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rdifalco

Flavors: With a little help, a garden grows - Chico Enterprise Record - 1 views

  • If it takes a village to raise a child, for me it takes a community to grow vegetables.
  • This year, we made a friend. His name is Mark Stemen, head of the Butte Environmental Council, and he introduced us to the idea of community gardening. Knowing we have a program for at-risk youth called Wilderness Experience, Mark encouraged us to lease a plot at Humboldt Community Garden to teach the kids the benefits of gardening.
  • The first time I talked to Mark about the garden, he told me his philosophy: the most important word in Community Garden isn't garden. He is absolutely correct. So far, we have done nothing by ourselves. Every time we go to the garden, we meet new people who are happy to be there, gardening alongside us. We use the tools provided by the community, the compost and the water. We were given some of the plants, and someone even gave us a hose when they saw ours was too short. We've chatted up our plot-neighbors for recipe ideas and tips on when to harvest our vegetables.
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  • Introducing our community of Wilderness Experience kids to the Humboldt Community Garden has already been so worthwhile, and we've only been at it for a couple of months. For the first time in a long time, I'm confident our plants will grow. For more information about Butte Environmental Council's Community Gardens (there are two, Humboldt and Oak Way), check the website at www.becnet.org/community-gardens.
ndcarter

Chico News & Review - Compassion above all else - Editorial - Opinions - March 29, 2018 - 0 views

  • Butte Environmental Council, which for decades has organized events to beautify our parks and waterways. During a cleanup in 2008, as the CN&R reported, BEC volunteers collected a whopping 10.5 tons of trash in five hours.
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    Butte Environmental Council (BEC) is a community organization committed to protecting and defending environmental quality throughout Butte County. By regularly removing trash and recyclables that have found their way in to our urban creeks, parks and greenways BEC is helping to keep local water clean and safe, improving wildlife habitat and reducing human impacts on our environmental quality. Chico's urban waterways are heavily impacted by litter, illegal dumping, and creekside camping. BEC is committed to treating all members of our community with dignity and respect. We often remove materials left behind by those living along our creeks. Our non-confrontation policy asks our volunteers to avoid any interactions with those in the cleanup area besides inviting them to join us. In partnership with local law enforcement, we provide notice to camps in an effort to allow time for personal property to be removed. Usable items that are removed from our cleanup efforts are repurposed whenever possible to minimize what we send to the landfill. Our community cleanups have two goals: remove waste from our creeks, and build a community committed to healthy waterways.
rdifalco

California Community Rising Against Fracking tour starts Sunday in Chico - Chico Enterp... - 0 views

  • CHICO — Music and nationally known speakers will kick off a west coast tour of California Community Rising Against Fracking during a free event Sunday at Arc Pavilion, 2040 Park Ave. Put on by Chico Community Rising Against Fracking and Butte Environmental Council, the event 2-6 p.m., is the start of a state tour that will end up in San Diego on Earth Day, according to Dave Garcia, a member of BEC. Tour locations are communities that are near the largest shale oil regions in the state, including San Francisco, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, he said.
  • Speakers will include: Doug Shields, former member of Pittsburgh, Penn., city council, featured in the film, "The Sky is Pink"; Shannon Biggs, director of Community Rights with Global Exchange, who will talk about community rights initiatives; Andrew Grinberg, Oil and Gas Program Coordinator of Clean Water Action, who will talk about water issues and new proposed state fracking regulations; Speakers from Chico Community Rising Against Fracking and BEC, on concerns of what local fracking for oil operations may cause to the surrounding agricultural economy. Also, there will be a showing of "The Sky is Pink," a film by Josh Fox as a follow-up to his Oscar-nominated "Gasland," about misinformation from the hydralic fracking industry.
  • Music by local band, Los Cabillitos de la Cancion, will start at 5 p.m. Robyn DiFalco, BEC's executive director, said the
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  • event will emphasize the impact of fracking at the local level and groups and individuals interested in signing a letter in support may do so at BEC's website. For information, contact Butte Environmental Council at 891-6424 or www.becnet.org.
rdifalco

To Grow Your Own Food: Humboldt Community Garden | anewscafe.com - 0 views

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    bout and photographed other community gardens around the region, including the Community Teaching Garden on the campus of Shasta College in Redding and the Mt. Shasta Commu
rdifalco

Humboldt Community Garden almost like a backyard for weeding and wedding - Chico Enterp... - 0 views

