school program using the arts to help children realize their potential. All attendees at the tour will receive the Green Sourcebook, a free compendium of garden information, ideas and suggestions that will become the interested gardener's "green" companion.

Call 310-264-4224 or visit the website for all ticket prices, discounts and information.

On February 4th, 2008 the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and Parsons held a sustainable design charrette for the campus master plan bringing together Measure BB Project Teams and community stakeholders. The focus on the day was to rally everyone around the following impressive mission statement:

SMMUSD Measure BB Mission Statement:

Through our dedication and spirit of collaboration, we the project teams and community stakeholders, will create safe and healthy high performance facilities of enduring quality, sustainability and efficiency that enhance the learning environment for district students and employees. We will enhance the communities of Santa Monica and Malibu as stewards of our natural environment and resources to ensure that they are sustainably managed for current and future generations.

A noble mission from a district we can all take pride in.

It's our single most bountiful resource. Yet, water is a daily privilege millions take for granted. The little known truth is that lack of clean and accessible drinking water is the second largest worldwide killer of children under five.

To address this situation, a nationwide effort is launching during World Water Week called the Tap Project, a campaign that celebrates the clean and accessible tap water available as an every day privilege to millions, while helping UNICEF provide safe drinking water to children around the world.

The Tap Project:

Sunday, March 16 through Saturday, March 22, restaurants will invite their customers to donate a minimum of $1 for the tap water they would normally get for free. For every dollar raised, a child will have clean drinking water for 40 days.

Want to learn about some green homes in the Santa Monica area?

Come join us for a sneak preview of the upcoming AltBuild Expo's Green Home Tour! The homes that are included in this tour will showcase different green design features and building methods. One of these homes is in the process of achieving US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes certification!

Green Building Resource Center has invited the architects and builders of the Tour's green homes to speak at this panel discussion. Our panelists include Isabelle Duviver from Duviver Architects, Jesse Bornstein Architecture from Jesse Bornstein Architecture, Rafe Eddington from Eddington Design, and Roger Kurath from Design 21.

Date: Tuesday 3/25
Time: 6:30-8:30PM
Location: Santa Monica Public Library
601 Santa Monica Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90401

This event is free of charge and open to the public.

Questions: phone 310.452.7677, gbrc@globalgreen.org

We're still growing! The Sustainable Santa Monica Online Community is now at 35 members. This is a great place to post questions, share resources, and grow community. Join us today!

This past weekend the Ocean Park Association became the first Sustainable City Champion Program member. OPA members present at the meeting unanimously supported signing the Sustainable City Champion Pledge:

The Ocean Park Association is committed to championing the Sustainable City Plan in our community. We pledge to contribute to a sustainable Santa Monica through actions that enhance our resources, prevent harm to the natural environment and human health, and benefit the social and economic wellbeing of the community for the sake of current and future generations.

Sincere Thanks and Support for the community members of Ocean Park.

Check out this very active neighborhood group's website at http://oceanpark.net/opa/

The Relationship of Plants, Soil & Water: Landscape Professionals

Landscape professionals know by observation what plants do above ground and how to deal with them on that level. However, many professionals lack a good understanding of the fascinating -- and vital -- interaction of plants with soil and water in the root zone. Come find out how to tell the difference between soil types, how to tell when plants need water, and how to decide how much and how often to water.

For additional details, send email to environment@smgov.net or call (310) 458 8972.

Date: Course Starts Tuesday, March 18, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Cost: $49
Instructor: Bob Galbreath
Location: Santa Monica College - Bundy Campus

Important: Course given in Spanish.
Prerequisite: Must be a practicing landscape professional.

Please note: Class fee will be waived if your company is currently listed as a Certified Sustainable Landscape Professional by the City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs Division.

Would you like to find out how the Exposition Light Rail project is progressing?

The Exposition Corridor Transit Project Phase 2 proposes to extend transit from the planned terminus of the Exposition Light Rail Transit Project Phase 1 at the Venice/Robertson Station in the City of Culver City to an end-of-the line station near 5th Street/Colorado Boulevard in the City of Santa Monica over a distance of between 6.9-7.8 miles.

There are two primary right-of-way alignments being considered.

The Exposition Construction Authority invites you to attend the upcoming Phase 2 Community Workshops. At these Open House style meetings, we will have various stations that provide information on grade crossings, station and parking locations, bike routes and more:

* Wednesday, March 26, 6:30 pm, Webster Middle School, Los Angeles
* Tuesday, April 1, 6:30 pm, Crossroads School, Santa Monica
* Thursday, April 3, 6:30 pm, Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, Los Angeles


Chamber and city representatives, including John Bohn, Tom Larmore, Mayor Herb Katz and Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom will travel together to Washington D.C. this April to advocate for additional funding to complete the Expo Light Rail project. For more information on how you can join the delegation, email govaffairs@smchamber.com

Attend the community workshop to learn more and make your voice heard on which alignment should be considered. Email comments to: ggonzalez@exporail.net.

The Sustainable Business Council and the LA TImes present:
Getting In, Out, and Around Los Angeles
Thursday, March 27, 2008, 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

At 7:00 PM on March 27th, the Sustainable Business Council and esteemed panelists will bring a unique perspective to the topic of "Mobility." We will highlight some of the entrepreneurial ways in which the business community is responding to the challenge of getting around LA.

WHERE: Livingreen, 10000 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

WHEN: Thursday, March 27, 2008, 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

COST: $20.

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to RSVP

A Green Business Summit

Come Learn, Explore and Discover: the Triple Bottom Line, Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship, Carbon Footprint, Fair Trade, Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Clean-Tech, Greenwashing, LEED Certification



Join USC Marshall alumni, students, faculty and guests at this USC Marshall Green Business Summit to explore, discover, and learn how Fortune 500 organizations are transforming international business practices.

Keynote Speaker:
United States Senator Barbara Boxer
Chairman, The Environment and Public Works Committee

As global marketplaces more fully embrace the Green Business Wave, multi-national companies are developing environmentally sensitive and economically sound business strategies. In essence, "doing well by doing good."

Distinguished speakers lead pioneering organizations to influence a Green Corporate America. We'll compare and contrast how industries and sectors are adopting new eco-efficient critical success factors. There will also be much discussion and debate surrounding the wide array of opinions and controversies - that is, separating fact from fiction - inherently associated with the Green Business movement.

When:
Saturday, April 5, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Where:
USC Town & Gown
665 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90089

The City of Santa Monica is accepting applications for the Water Resources Specialist Position. This is a full time position. The Water Resources Specialist assists in developing and implementing water efficiency programs for residents and businesses with a focus on sustainable landscaping principles and water-efficient irrigation systems.