Frosty days draw us to the warmth of cozy spaces, and allow us moments for quiet reflection and year-end rejoicing. As we celebrate this holiday season, we're conscious of the many ways we sustain each other and this place we call home. Read on for some inspiring activities and news this month, and best wishes for a holiday filled with peace and joy!

As always, if you have a sustainability issue that inspires or interests you, please let us know! Sharing our ideas strengthens relationships, weaves a community together and becomes the heart of sustainability. You can contact us by email or by phone at 206/842-4439. We look forward to hearing from you!

BASE: Changing Business for Good

Friday, December 13

5:30-7:00 p.m.
Bainbridge Public Library

Learn first hand how a company with a mission changed one of the worst resource-intensive industries in the world by integrating a true commitment to sustainability in a successful business. Jeff Mendelsohn, founder of New Leaf Paper, will share this inspiring story.

Enjoy some wine and nibbles with Jeff after the talk.

RSVP for this FREE event: bi-change.eventbrite.com

Bainbridge Beach Naturalists:

Winter Beach Exploration

Tuesday, December 31, 9-10:30 p.m.

Sculpin eggs

What a way to spend a part of New Year's Eve! This is the last night exploration for the Bainbridge Beach Naturalists this winter, as the times for low tides are not very cooperative this year!

Join us at the beach at the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal, accessed via Harborview Drive, which is reached via Olympic Drive. Park on Winslow

Way or on Bjune. The footbridge across the Winslow Ravine is still closed. Before reaching the condos on Harborview Drive, the footpath to the beach turns off to the left and runs alongside the condos.

Wear warm clothing and be prepared for rain. Wellington-type boots are the best footwear to wade around in the edge of the Sound. And bring your strongest flashlight. See you on the beach.

Zero Waste: Recycle Holiday Lights

Have a broken string of lights? The copper in the wire is a valuable material. Take your lights to ACE Hardware. They send them to Lights for Life, a nonprofit that sells them to raise money for children with cancer. While you're at ACE, consider new LED lights. They come with an instant discount from Puget Sound Energy.

We'll take Styrofoam on January 11 & 12!

Save your Styrofoam from holiday festivities, and bring it to Bay Hay and Feed on Saturday and Sunday, January 11 and 12. We can recycle Styrofoam that is clean, dry and white. Sorry, no peanuts!

Zero Waste would like to hear from you about waste reduction strategies that our group might explore with community retailers, restaurants, schools or nonprofits. Please write to us with your suggestions at bizerowaste@sustainablebainbridge.org .

Student Conservation Corps

The 2013 Student Conservation Corps completed the year with fall work parties at Fort Ward and Blakely Harbor Park: more ivy out of the ground and more than 400 ferns settling in.

We'll be back in 2014. In February the application process starts for both the Spring break Scotch broom brigade and summer SCoCo programs, when SCoCo will again bring over 1500 hours of invasive weed control to Bainbridge parks.

Until then, happy holidays and keep pulling that ivy!

Bainbridge Community Broadcasting: Radio is Coming!

The project to bring a community radio stationto the island is making good progress! We plan to start training volunteers to produce radio programs by March or April next year.

Colleagues examine broadcast list in radio studio

In mid-November, Sustainable Bainbridge and the Arts and Humanities Council each filed a radio license application with the FCC.

In late November, Sustainable Bainbridge applied to the Rotary Club for a grant to purchase radio production equipment for two studios - for Winslow and the High School.

For a nostalgic reminder of the way radio captured our imaginations in its heyday, take the family to the BPA Playhouse on Saturday evening, Dec. 14 or 21, for a delightful re-enactment of the classic 1940s radio play, "It's a Wonderful Life." See on stage how radio dramas were produced, and how that could happen again with a radio station on Bainbridge.

Please let us know if you would like to join our list of potential radio trainees. We also need more volunteers with radio or video experience to serve as volunteer trainers. Contact us at studio@sustainablebainbridge.org.

We're teaming up with BOSIA/Ometepe for a scotch broom removal work party at Johnson Farm. The BHS Cross country team has already cleared several thousand square feet. Now we will finish the job, and help the 2014 Ometepe delegation of students help our sister-island as well. If you'd like to help, contact Barb for the date and time for this work party.

Read more about to how partner with us to do ecological good while also fund-raising with non-profit Scotchbroom work parties

Note from the SB Blog...

Jon Quitslund notes with regret that nothing has appeared on the blog for some time. A new post,

"Our 'Island Values': What Are They?" will appear soon.

And he urges everyone who is interested in sustainability and adaptations to our changing world to check out Deb Rudnick's delightful and amazing blog, 350 Climate Change Actions: go to http://350climatechangeactions.wordpress.com/ . (Save the url among your Favorites, because you'll want to return frequently to check out what Deb is up to in her spare time.) The latest post is #98, and Deb's plan is to carry on to #350, posting several times a week on a wide range of subjects.

From the Sustainable Bainbridge Board

There's still time to include us in your giving through One Call for All. Responding to the red envelope is a great way to support our community organizations.

We'd love to talk with you about our programs and plans.