  • CHICO >> For Lynsey and Jimmie Pratt, getting married in the Humboldt Community Garden was almost like getting married in their back yard. The garden is where they spend a lot of their time, share tasks they love and hang out with friends. When they thought about the perfect place to dive into the next stage of their lives, the garden made perfect sense. A community garden is a shared piece of land, where each person gets a small plot. In this case, the garden is run by the Butte Environmental Council. Gardeners pay a small fee to cover the water bill.
  • As far as the couple knows, they are the second to get hitched at the Humboldt Community Garden. The other couple had a very private affair.
rdifalco

Competitive potluck and community garden party Tuesday night - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • If you've driven by Oak Way Park this summer or last spring, it's hard to miss something new. Neatly divided plots of land have sprung to life at the corner of Nord and West Eighth Avenues. The land is the second community garden organized through the Butte Environmental Council, http://www.becnet.org Some of the growers are people who were on the waiting list for BEC's community garden on Humboldt Avenue. Now that things have sprung up, BEC will host a potluck party at Oak Way Park Tuesday night, 5-7 p.m.
  • "Our agreement with the city is that we can do the community garden on the property until it is needed for something else," explained Robyn DiFalco, BEC executive director.
  • BEC has also partnered with Independent Living Services of Northern California. The plan is to build raised beds that will be accessible by people who have mobility limitation.
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  • Mark Stemen, a cheerleader for community gardens, was a leading force in the creation of the Humboldt Garden, at Humboldt and El Monte, and had enthusiasm left over to spearhead the garden at Oak Way Park.
rdifalco

In west Chico, new community garden vision is growing - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • CHICO -- A vision has sprouted for another Chico community garden, with hopes a new crop of urban farmers will be tending seedlings by next spring. Mark Stemen, a board member with the Butte Environmental Council, went public last week with the idea for the Oak Way Community Garden. A one-acre vacant lot at the northwest corner of Eighth and Nord avenues, the space is slated for an eventual fire station. But until then it could be a great spot for people to grow their own food, he said.
  • "It would be a great alternative use," Stemen said. "People think it's a great location and it's clearly an unused space." Having spent the morning checking on seedlings at the Humboldt Community Garden, Stemen smiled last week as his dirt-stained fingers unfurled a canvas mockup of gridded plots, a model orchard and a looped walking path. The location has many perks, he said, including it's on the other side of town from the Humboldt garden, it has nearby parking and water hookups and it provides easy access for those with disabilities. It's also near a park operated by the Chico Area Recreation and Park District, which could prove mutually beneficial.
  • Like the Humboldt garden, the city would lease the property to the Butte Environmental Council, which would charge gardeners a small amount to cover water and insurance costs. And volunteers will fundraise for piping, fencing and other materials. Robyn DiFalco, executive director of BEC, said she is excited by the prospect of
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  • another garden. "The Humboldt garden has been such a success," she said. "I'm happy we can help fulfill that need."
rdifalco

BEC OPENS ITS NEW "HUMBOLDT COMMUNITY GARDEN" TO THE PUBLIC - Sun. Sept. 16, 2012 Green... - 1 views

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    Sunday, September 16, 2012 saw the official kick off of BEC's new community garden on Humboldt Road and El Monte. The garden is located on city property that lies directly across from Marsh Junior High School and next to the Murphy Commons Garden. The land, one full acre, was entrusted to BEC under a free lease by the city of Chico in order to create a public and affordable food growing garden where beginners could meet and learn from seasoned gardeners.
rdifalco

Darkness & Light: March in the Garden & North State Calendar of Gardening Events | anew... - 0 views

  • The On-line Calendar of North State Gardening Events at jewellgarden.com adds events throughout the month.
  • March 24 – Chico: Butte Environmental Council "Breaking Bread, Breaking Ground, A Gathering in Support of Community Gardens 4:30 - 7:30 pm. The Butte Environmental Council and Cultivating Community will be hosting Breaking Bread, Breaking Ground II: A gathering in support of community gardens. The meal is a local gourmet Mexican meal prepared by Donna Garrison, who coincidentally won the Humboldt Community Garden salsa completion last year. David Guzzetti will be providing a Flan Cake desert. There will also be a silent auction, and No-Host Bar. Musical performers include Los Caballitos de la Cancion, who will get us into fiesta mood! Tickets are $25 each and you can reserve a space by calling the BEC Office at 891-6424. Please make checks to BEC. Our address is 116 W 2nd St Ste 3, Chico, CA 95928. The event is Arc Pavilion 2020 Park Ave Doors open at 4:30, dinner at 5:00.
rdifalco

