Community Garden Workshop |
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Sunday, March 6, 12:00pm-2:00pm |
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As part of our Plant-Based Eating Series, the City of Mountain View is proud to host our first community gardening event. This in-person workshop will instruct you on how to start your garden, no matter your gardening experience or the size of your space. Take full advantage of Mountain View’s unique climate, where you can grow your fruits, vegetables, and herbs year-round! This workshop will cover planting seasons, water-conscious gardening, how to make the most of your space, and a hands-on planting activity so you can take home your very own seedling. The event will take place at the Soil & Water Garden, a learning-focused community garden at Heritage Park. The workshop will be held in Spanish and English, and all ages are encouraged to attend.
Register for the workshop here.
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Electrify Your Life - Coming Next Month!
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Interested in going electric to save money and help the planet, but not sure where to start? The City will soon launch its newest resource called Electrify Mountain View. This online platform will offer personalized recommendations on how to electrify all aspects of your life. At no cost, you will be able to learn about actions such as driving an EV, installing solar power or a heat pump water heater, and cooking with an induction stove. Look out for more details about the launch in our next newsletter.
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Water Savings and Rebates |
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Way to go, Mountain View! In 2021, we reduced potable water consumption by 10% compared to 2020. This reduction shows our community’s great effort to conserve water and make Mountain View more resilient to drought. Let’s continue to increase our savings in 2022 using the tools, programs, and rebates below:
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Water Insight - View your account online to check current and past water use, check for leaks, and get custom tips for saving water.
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Lawn Busters Program - Veterans, seniors, low-income customers, and those with disabilities may be eligible for the FREE Lawn Busters program through Our City Forests.
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Rain Barrel Rebates - Receive up to $50 for installing a rain barrel to collect rainwater.
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Landscape Rebates - Receive up to $3,000 for residential sites to convert to a low-water-use landscape.
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Cool Blocks Up and Running |
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We are excited to announce the launch of this year’s group of Cool Blocks! In the coming weeks, roughly 20 Block Leaders will be forming teams throughout Mountain View and getting started on actions within their blocks. Each block leader brings unique skills and passion for creating more connected, sustainable, and thriving neighborhoods and communities. One block in Sylvan Park kicked off their team on Sunday with everyone getting together over zoom to share what they hoped to accomplish as a block. We look forward to sharing more highlights from each Cool Block as the program continues! |
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Sustainability Newsletter Translations |
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Are you interested in receiving this newsletter in Spanish, Chinese or Russian? Starting in March, our monthly Sustainability Newsletter will be available in all three languages. To sign up to receive a translation of our newsletter, go to the Sign Up page here and indicate your preferred language when you subscribe.
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Do you want to set a New Year's resolution that will help the planet? Start by joining the “Plantiful New Year” challenge that encourages more plant-forward eating! You’ll receive helpful tips and recipes that don’t sacrifice variety, flavor, or fulfillment. You can customize your goal and get started at acterra.org/plantiful-challenge, or reach out at [email protected] with questions. It’s free to register.
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Spring EV Discount Campaign |
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Spring is just around the corner, which means so is Drive Clean Bay Area’s EV Discount Campaign. Drive Clean Bay Area is a nonprofit collaboration organizing a limited-time savings event with discounted pricing on various new battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Through the EV Discount Campaign, you can still take full advantage of all government, utility, and manufacturer incentives along with the discount. Best yet, they’ve done all the legwork to make it convenient and affordable to drive electric today. Sign up to be notified when this spring’s Discount Campaign launches and the discount vehicles are announced!
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Chinese Civic Leadership Language Academy |
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The City of Mountain View is hosting its first Chinese Language Civic Leadership Academy beginning in April. The 2022 Academy registration for the free, eight-week long program is now open through Tuesday, March 1 for Chinese Mountain View residents to apply. The Academy is designed to improve participants’ understanding of local government and City services.
Through the program, participants are encouraged to increase their civic engagement, leadership and volunteerism in the community. The Academy also prepares individuals to serve on City Council advisory bodies and committees.
For more information, including how to apply to the program, visit the Chinese Academy webpage or call the City’s Multicultural Engagement Program team at 650-903-6145.
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Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) has launched a free online resource to help Mountain View residents make easy, informed choices about switching to all-electric living.
The eHub features information on how change starts with clean electricity, how driving electric is the biggest single action you can take to stop pollution while saving money, and how you can improve your indoor air quality at home with efficient, electric appliances. Visit the new eHub here.
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Remember to Include the Food!
Residents who already have compost/yard trimmings carts at their homes should begin or continue to separate all food and food-soiled paper out of the trash and place it in the compost cart. All residences and businesses in California are now required to subscribe to compost collection services to keep organic waste out of landfills and reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Not sure if an item should go in your compost cart? Visit MountainView.gov/WhatGoesWhere for more details.
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Free Composting Basics Workshops
Find out how to build healthy soil through backyard composting at a FREE, hands-on Composting Basics workshop for residents. Virtual or in-person classes are available each Saturday in February from 10am-12pm. Zoom webinars are available February 5 and 26, and in-person workshops are available February 12 in Sunnyvale, and February 19 in Los Altos Hills. Register online or by calling 408-918-4640.
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Free Confidential Paper Shredding
March 5
Protect your privacy by shredding confidential papers such as bank statements, pay stubs, canceled checks and credit offers at this FREE event. Proof of residency is required, but no appointment is needed. Masks required. Due to social distancing protocols, residents must unload their own documents. All vehicles arriving by 3pm will be served, but the line cuts off at 3pm sharp. Avoid the very beginning or end if possible, as those may be peak wait times. Limit of five bags or banker boxes per household. Learn more here.
When: Saturday, March 5, 8:00am-3:00pm
Where: SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Road, Sunnyvale
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Dirty Dozen Item of the Month: Padded Envelopes
The “Dirty Dozen” are 12 types of items that can mislead anyone trying to recycle right. These items seem recyclable but actually contaminate the process. Keep these items out of your recycling cart.
Most padded envelopes contain non-recyclable materials such as plastic bubbles that make them unsuitable for processing into new paper products. Even fiber-based envelopes labeled as recyclable often contain gluing agents or other components that paper mills will not accept for recycling. Please place padded envelopes in the trash. Learn more about the Dirty Dozen here.
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More Activities + Resources |
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Recipe for Survival Virtual Event |
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What can you do to improve your health while also improving the planet's health? Environmentalist and dietitian Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD has an answer. Join local nonprofit, Acterra, for an overview of Hunnes’s new book Recipe for Survival: What You Can Do To Live A Healthier And More Environmentally Friendly Life and learn how the choices we make every day on our dinner plates affect climate change, the oceans, the land, and other species. Hunnes’ new book serves as a guide to help you feel empowered to make small changes in your own life for your health and the environment's health. Attendees will also have an opportunity to win a free copy of Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes’s new book. Register for this free event here.
When: Thursday, January 27, 4:30pm-5:30pm
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Are you interested in learning more about Mountain View’s diverse tree canopy? Join arborist Bruce Hurlburt, Former Parks and Open Space Manager for the City of Mountain View, for a tree walk through Cuesta Park in Mountain View. Learn about local trees including the Coast Live Oak, London Plane, Chinese Elm, Coast Redwood, and more! The walk will begin at the corner of the tennis courts parking lot on Cuesta Drive. RSVP for the walk here.
When: Saturday, February 12, 10:00am-12:00pm at Cuesta Park
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The City of Palo Alto Utilities put together some great guides on how to save energy in various home situations.
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