We encourage all current and prospective members of Berkeley Partners for Parks to take advantage of our new partnership with the Berkeley-based award-winning and bio-regionally informative magazine, Bay Nature, which you can receive a year’s subscription for only $17.95 (or as a Holiday gift subscription) when you sign up for BPFP! That’s more than 25% off a regular subscription prIce….

Bay Nature is the only magazine dedicated to exploring and protecting wild places at the urban edge AND the wild places right outside your door, connecting Bay Area people to the mountain lions nearby, restoration of thousands of acres of tidal wetlands, the butterflies of the Presidio, the best local hikes, and more.

From now until December 31, you can get a one-year gift subscription to Bay Nature for only $17.95.

Even better, if you give two or more subscriptions, they will be only $15 each! That’s a savings of over 32% off a regular one-year subscription. http://store.baynature.com/Search.bok?category=Gift+Subscriptions+and+Renewals

The 8th annual Hidden Gems of Berkeley bike ride explores the curious, quirky, and crafted features and grassroots greening initiatives that make Berkeley unique — this year in Berkeley’s charming Northbrae and Westbrae neighborhoods. Meet at the North Berkeley Branch Library, 1170 The Alameda and Hopkins, 10 AM Sat., May 15. The leisurely ride on level and gently sloping terrain ends at 1 PM. Bring lunch, water, and the family — great for children over 10. The event is free; updated Hidden Gems of Berkeley maps available for $5 donation. Sponsored by Berkeley Partners for Parks, Livable Berkeley, East Bay Green Tours, and Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Coalition; led by John Coveney, Marlene Fouche, and originator John Steere (for information contact John at 510 849 1969).

What do green building, red tail hawks, native oaks, bird migration and climate change have in common?

Design for Wildlife

is a first-of-its kind workshop on designing wildlife-friendly buildings, landscapes and communities.

Focus on ecology and practical design options. Includes wildlife behavior, site-specific methods, materials, wildlife corridors – and more — for those interested in the future of wildlife and ecodesign.

Sponsored by the San Francisco Institute of Architecture
Instructors Dave Deppen, Architect; Jennifer Berry, Ecologist
9 AM – 4:30 PM Friday, May 21, 2010
Grace North Church, 2138 Cedar Street (at Walnut), Berkeley
$200, professionals and public; $100 students & teachers (with current ID).
Advance registration only
603.793.3000

email: trey@livinglabs.org

Friends of Five Creeks and Transition Albany invite you to enjoy Cerrito Creek and Albany Hill on a spring evening, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Meet at 6 PM at Peet’s Coffee, San Pablo and Carlson, El Cerrito; wear long pants and sleeves (poison oak) and sturdy hiking shoes with good traction; bring sticks if you use them. This two-hour exploration of rare urban wilderness with fascinating history will cross the creek on stepping stones and gain 300′ elevation on moderately steep, narrow dirty trails — with refreshments at the top! Information at www.fivecreeks.org, f5creeks@aol.com, 510 848 9358.

Tour green buildings and pioneering “green economy” businesses, meet leaders in sustainability, learn about healthy resources, and enjoy a day-long seminar on wheels with Bay Area Green Tours and the Oakland Museum’s Natural Science Build, 9 AM – 4 PM Thursday, May 6; cost $90. Bring bag lunch or enjoy no-host lunch at a restaurant that supports local farmers. Information and sign-up at www.ebgt.org.

Berkeley’s thriving cultural scene is home to more than 130 non-profit arts organizations and hundreds more artists and performers. It’s clear why Berkeley locals and visitors “Come for the Culture, Stay for the Food” – the arts hold equal pride of place with Berkeley’s international reputation as a center for culinary and educational excellence.

Berkeley offers a comprehensive array of year-round cultural attractions. The Downtown Berkeley Arts District is a nationally recognized model as an arts destination and “arts led” downtown revitalization. The Arts District is centered on Addison Street; once lined with auto body shops, Addison Street now “rolls” with live theatre, live music, and performing arts education space.

Creative spirit infuses Berkeley with everyday discoveries ranging from vibrant street art and public art galleries, to major events such as the Berkeley Artisan Holiday Open Studios, and the renowned exhibitions and permanent collections at UC Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive.

