Biodiversity: Finding Solutions in Nature & Our Community

Thank you for attending Biodiversity: Finding Solutions in Nature & Our Community on June 9th!
We began the evening with a screening of the very inspiring short film, The Year Earth Changed and then watched local experts in action working to support biodiversity and ecosystem health in our community. We ended the evening with a lively panel discussion moderated by Meredith McCarthy, Operations Director, Heal the Bay and the experts Teague Weybright, City of Santa Monica Community Gardens Program Coordinator, Julie Hanson, owner Wild Birds Unlimited of Santa Monica and Eli Lichter-Marck, owner of Eli’s Bees. As always, our goal is to educate and follow that education up with action.

If you missed the panel, you can watch it below.
We would like to hear what you thought about the event and we would love you to share your commitments to take action with us. Please fill out the survey HERE. If you fill out the Survey by Monday, June 21st you will be entered into our prize drawing!

Here are the action items we offered at the event. Please make a commitment to do something and share it with us; Post on Sustainable Works Facebook Wall, Tweet with our handle @sustainablework, connect at #sustainablesm, @sustainablesamo or send us an email gina.garcia@sustainableworks.org

Take Action
1. Volunteer at your local community garden
2. Volunteer to help remove non-native plants in local mountains
3. Remove lawns and install native plants
4. Compost
5. Use preventative measures to keep rodents from yard and home: keep trash covered, barbecues clean and covered, pet food inside and seal up holes so rats cannot get inside to nest
6. Eliminate any form of poison – there is no “good” poison. Using electric trap, if necessary. This helps, with bees and plants as well
7. Add an owl box, if appropriate, to yard or talk with community group to find a shared location.
8. Learn about local flora & fauna
9. Eat local foods and support local farmers and small, local honey producing companies
10. Start beekeeping