Communities for Sustainable Monterey County

Oak Woodland Community Garden - Saturday Mornings with C4SM
2025-11-29 09:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-06 09:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-13 09:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-20 09:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-27 09:00 - 13:00, 2026-01-03 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Marina Library, 190 seaside circle, Marina, CA, 93933, United States
Every Saturday morning, C4SM is out maintaining our community garden at the Marina Library. Join us as we pull weeds, water out plants, transplant our native plants, paint kindness rocks, go on nature walks, work on projects around the garden, and much more!

Seaside Parks Pollinator Habitat Workday Series
2025-11-29 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-06 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-13 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-20 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-27 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-01-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Seaside Parks, 986 Hilby Ave, Seaside, CA, 93955, United States
Join Friends of Seaside Parks (FOSPA) each Saturday, 10 am to 12 pm, at a different “FOSPA” park in Seaside, California. FOSPA, the City of Seaside, Sustainable Seaside, and other community partners work together to maintain and enhance Seaside’s neighborhood parks.
Find the Schedule of Pollinator Habitat Gardening Workdays in Seaside parks HERE. Workdays rotate between nine Seaside neighborhood parks.
Click the park name for a MAP.

Beta Park
Capra Park
Durant Park
Farallones Park
Havana Soliz Park
Highland Otis Park
Lincoln Cunningham Park
Martin Park
Mescal Neil Park
Pacchetti Dog Park

FOSPA is a volunteer-led non-profit organization that supports the development and maintenance of parks and open green spaces in the City of Seaside, California. Volunteers create thriving habitats for pollinators and wildlife by planting native trees and pollinator-attracting plants. Volunteers are invited to each Saturday Pollinator Habitat Workday.
Friends of Seaside Parks Association is a 501c3 nonprofit and works collaboratively with the City of Seaside, Public Works, Sustainable Seaside, Resource Conservation District of Monterey County, Blue Zones Project of Monterey County, Habitat Stewardship Project Monterey Bay, a host of dedicated volunteers, and other community partners. Learn more here.

Capra Park: Seaside Park Workday
2025-12-02 08:00 - 15:30 | Capra Park, Luzern St. at Sonoma Ave., Seaside, CA, 93955
Join the young people of the Green Cadre of Monterey County in our Seaside parks and at the Monterey Adult School for some weekday fun!
Laura Murphy, Soil Scientist with the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County, and Seaside park stewards will direct the work. Please bring your own gloves, drinking water, and sun protection. Tools and snacks will be provided.
The crew typically arrives by 9:00 a.m. and wraps up around 3:30 p.m. (except on Fridays, when they finish at noon).
Anytime between 9 am and 3 pm on the following dates:

Wednesday 9/3 –Beta Park
Thursday 9/11 – Highland Otis Park
Thursday 9/18 – Havana Soliz Park
Tuesday 9/30 – Lincoln Cunningham Park
Tuesday 10/7 – Monterey Adult School
Tuesday 10/21 – Havana Soliz Park
Wednesday 10/22 – Mescal Neil Park
Friday 10/24 – Beta Park (half day, note they end at noon)
Wednesday 11/12 – Highland Otis Park
Tuesday 12/2 – Capra Park

C4SM Hilltop Park Maintenance
2025-12-04 17:30 - 19:00, 2025-12-11 17:30 - 19:00, 2025-12-18 17:30 - 19:00, 2025-12-25 17:30 - 19:00, 2026-01-01 17:30 - 19:00, 2026-01-08 17:30 - 19:00 | Marina Hilltop Park, 9th St, Marina, CA, 93933, United States
Join us every Thursday from 5:30pm-7pm, as we maintain our native plants and pull weeds around the park!

Stanford Soil Research in Salinas
2025-12-06 09:00 - 17:00 | Natividad Creek Park, Salinas, 1395 Nogal St., Salinas, CA, 93905, United States
Join youth, community members and
scientists in identifying what is in Salinas
soils! Learn how to use DNA sequencing to
identify the microorganisms in Salinas
soils.

C4SM Broom Bash Friday Series
2025-12-12 10:00 - 12:00 | East Garrison, Marina, CA, 93933, United States
Call for Broom Bash volunteers! Want to eradicate invasive French Broom, one of the most widespread and invasive wildland pest plants in California? Join Mayor Bruce Delgado and other volunteers for a “Broom Bash” to clear French Broom from Fort Ord’s East Garrison, adjacent areas, and the Fort Ord National Monument.
Each Bash will focus on broom eradication in a particular location. Volunteer “weed warriors” armed with “weed wrenches” will uproot broom plants and strive for 100% eradication. Treated areas will be later planted with local wildflowers and shrubs. Treated areas will also be monitored to prevent brooms from reestablishing.
Prior registration needed. Pre-register 4 days in advance by contacting John Mott at sustainableeastgarrison@gmail.com.
Bring your gloves, water, and sunscreen.
For more information, contact John Mott: (831) 324-0277 or sustainableeastgarrison@gmail.com
French Broom (Genista monspessulana) is a nasty, tenacious, invasive plant. Both the plant and seeds are toxic to animals and other plant life, even native plants. The plants crowd out native plants thereby reducing essential food and shelter for our native birds, insects, and wildlife.
Find more information about invasive weeds and their control is available at:
www.cal-ipc.org/docs/ip/management/wwh/pdf/18601.pdf

C4SM Broom Bash Friday Series
2025-12-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Fort Ord National Monument, Marina, CA, 93933, United States
French Broom (Genista monspessulana) is a nasty, tenacious, invasive plant.
Both the plant and seeds are toxic to animals and other plant life, even native plants.