CN&R - Eat your vegetables! - Feature Story - Local Stories - April 18, 2013 - 0 views

  • Chico is currently home to at least 20 community gardens, where friends and neighbors gather together to work a shared piece of land. Through her work with the GRUB Education Program and Cultivating Community North Valley, Stephanie Elliot has had a hand in helping several of these get started.
  • It’s also important to research your location and check the soil to make sure there’s no history of contamination.
  • The Cultivating Community website has listings of open spaces. Elliot also recommended contacting Mark Stemen of the Butte Environmental Council, who has researched several vacant lots suitable for community gardens.
rdifalco

Row on the creek - 0 views

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    Critics blast environmental review of proposed waste conversion facility along Glenn County waterway The watchdogs at Butte Environmental Council usually keep guard close to home, but occasionally they'll look beyond Chico's backyard. "Environmental issues don't stop at the county line," said Executive Director Robyn DiFalco. "We tend to look beyond our borders at least a little bit to see if our community will be affected." She believes that's the case with the proposed Glenn County Solid Waste Conversion Facility about 3 miles west of Hamilton City, which would sort and recycle up to 200 tons of material a day and convert biodegradable substances into biogas. According to the project's Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), the goal is to divert and recycle up to 70 percent of the county's municipal solid waste from the landfill. And that's been a problem; the county's landfill near Artois has been pushing capacity for years and is set to close in December. What's caught BEC's attention? It's mostly a matter of location. The facility would be constructed along the northern bank of Stony Creek, which feeds into the Sacramento River and the Tuscan Aquifer, the vast underground reservoir that provides drinking water for residents in Glenn County and nearby communities-including Chico.
dnbaxter

Housing and Climate Change forum brings community together - 0 views

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    The forum on Housing and Climate Change, hosted by BEC, brought together a variety of community members with the goal to talk about housing with a focus on climate change and to brainstorm more creative solutions for housing after the Camp Fire.
rdifalco

Daily Planner: April 14 - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • Chico Community Rising Against Fracking: 2-6 p.m. Music and nationally known speakers kick off a west coast tour of California Community Rising Against Fracking. Put on by Chico Community Rising Against Fracking and Butte Environmental Council. Includes speakers, film. Music by Los Cabillitos de la Cancion at 5 p.m. Free. Arc Pavilion, 2040 Park Ave. Butte Environmental Council at 891 6424 or www.becnet.org.
joulesnewton

Farm Briefs for April 21 - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

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    * April 27, 2-4 p.m., Humboldt Community Garden, 2177 Humboldt Road in Chico - Berry workshop with Mark Stemen. Instruction includes how to use vertical space, and instruction by Sherri Scott. Topics include berries, plant care, pruning and plants suitable for Chico.
rdifalco

Plotting for spring, Chico community garden grows larger - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • Dozens of dirt diggers are still gazing at frost-damaged plants in south Chico. But there's an eye toward spring. The Humboldt Community Garden is in the middle of an expansion. Winter weeds are being turned over to create new working space for nine new garden plots. This will add to the 45 areas that have already been cultivated at the 14-acre garden spot at El Monte Avenue and Humboldt Road. The Butte Environmental Council — http://goo.gl/wwyrP — spearheaded the garden last spring across from Marsh Junior High School. The city of Chico leased the land, and organizers charge $30-$70 a year for water.
joulesnewton

Garden gets splash of color with new mural - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

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    CHICO - A splash of color has been added to the bright sunflowers and red tomatoes growing in the Humboldt Community Garden with the new greenhouse mural. Artist Michelle "Moss" Wurlitzer of Chico designed the wall painting after speaking with the gardeners about what they liked about the garden. The mural has cycles of the moon and the life of sunflowers to signify life and birth, plus a lot of food because that is one of the reasons people love the garden, she said.
rdifalco

Oak Way public fence raising party Saturday - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • Chico Enterprise-RecordPosted:   03/13/2014 08:01:01 PM PDTCommunity members may help at the Oak Way Community Garden work day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, at 1400 W. Eighth St. Volunteers should bring gloves and drinking water. Cultivating Community North Valley and the Butte Environmental Council are hosting the work day. Information about this event and others scheduled for the future are available online at cultivatingcommunitynv.org.
rdifalco

