Local Events

Check out our Events and Volunteer Opportunities

Visit our Calendar of Events for year-round local actions and volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are invited to help out in any number of activities around Monterey County.

Citizens for Sustainable Marina (C4SM) holds weekly community gardening and cleanup events and outings to sweep out invasive French Broom. 

Volunteers with Sustainable Del Rey Oaks meet the second Saturday of each month from 10 am to 12 pm at the Butterfly Garden (next to the Del Rey Oaks Garden Center and the tennis courts) to help tend the pollinator garden and beautify the garden.

Sustainable Seaside partners with Friends of Seaside Parks (FOSPA) each Saturday morning to create and maintain pollinator gardens in neighborhood parks in Seaside.

Sustainable Pacific Grove holds Trash Pickup events in Pacific Grove.

Find details about these and other events on the Event Calendar.

By Catherine Crockett, ago

Garden Classes – Summer 2024 Session

Growing and Harvesting

July 1 through September 18
Where: PG Community Garden, 210 Ridge Road

Registration:
In person:  PG Adult School, 210 Ridge Road in Pacific Grove
By phone:  (831)646-6580
Online:  https://pgusd.asapconnected.com/

This class is a 10-week exploration of planning and planting seeds in a sequence of ensure a continuous harvest throughout the growing seasons. When your garden is producing a lot of food, harvesting and storing produce cannot be ignored.

From proper harvesting management and methods to post-harvest handling and storage, you will acquire the skills necessary to preserve the quality and freshness of your home-grown produce.  Sign up and cultivate your passion for growing food for your table!

Organic Gardening for Summer

July 2 through September 19
Where: PG Community Garden, 210 Ridge Road

Registration:
In person:  PG Adult School, 210 Ridge Road in Pacific Grove
By phone:  (831)646-6580
Online:  https://pgusd.asapconnected.com/

This class is a practical guide to growing food in a garden. It includes soil preparation and provides a simplified planting schedule to begin the growing season. A variety of vegetable and herb seeds are selected for the class and our local climate. 

From soil to seed, watering, and pest, harvest to table, we’ll cover it all!  You’ll “roll up your sleeves” and plant seeds, transplant starts, water, and weed.  Best of all, everyone shares in the harvest!

By Catherine Crockett, ago

CSMC 2024 Earth Day Events

Saturday, April 13, 9 am – 1 pm
Earth Day Marina, Locke Paddon Park
190 Seaside Circle, Marina

Saturday, April 13, 10 am – 12 noon
Pacific Grove Spring Trash Pickup
Meet at Jewell Park, Pacific Grove

Saturday, April 20, 10 am – 2 pm
Carmel Earth & Arbor Day Celebration
Devendorf Park, 6th Mission Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea

Saturday, April 20, 12 noon – 2 pm
Del Rey Oaks Earth Day Celebration and Ice Cream Social
Del Rey Park, 999 Angelus Way, Del Rey Oaks

Saturday, April 21, 1 pm – 4 pm
Seaside Earth Day Celebration & EV Test Drive/Ride/Display Show
Seaside City Hall Lawn and parking lot
440 Harcourt Avenue, Seaside

Monday, April 22, 3 pm – 4:30 pm
Salinas Earth Day & Community Garden Birthday
Natividad Creek Community Garden, 1395 Nogal Drive, Salinas

By Catherine Crockett, ago

April 21, 2024, Seaside Earth Day Celebration


LOCAL EVENTS

Sept 23, 2023

Sustainable Seaside and the City of Seaside invite the public to its 13th Annual Earth Day Celebration on Sunday, April 21, from 1 pm to 4 pm, on the Seaside City Hall grounds, 440 Harcourt Avenue in Seaside, CA.  Activities are planned all afternoon, with everything from a community park clean-up to an Electric Vehicle Test Drive/Ride/Display Show. 

Seaside Mayor Pro Tem, Dave Pacheco will emcee the stage program.  Activities include:  

  • Electric Vehicle Ride, Drive, and Display Show:  EV experts, both English and Spanish-speaking, will be on hand to answer questions about EV purchase incentives and ownership.  Attendees can chat with EV owners and take a spin in one of the latest EV models on loan from certified dealers.  Drivers over 21 with a valid driver’s license can pre-sign up for a test drive at evsforeveryone.org/events.  Drop-ins are welcome.  
  • Trashion Show: Turning trash into wearable fashion, designers will model outfits created using recycled and reclaimed materials.
  • e-Waste Collection Station:  Old or unused computers and printers will be collected and donated to Loaves, Fishes, & Computers for data-scrubbing and refurbishing for low-income families.
  • Over 25 Green Exhibitors:  Organizations, businesses, and agencies at the forefront of local waste reduction and sustainability will offer resources and information about adopting sustainable practices.
  • Live music: Performances by Palenke Arts youth ensembles:  Danza Folklórica Mexicana, the Bilingual Youth Chorus, and the Latin Jazz Combo. 
  • Tree Planting Demo: A certified arborist will present a “Tree Planting & Care” demonstration on the City Hall lawn.  Seaside residents and businesses can learn about and sign up for the City’s Tree Giveaway program.
  • Tomato Starts:  Several varieties of organically grown tomato starts, selected for hardiness in the Central Coast growing zone, will be available for an optional $2 donation per plant. 
  • Kid’s Zone:  Fun and educational Earth Day-inspired activities for children
  • Free Raffle:  All attendees are eligible for a chance to win eco-friendly prizes donated by local merchants.
  • Food Truck:  Big Sur Tacos will be on the City Hall grounds, serving freshly made, reasonably-priced Mexican street food favorites.

