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In partnership with the Butte Environmental Council and North Valley Energy Watch, Goldstein and Brendan Vieg of the city’s Planning Services Department have arranged three neighborhood home energy efficiency workshops.

There’s no charge—in fact, organizers are giving things away: ice cream, LED light bulbs, ChicoBags, Klean Kanteens and prizes.

The idea is to introduce residents, particularly those in older houses, to the spectrum of low-cost, cost-saving options available.

It’s worth noting the city has approved the main components of the waste hauling agreement, but has not finalized the details. There will likely be more tweaks made before the October date. The agreement returns to the City Council on July 5.

“A lot of people aren’t quite sure what can be recycled,” Holden said. When in doubt, some people tend to just throw things out, or throw too much into the recycling bin.

maximizing use of recycling bins, using donation stations and learning to compost can help costs drop “enormously,” especially for people using the largest bin size.

Goldstein reached out to the general public at Chico events such as Thursday Night Market; the homeowner workshops co-sponsored by North Valley Energy Watch and the Butte Environmental Council, nonprofits that put together tool-and-testing kits available through the Chico library; and meetings with business leaders.

Molly Marcussen, a recent graduate of Chico State, began her CivicSpark fellowship this week, transitioning into City Hall as Goldstein transitions out. The two met in one of Marcussen’s classes last fall—Community Service Practice in Geography, taught by Sustainability Task Force chair Mark Stemen—but otherwise have not worked together.

The group started small in hopes of eventually making a large impact, initially choosing two areas of focus—Teichert Ponds, between Highway 32 and East 20th Street along Highway 99; and the area behind the CARD Center. The plan is to clear out invasive plants and replace them with native species. The group is working toward its goal with the backing of a city program called Adopt a Spot, which encourages community involvement in the park by providing resources such as tools, volunteer help and a management plan.

Water Warriors relies mostly on volunteers, donations and partnerships like the one with the city.

In its short existence, the group is already making strides. The work behind the CARD Center in particular is visible and already paying off.

Dozens of the old oak trees have fallen at One-Mile Recreation Area in recent years, due to drought, heavy winds and rains, or just the fact that they were old and vulnerable to the elements. The rest of the park has seen its fair share of oaks crashing to the ground, too. City of Chico staff, Butte Environmental Council (BEC) and Chico Tree Advocates have joined forces to identify areas where the forest canopy needs a hand. (BEC organizes a similar project that focuses on oak restoration in Upper Park.)

So, when the Butte Environmental Council honored her Oct. 21 with its Lifetime Achievement Award (named after founding member and former Chico Mayor Michael McGinnis), the tribute recognized someone continuing to contribute, albeit less conspicuously. Executive Director Natalie Carter, in explaining how BEC’s board selected Dolan, said that “she’s been a champion for environmental issues for decades and has had a very powerful and strong voice in our community standing up for values that our members hold dear. We really couldn’t think of anybody better to recognize this year.”