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July 2024

This Month's Issue:

Hot Topic: Extreme Heat Awareness Month

Sunday Sifter

A Flood of Food Stands

Wildfire Season is Here

That FIGures

Watching Out for Our Waterways

Extreme Heat Awareness Month

Last month, over 250 of you took our poll that asked the simple question: “Are you hot right now?” An overwhelming 97% of you said yes.

This number is likely around 100% now, after almost two weeks of 100+ degree temperatures. Quite appropriately, it also happens to be Extreme Heat Awareness month, as if we weren't aware enough.

Keeping cool during these hot summer months is essential to your comfort and safety. Here’s an inexpensive and quick way to keep your home cool.

Currently, Faith Lutheran Church is operating as a cooling center until July 13, after which SafeSpace will relocate the cooling station to a new location. For future cooling centers, call 2-1-1 or check out HelpCentral.org.

Make sure to stay indoors when you can, dress appropriately, and of course, stay hydrated. Heat illness is very real, you can learn more about the signs of it here.

To learn more about extreme heat, check out some of these resources.

Volunteer Opportunity: Sunday Sifter

Join us for a morning of garden work at our Sunday Sifter and Planter Box Build.

Here you will help construct planter boxes for Oak Way Community Garden’s future gardeners. After, you’ll sift & collect compost for these beds to get them kick-started.

You’ll be able to take home some compost with you too!

This Sunday Sifter will be held on July 21st, from 9am - 12.

Gloves will be provided, along with refreshments and shade. Please bring a hat and water bottle.

This is a bring your own tools event, if you have a drill, level or square please bring them.

Spots are limited, so sign up here today!

A Flood of Food Stands

More Free the Food stands popping up all over Butte County! This Butte County Local Food Network Project aims to solve the food insecurity program with excess produce.

“We have one in Berry Creek (YAY!!), one more in Magalia, two in Chico and one more in Paradise. We chose the locations for their visibility and diversity to reach more folks. Please feel free to bring your excess produce to the stands to share with others for true homeland security!”

You can always swing by BEC’s Free the Food stand at Oak Way Community Garden & drop off your excess produce there. Find out where all the Free the Food stands are here.

You can learn more about your evacuation zone here and stay up to date with active fire incidents here.

If you want to stay alert with all the latest wildfire news, BEC recommends the-lookout.org.

PSA: Wildfire Season

Fire season is upon us! Butte county has already seen several wildfires this year, so here’s a reminder of what YOU can do to help prevent wildfires & what you can do to prepare for them.

Prevention:

Maintain your vehicle’s condition and keep it off of dry grass
Check weather conditions, and never start a fire on a windy day
Be on the lookout for Red Flag Warnings, and never start a fire when they are active

Preparation:

Know your community evacuation zone
Create a defensible space around your house
Have an emergency kit (water, food, important documents, batteries etc.)

That FIGures

Stan Hawthorne, owner of The Citrus People, has been running his citrus farm in Ord Bend for over 20 years. He offers all sorts of citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, pomelos, and limes.

But it’s not just citrus Hawthorne has been growing. He also grows figs, a climactic fruit which means that it ripens off the tree like avocados and bananas.

When he first started selling figs at the market, the demographic for the figs were seniors. “The old people liked them wrinkled and ripe, dripping ripe,” he said, “But then the younger generation caught on and they wanted them firm, almost green.”

Though it took some time for him to become accustomed to the new demographic he now offers figs at varying levels of ripeness, so there’s a little something for everyone.

At the Saturday Farmer’s Market in downtown Chico, you can see his amazing display of figs which has the least ripe figs on the left and the ripest figs on the right.

Visit Stan this Saturday at the Farmer's Market from 7:30am-1pm at East 2nd & Wall Street and tell him BEC sent you.

Looking for a way to keep “dripping ripe” figs out of landfill? Try this recipe.

Watching out for Chico's Waterways

In partnership with the city of Chico, BEC hosts the Creek Watch Hotline. If you spot something ‘fishy’ going on in any of the city's waterways, give the hotline a call. Call the hotline if you see any of the following:

Significant site erosion
Illegal Dumping
Pollutants
Concerning Debris and Blockages

With your help we can keep our waterways healthy.

Call the hotline here: (530)891-6459

Upcoming Events

July 19: Volunteer Day - Native Plant Trail with PRPD at Crain Memorial Park, Concow, from 9am - noon

July 28: Young Adult Birding at BCEP with Altacal, 8:30am- 11:30am

Every Thursday - Help make local compost with Paradise Community Compost (more info HERE)

Every Friday - Volunteer at Verbena Fields from 10am-1pm

View BEC's Community Events Calendar HERE. If you would like to promote your environmental-related event to the next newsletter or on the community calendar on our website, please email staff@becnet.org.

Butte Environmental Council recognizes the original occupants of what is now referred to as the Butte County area and the descendants who are still living here. They include:

Tyme Maidu Tribe-Berry Creek Reservation

Enterprise Rancheria

Mechoopda Indian Tribe

Mooretown Rancheria

We acknowledge and are mindful that these first people have a special and sacred relationship with their ancestral lands and the waters that run through these lands, sustaining them for centuries. We strive to learn from their ways and to be considered by the tribes as allies to respect and steward resources in this life-giving place

Support Butte Environmental Council!

BEC is a grassroots non-profit dedicated to protecting the health of our environment. Our work is made possible by people like you! Your contribution helps us plant trees, clean the creeks, and bring environmental education into the classroom.

Consider becoming a Sustaining Member today for as little as $5/month.

Become a Member!

313 Walnut Street #140

Chico, CA 95928

530-891-6424

staff@becnet.org