      Community Gardening event at Beta Park in Seaside, Saturday, April 20, from 10 am to 12 noon:  In collaboration with Seaside’s vibrant Earth Day festivities, Friends of Seaside Parks Association (FOSPA) invites v to join them at Beta Park, (located between Vallejo and Luzern streets, off Elm Avenue in Seaside).  Volunteers can help tend the pollinator gardens and pick up litter and enjoy refreshments and gardening-inspired giveaways.

      Full details can be found at the event website sustainablemontereycounty.org/seaside-2024-earth-day

      By Catherine Crockett, ago

      Through midnight December 31st, support CSMC’s 2023-2024 home food-gardening project

      Through midnight December 31st, help support CSMC’s Families Grow Healthy project. CSMC is on a mission to help our communities equitably implement sustainable and regenerative practices to slow and adapt to climate change. “Our Families Grow Healthy” is a project that embodies this mission wholeheartedly.  By encouraging and equipping families to grow their own food at home, we will empower them to take charge of their health, the environment, and our future.  

      Match your gift dollar-for-dollar by donating during 2023 Monterey County Gives!

      Monterey County Gives! runs through December 31st.  Please include CSMC in your year-end giving plans.

      Click HERE to learn more about this project and how you to support our “Big Idea”!

      By Catherine Crockett, ago

      Sept 23, 2023, Wetlands Cleanup Event in Del Rey Oaks

      Save Our Shores and Sustainable Del Rey Oaks invite volunteers to participate in a Wetlands Cleanup Event on Saturday, September 23 from 9 am to 12 noon. This event is part of the 2023 California Coastal Cleanup Day.

      Download a printable, shareable flyer

      Meet behind Safeway to clean up the wetland in Work Memorial Park.  The wetland creek flows to the coast where we play, fish, and marine life live.

      Save Our Shores—Coastal Cleanup Day
      W: https://saveourshores.org/coastal-cleanup/
      E: coast4u@coastal.ca.gov

      Sustainable Del Rey Oaks
      Ph: (831) 917-7804
      E: sustainabledelreyoakscsmc@gmail.com

      By Catherine Crockett, ago

      October 25, 2023, An Evening of Hope: A Conversation with Paul Hawken

      Can We End Climate Change In One Generation?

      We Think So! Together.

      Mark your calendars for Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023, 4 pm – 7 pm PDT.  Held at CSU Monterey Bay’s LEED-certified Otter Student Union at CSU Monterey Bay, 3118 Inter-Garrison Road Seaside, CA 93955

      Visit the event page HERE to find details about Tickets, Sponsorships, and FAQs.

      Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Paul Hawken discuss his visionary approach to climate change, one that weaves justice, climate, biodiversity, equity, and human dignity into a seamless tapestry of action, policy and transformation that can end the climate crisis in one generation. 

       Purchase a parking permit in advance HERE.

      By Catherine Crockett, ago

      March 30, Energy Programs Workshop with MBCP. Bring Your Ideas!

      Did you know that MBCP invests millions in local energy programs annually? You can have a say in what programs we focus on in 2020!

      Do you have ideas about how MBCP can invest in electrifying our community? Join our Energy Programs Workshop where we will serve a light breakfast, provide a presentation about MBCP’s current programs, and have break-out sessions with our community to brainstorm on ideas.

      Bring Your Ideas!
      Saturday, March 30, 2019, 9 AM – 12:30 PM
      Watsonville City Hall 250 Main Street,
      4th Floor Civic Plaza Community Room

      The Public is invited.
      Hosted by Monterey Bay Community Power

       

      By Catherine Crockett, ago

      March 23, 2019, The New Green Deal – A Community Discussion

      Kick off the Green New Deal with a discusson on HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act — the first bipartisan carbon tax bill to be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

      • What Is It?
      • What Does It Mean To You?
      • How Does It Relate To The Green New Deal?

      Citizens’ Climate Lobby Monterey invites you to learn more
      Saturday, March 23, 2019, 10 a.m.-12 noon
      Community Room in the Monterey Public Library 625 Pacific
      Street, Monterey

      Mark Reynolds, executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, has noted: “Polling shows that more and more Americans are making the connection between climate change and disasters that claim lives and property. As public pressure increases for Congress to take action, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act provides a solution that is both effective and family friendly.”

      Facebook event:  www.facebook.com/events/2277050392315341

      Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a not-for-profit, volunteer-driven organization which advocates for bipartisan climate change solutions in the United States Congress.

       

      By Catherine Crockett, ago