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.

Working from the Civic Center Specific Plan, Creative Capital, and the Santa Monica High School Master Plan, the City and School District are exploring possible opportunities for joint recreation and cultural use on the adjacent Civic Auditorium and Samohi campuses.

We invite you to take a self-guided tour of the sites on Saturday, April 12th starting at 10 am from the Civic Auditorium parking lot (free parking in the parking lot - let the attendant know you're there for the City workshop), followed by a light lunch and Q&A session at the Samohi cafeteria. The workshop portion of the day will begin at noon.

If you have input you'd like share but are unable to attend, please send your comments to civiccenter@smgov.net.

The Green Building Resource Center is all about AltBuild in April. Two days of exhibits, speakers, and more!

The GBRC and the City would like to highlight the 2008 Santa Monica Green Home Tours, Sunday April 27.

The City of Santa Monica is hosting the 2008 Green Building tour in conjunction with the AltBuild Expo. The tours are free and open to the public. The tours will be open from 10:30 AM to 3 PM on Sunday, April 27 and do not operate on a specific schedule -- closer to the date of the tour, a map will be posted showing the tour locations corresponding to the building summaries you see below. At each tour location, docents will be available to guide you through the green aspects of each building. You may visit the tour sites at your own leisure between 10:30 AM and 3 PM on Sunday.

To assist us in planning for the tours, please RSVP to brenden.mceneaney@smgov.net, with the number attending and which tours you would like to attend.


Also at AltBuild, Global Green's "Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing" book signing with Matt Petersen, President and CEO, and Walker Wells, Director of Green Building Programs.
Friday April 25, 3:30pm.

Books available for purchase through Global Green http://www.globalgreen.org/events/affordable_blueprin t.html

Here is your opportunity to influence regional transportation!

Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) takes a look ahead about 20-25 years down the road to determine what the county's residents will need in terms of transportation options to get around the county.

The Draft 2008 LRTP will update changes that have occurred since the 2001 LRTP, including growth patterns, the latest technical assumptions, climate change issues, and the substantial shortage of transportation funding in today's environment. It will also make recommendations on transportation projects that can be implemented through 2030, and other projects that could be funded if new revenue sources become available.

Tell Metro how you envision the future of transportation in Los Angeles County. For more information about the LRTP, to attend a meeting, and to provide comments go to www.metro.net/longrangeplan.

Comments are due by April 25.

Celebrate the Earth with Live Music and educational booths at the 6th Annual "Earth Day on the Promenade" and "Wilshire Center Earth Day/Car Free Day"

Earth Day on the Promenade
Saturday, April 12, 10am-7pm

Wilshire Center Earth Day/Car Free Day
Tuesday, April 22nd, 10am-5pm

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Celebrates 80 Years of Service and Innovation at Public Celebration on April 14.

The Big Blue Bus has come a long way from its early beginnings as a collection of unemployed Model T car owners who charged five cents for a ride down Santa Monica Boulevard.

It has evolved to become one of the most efficient and well-run transportation systems in the nation, admired for its deep commitment to the environment and its continuing mission to provide convenient and low-cost transportation to get people out of their cars and onto public transit.

The City of Santa Monica will hold a free public celebration event to honor the Big Blue Bus' 80 years of service to the community on Monday, April 14 at 11 a.m. on the Third Street Promenade at Broadway in downtown Santa Monica.

Culinary students from the Art Institute of California-Los Angeles will be creating a gigantic bus-shaped cake for the event, which will be carved up and served to the public, along with other refreshments. Additional activities will include live music by the Blue Notes musical group, and the giveaway of transit-themed souvenirs and specially prepared keepsakes.

A new eco-art exhibit by Art Institute of California-Los Angeles graphic and interior design students will also be available for viewing at the nearby Big Blue Bus transit store at 223 Broadway.

Join the Santa Monica Market Basket Program and enjoy local, seasonal, and sustainably grown fruits and vegetables direct from the farmers of the Santa Monica Wednesday Farmers' Market and delivered right to your office. Contact Katie at Katie@sfma.net or 310.740.7544 for information.