Today’s post comes from I Love A Clean San Diego’s Director of Development & Marketing, Morgan Justice Black. She loves craft beer and a good party, and is in charge of coordinating our Fall Social!.It’s going to be an event to remember!
What if I told you that for just $25 you could enjoy an afternoon of craft beer, food, games and getting to know other eco-minded San Diegans? Seems too good to be true, right? Well, it’s all happening on Saturday November 8th from 2pm – 5pm as I Love A Clean San Diego hosts its Fall Social fundraiser.
Building upon the success of last year’s Summer Social, ILACSD is teaming up with Karl Strauss Tasting Room & Beer Garden for an afternoon of fun to benefit our pollution prevention programs countywide. If you haven’t been to the Karl Strauss Tasting Room yet, you’re in for a treat!
With a rotating selection of more than 20 beers on tap, there are always new brews to enjoy!
Their expansive tasting room includes windows to give guests a sneak peek into the brewery operations, including the bottling line and the beer lab. Plus, they have a big outdoor space with games galore. Whether you are a board game aficionado, or prefer to try your luck with a game of corn hole or ladder ball, the Fall Social will give you the opportunity for some friendly competition among guests.
Pony up to the bar and sample one of their delicious brews. Staff favorites include: Red Trolley Ale, Oktoberfest and Peanut Butter Cup Porter.
Back by popular demand, ILACSD’s growler toss! Think ring toss at the fair, but the ring has to land around the neck of a growler. If you participate, you could win a free growler complete with a fill up! Bring your keen wit for board games, your precision for ladder ball, corn hole and growler toss, and your wallet for our raffle! All adult guests should also bring their photo ID to purchase additional beers.
It’s not an ILACSD fundraiser without a great silent auction & raffle, so don’t forget your wallet!
But first, you need tickets! Adults are $25 and kids get in for FREE. Aside from admission, your ticket gets you your first pint, food, and a commemorative pint glass so that you can reminisce about the great time you had at ILACSD’s Fall Social all year round!
Today’s blog comes from one of our environmental educators, Monica! Each and every day she integrates reusable items into her daily routine in efforts to reduce the waste she generates. In this blog, Monica provides great Eco Tips and clearly shows how you, too, can ditch the disposable lifestyle!
That’s me drinking water at the I Love A Clean San Diego office. Reusable cup and reusable straw: Check!
As an environmental educator at ILACSD, I constantly talk about the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. As many of you know, these Rs are not in random order; the most important one comes first, REDUCE.
I was shocked to hear about the amount of trash the average San Diegan produces in a day. How much, you ask? On average, each person produces 5.5 lbs of trash per day. That’s over 2,000 lbs of trash per person per year! Last year, I decided to do something about this. I increased the amount of REUSEables in my life and have REDUCEd my waste by 75%.
This is how I do it:
Stopped to buy some refreshing iced coffee in my reusable cup.
6 am – Morning Coffee
Like most people, I need to drink coffee every morning. Just like I’ve become dependent on caffeine, I’m dependent on my reusable coffee tumbler.
Eco Tip:
– If you have time to sit down and enjoy your coffee at your favorite coffee shop, ask for a real mug.
12 pm – Lunch time
On most days, I make my lunch at home and bring it to the office. My lunch contents change from day to day but one thing that stays the same is that I always make sure to use reusables. Disposable silverware and zip lock baggies? No thank you!
Typical lunch bag contents.
These are my lunch bag contents:
– Reusable Pyrex container holding my home-made enchiladas.
– Attention Parents: If your children only eat their fruit if it is pre- peeled or sliced, place the prepped fruit in a reusable container instead of a disposable, non-recyclable bag.
I brought my Life Factory reusable water bottle on a hike. Remember to stay hydrated!
6 pm – After work work-out
Whether I go to yoga class, on a hike, or a walk, I always make sure to bring my reusable water bottle. Did you know that Americans throw out 50 billion plastic bottles every year?! The solution is pretty simple, REUSE!
7 pm – Evening Grocery shopping
If I’m running low on groceries I’ll make a quick stop at one of my neighborhood stores or the farmer’s market. I usually plan ahead and have my reusable bags with me but I also make sure to leave some in my trunk for those unplanned trips to the store.
To further reduce my waste, I choose products based on packaging. The more packaging they have, the less likely I am to buy it, and I especially love buying from the bulk bins.
I use my smaller reusable bags to purchase chocolates from Sprout’s bulk bins!
Eco Tip:
– Buy in bulk! If you use a jar or plastic container, have a cashier weigh it beforehand, some containers already have the weight on them!
There are so many things you can buy in bulk: coffee, pasta, chocolates, beans, flour, lentils, rice, oatmeal, trail mix, and nuts are just a few of the options. The OB People’s Organic Food Market, Sprouts, North Gate Market, North Park Produce, and Whole Foods all have a wide variety of bulk food items.
I also use my reusable produce bags when I buy produce. If the produce has a hard peel, I go without a bag completely.
This is how I bundle my produce. Some items are placed loosely in my cart and other items are in bags. Do what works best for you!
These are just a few of the ways I choose to reuse every day. It’s all about rethinking and making conscious choices that better our environment. It can be a little hard at first, but before you know it, it becomes part of your daily routine!
Pledge to B.Y.O reusables to the 30th annual Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 20th! Last year, 68% of volunteers pledged to bring at least one reusable item: work gloves, water bottle, and bucket. Sign up today!