Pre-registration Required:
Monterey County requires all participants to complete an online Munitions Training at:
http://fortordsafety.com . Submit a copy of your completion certificate to:
sustainableeastgarrison@gmail.com at least 3 days prior to each event.

Help us to protect and beautify our public lands,
including Fort Ord National Monument.

Bruce Delgado, City of Marina Mayor and BLM Botanist, helps guide our efforts.
Bring your awesome self, water, garden gloves, a hat, and sunscreen.
This will be an exciting and educational experience!

Contact and information:
John Mott (831) 324-0277
sustainableeastgarrison@gmail.com

Stanford Soil Testing In Salinas
2025-12-13 09:00 - 17:00 | Natividad Creek Park, Salinas, 1395 Nogal St., Salinas, CA, 93905, United States

Climate Café Monterey Monthly Gathering
2025-12-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Unitarian Universalist Church of Monterey Peninsula, 490 Aguajito Road, Carmel, CA, 93923, United States
Climate Café® Monterey is focused on the Monterey Bay region of central California, USA. Meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Saturday of each month, 2-4 PM Pacific time. A Climate Café® is an in-person, informal space to share conviviality and gently guided conversation about climate, sustainability, solidarity, and resilience. All are welcome to bring friends and a planet-friendly snack to share.
The March 2025 Climate Cafe topic is The Climate Crisis and Mental Health: Keeping the Conversation Going
When: Saturday, March 8, 2025, 2-4 pm
Where: The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula (UUCMP) at 490 Aguajito Road Carmel, CA 93923. Fireside Room
Each monthly community gathering focuses on building productive conversation and community around topical climate-related issues. It’s part of a region-wide effort to decarbonize how we live, work, study, recreate, travel, and worship. The genesis of this group came through the Climate Reality Project.
For more information, visit the Climate Café Monterey website. Coordinators: Charlotte Bear, Nan Foster, and Mibs McCarthy. See about us at Climate Cafe® Monterey – Climate Café®

Santa Rita Creek Park Workday
2025-12-14 09:00 - 11:00 | Santa Rita Creek Park, 290 E. Bolivar St., Salinas, CA, 93906, United States
Join the Santa Rita and Bolsa Knolls Watershed Group for a Work Day on the 2nd Sunday of the month from 9 am to 11 am at Santa Rita Park, 290 E. Bolivar Street in Salinas. MAP
Please bring work gloves, a shovel, and/or a trowel. Tasks may include weeding, watering, trash pickup, soil prep, and sheet mulching.

North Marina Community Clean-up with C4SM
2025-12-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Lapis Rd and Del monte Blvd, Junction of Lapis Rd and Del Monte Blvd, Marina, CA, 93933, United States
Join us Every Second Saturday of the month as we clean up Lapis Road and Del Monte Boulevard in North Marina! For helping clean the community, you will be rewarded with a free pizza lunch!

MAS: Native Garden Preparation Day
2025-12-16 09:00 - 12:00 | Monterey Adult School, 1295 La Salle Ave, Seaside, 93955, United States
NATIVE GARDEN PREPARATION DAY!

Volunteers! Join Monterey Adult School and Seaside community members as they kick off a new native pollinator habitat that will come to life next spring!

Tuesday, December 16
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Monterey Adult School, 1295 La Salle Ave., Seaside
✅ Please check in at the front office before heading to the corner work site.

No experience needed. Just bring your enthusiasm to help create a thriving habitat for our local pollinators!

RSVP by scanning the QR code on the flyer below. Or visit the sign-up website. Can’t make it? Scan anyway to join the mailing list for future volunteer days!

Natividad creek park garden workday
2025-12-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Natividad Creek Park, Salinas, 1395 Nogal St., Salinas, CA, 93905, United States

C4SM Broom Bash Sunday Series
2025-12-28 09:00 - 12:00 | Fort Ord National Monument, Marina, CA, 93933, United States

Advancing the Reuse Economy in Monterey County
2026-01-09 09:30 - 11:30 | Hilton Garden Inn Monterey, 1000 Aguajito Rd., Monterey, CA, 93940, United States
Explore how reuse-as-a-service can expand across Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. This free event brings together sustainability leaders, reuse service providers, and food-serving businesses interested in transitioning to reusable foodware. Come connect, learn, and help build local momentum for the reuse economy.
Hosted by the Building Business Back program, Monterey County Business Council, and the California Green Business Network.
Date: Friday, January 9, 2026Time: Registration 9:30 AM · Presentation & Mixer 10:00–11:30 AMLocation: Vista Del Mar Room, Hilton Garden Inn Monterey, 1000 Aguajito Rd, Monterey, CACost: Free · Light refreshments providedRSVP: tinyurl.com/reuse-1-9-26
Who Should Attend:
This event is particularly relevant for organizations and companies that have a large number of employees and provide meal service to guests, customers, etc. (Schools, Hospitals, Corporate Campuses, Community Meal Providers). Industry leaders from the tourism and economic development sectors would also find value. Finally, environmentally-focused professionals and community leaders interested in advancing tangible actions to meet policy goals and regulations related to waste reduction would be important stakeholders.
Tip: Invite a colleague—especially foodservice businesses considering reusable foodware
