Mardi Boettcher's Blog

This event is a good example of the unique character of Mendocino County and it’s residents: 

Global Day of Climate Action celebrated in Willits By JAY GORDON
Updated: 10/27/2009 02:12:10 PM PDT
Special for the Ukiah Daily Journal

The city of Willits is a walkable community. It’s easy for residents and visitors to explore the town on their own or as part of an organized group.

Painted footprints at intersections guide the curious around downtown and the nearby areas. This includes locally owned shops, charming cottages, public parks, museums, art galleries and a state of the art skatepark for kids.

Most walks begin at J D Redhouse mercantile, not simply because it is in the center of town but also because it’s a place to fortify yourself with pastries and specialty coffees before your walk — and snacks and ice cream afterward.

Head north toward Commercial Street, where painted footprints on the sidewalk will direct you to turn left and begin whatever part of the 5-mile excursion suits your interests and energy level. There are organized walks about four times a year.  This is a great way to meet local people and other visitors who share your enthusiasm for walking.

Normally, a hundred or so walkers participate. However, attendance for the Sunday, Oct. 24 event was sizable since it was in conjunction with the Global Day of Climate Action. Groups around the world planned activities for this day to focus on ways to protect the planet by reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

At the time walk organizer Jed Diamond said, “The goal is to have 350 walkers to represent the 350 parts per million that scientists, climate experts, and many national governments say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We are now almost at 390. Our walk will be one of thousands of events going on throughout the world (including one in Laytonville) on Oct. 24 co-sponsored by the group 350.org.”  The final tally of walkers in Willits of Oct. 24 was 377.  Impressive for a town of 5,000 people. 
There were  free cotton T-shirts for the first 350 people to sign in and take the walk. The T-shirts have a net zero carbon footprint and are made from 69 percent pre-consumer recycled cotton.

The local organization spearheading the walks is WHAT (Willits Healthy Action Team).  Cofounder Jed Diamond is a longtime resident, perhaps best known for his seminal best-selling books on men’s issues, including Male Menopause and The Irritable Male Syndrome.  Contact Jed for more information about future walks.  Phone 459-5505 or e-mail jed@MenAlive.com.

The ‘Ukiah Gleaners’, a project of the Mendocino Environmental Center doing its great work again this fall.  Many gardens have been visited and local people have signed up to help picking the fruitful bounty of Ukiah.  Apples, pears, grapes, figs and plums, which otherwise may have gone to waste, have all been picked and sent to the Food Bank, Plowshares and the Ukiah Senior Center.

This is an inspiring example of what makes the Ukiah Valley community so special.  There is a widespread commitment to taking care of the members of the communtiy and to enjoying the beauty and bounty our natural resources.

The biggest gleaning events were two pickings at the Alex Thomas Orchards on Perkins Street.  More than 100 people turned up for the two events which more than 1,500 pounds of pears to the food bank.

Hannah Bird, co-coordinator of the Ukiah Gleaners said, “They were such lovely events with young and old present to do the picking.  One ‘gleaner’ in particular came up to tell me that not only did he think it was a great idea, but he also felt that he was actually part of something’.  The sense of community spirit really glowed.  I want to thank the Thomas family for allowing us to pick these delicious pears, it was sad to think these orchards may not be here in the future.”

The final gleanings of the season are set to take place over the next few weeks.  To get involved call Hannah at 391-0044 or e-mail  hannah.bird at gmail.com

We don’t have a Whole Foods store here and we have curbside recycling, but I thought you might find it interesting to know how the yogurt and cottage cheese containers are used.  Very interesting!  Always great information from the California Association of Realtors:

“If your city doesn’t have curbside recycling, then recycling #5 plastics (cottage cheese, prescription drug, and yogurt containers) can be cumbersome.  One option is to drop your #5 plastic containers off at designated Whole Foods locations.  These containers can be remade into items such as razors, toothbrushes, cutlery, and mixing bowls — all of which are fully recyclable.”

To learn how water-intensive your lifestyle is and how to lessen your “water footprint,” visit www.waterfootprint.org                  

This is especially timely this year as we are rationing water in the Ukiah Valley.  I anticipate that soon the various water agencies will be able to work together to increase the storage capacity for our valley and yet, we can do our part by reducing our “water footprint.”

Enjoy!

The California Association of Realtors has reminded me that Installing faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads will cut water heating costs by 50 percent and save up to $300 per year.

It occurred to me that even more important for the Ukiah Valley, is the savings on water itself.  Mill View Water District folks have been given limits for consumption and are really watching their usage now.  The city of Ukiah has not come up with limits yet but we have all been asked to conserve.  I read in the Ukiah Daily Journal that the water level in Lake Mendocino is up due to our spring rains last month so that is some good news.

With everyone’s cooperation and our renowned community spirit, we will get through this drought situation this just fine.

For years, doctors advised patients to flush unused or outdated medications down the toilet. Today, scientists are urging us stop this practice because waste water treatment plants cannot remove these substances, and everything from hormones to codeine have been detected in streams and lakes. The health risks to animals and humans remain unclear. For guidelines for safe disposal of medications, visit http://nodrugsdownthedrain.com/disposal.html. For more green tips and discussion, visit C.A.R.’s Green Web site (http://green.car.org/).
 

Here’s a great tip from the California Association of Realtors:  Collect 8.5- by 11-inch paper that’s been printed on one side by your printers and fax machines, designate a paper drawer on each printer, or as many printers as practical, for this paper, and use it to print drafts.

I’ve been doing this at my home office for years.  It’s amazing how often you can use this paper.  Try it!