Today’s blog comes one of our interns, Christian! Christian spent his summer with us learning about the ins and outs of an environmental non-profit. For this blog, we asked Christian to take a quick stroll through Liberty Station where our office is located. You’ll be surprised by what he discovered along the way.
During my fifteen minute walk around Liberty Station, I found 3 plastic spoons, 24 cigarette butts, 4 plastic wrappers, and a plastic bowl still filled with ice cream. If I found this on a short fifteen minute walk, imagine what you could find in your neighborhood.
It may seem tedious to pick up litter, but who says that it has to be boring?
Here are 4 ways you can add an element of fun to your next cleanup!
“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and – SNAP! – the job’s a game!”- Mary Poppins
Make a game – Add a basketball hoop to trashcan. Shoot for that three-pointer and remember to always get the rebound! This is a great way to encourage kids to throw away trash for the fun of it, too.
Trash-ure Hunt – Make a treasure hunt for you or a group of people where they have to find like: 5 candy wrappers, 5 plastic items (such as water bottles or bags), 10 cans or glasses, 1 spoon and fork, a plastic plate to go with it, etc.
Give yourself a reward – For every piece of trash you throw away, give yourself 5 points and once you reach 100 points you can treat yourself! This would be a great way to motivate you to throw away your trash as well as litter.
Trash Bucket Challenge – Looking for an alternative to the ALS ice bucket challenge? Grab a reusable bucket and participate in the Trash Bucket Challenge! Take 15 – 20 minutes and once you’ve filled your bucket, take it to a local trash or recycling bin – it’s that easy! Don’t forget to nominate your friends to do that same.
If you don’t have a bucket or reusable container, you can use a bag.
ILACSD is hosting a countywide trash bucket challenge on September 20th! Sign up for the 30th annual Coastal Cleanup Dayhere and remember to pledge to BYO reusables: bucket, work gloves and water bottle!
Our Marketing Coordinator, Sarah, had the opportunity to interview two more Coastal Cleanup site captains! Our site captains come from all walks of life, backgrounds, and expertise. Our first site captain spotlight focused on a City Heights family, Jody and Dennis. Today, we wish to highlight another dynamic duo – two teachers from Mount Miguel High School, James McFarland and Todd Linke.
James and Todd have been active environmentalists since they were students themselves. Now, as teachers at Mt. Miguel High School, they are in a position to pass on their knowledge and passion for the environment to the next generation of environmental advocates through the school’s Eco Club.
Over the past two years, Todd and James have helped broaden the reach and impact of the club. What started as a group that focused on recycling cans and bottles has grown to do so much more. Today, the Eco Club is an environmentally educated, student-led group dedicated to the protection and enhancement of their local environment.
Mt. Miguel High School students at our 2014 Creek to Bay cleanup! (Todd, far right; James, center)
Todd further explained that, because of the club’s strong student leadership, students often help coordinate field trips, invite guest speakers, as well as participate in cleanups. Last spring, after they participated in ILACSD’s Creek to Bay cleanup, the students voiced an interest in Coastal Cleanup Day so Todd and James gladly signed up to be site captains! This will be their very first Coastal Cleanup Day!
“The students were so excited after they participated in Creek to Bay that we wanted to continue to provide similar opportunities.” – James
Both Todd and James strive to serve as role-models for their students and instill the value, “think globally, and act locally”. Through their participation in hands-on cleanup experiences, students, and potentially other community members, are provided with a better understanding of real issues that impact San Diego County. Such opportunities serve as a reminder that every action we take is important.
When asked, “What is your favorite part of our cleanups?” James noted that it engages like-minded individuals to come together for a common good – “from children to little old ladies”. Events such as CCD and Creek to Bay serve as a reminder that “you’re not alone in your efforts to protect the environment.” James mentioned that after each cleanup, his students often report that they “feel uplifted and full of hope.”
MMHS Eco Club students work together to remove debris from their neighborhood, including this large tire!Eco Club member lends a hand to keep her Lemon Grove neighborhood clean and beautiful!
Similarly, Todd mentioned that his favorite part is to witness a youth or a community member have their first “ah ha” moment; when they realize thatthey have made an immediate, positive impact in their community. During our interview, Todd reflected on the moment that a spark was lit inside of him – he was a sophomore in college planting trees. There was something about having his hands in the soil, acting locally, that even 20 years later he continues to remember that moment.
Although their site, Chollas Creek – Lemon Grove, isn’t a well-known cleanup site, James noted that there are pieces of nature that are easily missed. There are several nearby parks and canyons that commonly fill with street litter that has been carried away by the wind. Additionally, it is a residential area full of families and students who want to take pride in their neighborhood.
One challenge that many club members face is a lack of transportation which often hinders their ability to attend certain club activities. To help eliminate this barrier, James and Todd specifically selected a site that is in their neighborhood. If you are interested in joining James, Todd and the students of the Mt. Miguel High School Eco Club, please click here!
“It’s easy, fun and it makes an immediate impact that you can see and feel.” – Todd
Todd and James (far left) and San Diego’s new generation of environmental stewards at Creek to Bay 2014!
& Marketing, Morgan Justice Black. She loves craft beer and a good party, and is in charge of coordinating our Fall Social!.It’s going to be an event to remember! 