You are invited to attend a workshop for Digging In: A Guide to Community Based Habitat Restoration

Thursday, September 24, 8:30am-4:30pm
Martin Luther King Junior Regional Shoreline Center, Oakland

The Coastal Commission is hosting this workshop in partnership with Save The Bay. Speakers include Darcie Collins, PhD of Save The Bay; Susan Schwartz of Friends of Five Creeks, and Myla Ablog of Literacy for Environmental Justice. Participants will receive a copy of Digging In and lunch will be provided. A tour of the Martin Luther King Shoreline restoration area and nursery led by Save the Bay staff will conclude the workshop. Space is limited.

For more information, email coast4u@coastal.ca.gov or call (800) COAST-4U.

To reserve a space, mail a $30 check (scholarships available), payable to “Tides Center/Marine Educ. Project”, along with your name, affiliation, and email address to:

For more information and an event flyer, please visit http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/UNBweb/diggingin.html.

co-sponsored by Poetry Flash, Ecology Center/Berkeley Farmers’ Markets, and EcoCity Builders. A free day of poetry, music, and activism, exploring the State of the Planet.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, Noon to 4:00 PM

Martin Luther King, Jr. CIVIC CENTER PARK, Berkeley

Martin Luther King, Jr. Way at Center Street

Next to Berkeley Farmers’ Market, 1 block west of downtown Berkeley BART

Featuring:

• STRAWBERRY CREEK WALK, 10:00 AM, Oxford & Center Streets, UC Berkeley campus
• RIVER VILLAGE literary and environmental exhibits
• WE ARE NATURE OPEN MIC (sign up at Festival Info Booth by Noon)

Including:

• Robert Hass (former U.S. Poet Laureate)
• acclaimed author and California farmer David Mas Masumoto (Wisdom of the Last Farmer: Harvesting Legacies from the Land)
• New Mexico poets Arthur Sze (The Ginkgo Light) and Carol Moldaw (The Widening)
• poet and novelist Kim Addonizio (Lucifer at the Starlight (poems) and Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within)
• Joseph Stroud (Of This World: New & Selected Poems)
• poet and novelist Marilyn Chin (Rhapsody in Plain Yellow (poems) and Revenge of the Mooncake Vixen (novel))
• poet/eco-educator Chris Olander (Mallard)
• student and youth poets from River of Words, California Poets in the Schools, and Poetry Inside Out will all be presented onstage by Bay Area poet/emcee Richard Silberg, an editor of Poetry Flash.
• Patricia Bulitt, dancer and performance artist, will perform “The Cloud Maiden,” a site specific and interactive performance with music, storytelling, and movement
• Environmental updates will be provided by Kirstin Miller of EcoCity Builders, Kirk Lumpkin of the Ecology Center/Berkeley Farmers’ Market.

PUBLIC INFO: (510) 526-9105; www.poetryflash.org

ACCESSABILITY: Convenient public transportation, near downtown Berkeley BART and buses on MLK and Shattuck / street and lot parking / wheelchair access.

Solar Calendar
Cesar Chavez Park

Tuesday, September 22nd
6:15pm to 7:15 pm
Sunset @ 7 pm
Led by Rabbi David Cooper

Gathering includes:

• Mini-workshop on Astronomy & Season
• Celebrating the Chavez virtue:  Courage
• Culture & Season

Links:

http://www.solarcalendar.org
http://www.ecologycenter.org/chavez (Cesar Chavez Commemorative Activities)
http://solarcalendar.blogspot.com (Evolution of the site)

Dress warmly ­ The weather is part of the experience.

NOTE
Thank you to all the dog walkers who have been helping by keeping their dogs on a leash.   This is particularly important when there are a lot of people,  dogs and excitement in the center circle.  It makes for a more orderly and enjoyable experience for all in attendance.  You are some of our biggest supporters.

Those of you who have been there in the past know that we regularly review four virtues of Cesar Chavez which are metaphorically associated with the four cardinal directions.  Tolerance is also one of those virtues.  And it is a good one to be reminded of as we learn to be with one another harmoniously in a special space and moment.

Thanks again to Lee Trampleasure for his photos of our gatherings, these  from the June Solstice.  http://www.bpfp.org/gallery/v/album_001/album/