Ex-military find comfort, camaraderie in community garden - Chico Enterprise Record - 0 views

  • a garden plot for veterans at the Humboldt Community Garden has become a place where she enjoys the best of both lives. "It's like our little piece of the world," she said. "I've come out here and just sat and known I can be a vet here."
  • Veterans Affairs counseling groups and substance abuse groups also hold meetings at the garden, which is a project of the Butte Environmental Council and the city of Chico. The prolific produce is carted over in bowls and boxes to the Veterans Affairs office to share with those who may not have means or access to enjoy it otherwise.
  • The veterans garden project has become one of Tony Nicosia's happiest places. When the Vietnam veteran had car trouble Monday, he took the bus to make sure he could be there. "I love it, getting down and getting dirty. I like fresh vegetables. I want to see those plants grow from a little sprout larger and larger," he said. "It makes my heart feel big."
rdifalco

Butte County, PG&E emphasize need for communication with future tree removals - 0 views

  • Flowers placed on a stump of a tree removed by PG&E at the Oroville Cemetery as part of the utility’s Pathways Pipeline Project. As the tree-removal work continues in Butte County, efforts are be made to avoid or ease the controversy that happened in Oroville.
  • Chico >> No one wants another Oroville tree fiasco.Butte County, PG&E and other stakeholders are working together to try to prevent another controversy surrounding tree removals planned to take place around Chico as part of the Pathways Pipeline Project. Final tree removal numbers and locations have not been established but both the county and PG&E pledge that communication is a critical factor.
  • “We are very hopeful we can have a collaborative process and the public can be very informed,” said Paul Hahn, Butte County’s chief administrative officer. “There will be no quick decisions and trees are not going to just start disappearing.”
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  • The eventual removal of about 15 trees on Feather River Boulevard in front of the Oroville Cemetery was the subject of months of protests by citizens. The protest began in late November, with PG&E insisting the project was necessary for safety and access to its high-pressure gas-transmission line, and protesters arguing the trees were not a risk and strapping themselves to trees to protect them.
  • In all, 240 trees were removed in Oroville as part of the Pipeline Pathways Project. Tree removals in Paradise are next on the list for the Butte County area, although some trees in and near Chico have also been identified.
  • Conversations about planned tree removals have included Butte County supervisors, Sheriff Kory Honea and Public Works Director Mike Crump, as well as representatives from Butte Environmental Council, which is particularly concerned with the tree replacement plan.On Friday, BEC members met with PG&E and discussed 62 trees to be removed in the Comanche Creek greenway, including some sizeable oaks. PG&E agreed to follow Chico tree protection and mitigation guidelines, which could involve planting 150 trees to replace those to be removed, said BEC board member Mark Stemen.
  • “We stated in no uncertain terms that we are not issuing any permits for tree removal within the county until we have had a robust public process, including some of the neighbors’ involvement and the Board of Supervisors, possibly,” Hahn said.
  • “We will be open to listening. I think none of us want a repeat of what happened in Oroville.”
becnews

Chico News & Review - Creekside crackdown - News - Local Stories - September 10, 2015 - 0 views

  • Cynthia Gailey identifies herself first and foremost as an environmentalist, and she’s fully aware that homeless encampments have contributed heavily to the trashing of Chico’s waterways. The degradation, she says, is appalling.
  • Still, it’s not as if the camps’ inhabitants have access to household comforts such as toilets, showers, laundry machines or garbage pick-up, Gailey says. As the coordinator for Safe Space, the seasonal, cold-weather homeless shelter hosted at rotating locations, she argues that the solution is providing unsheltered people with adequate facilities and services, not creating new laws that only “further criminalize homelessness.”
  • The environmental impacts are serious. Last year, Butte Environmental Council’s annual Bidwell Park & Chico Creeks Cleanup—which aims to remove litter from the waterways before rain washes it downstream—pulled an estimated 30 tons of garbage from the creeks. It was a record amount of trash, far surpassing the previous high of 23,000 pounds in 2002. (BEC has tracked the trash haul since 1987.)
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  • This year is shaping up about the same, based on accounts of volunteers who have worked in the waterways ahead of the cleanup, which is taking place on Saturday (Sept. 19), said BEC Executive Director Robyn DiFalco. “We’re hearing the conditions are really similar to last year,” she said. “We’re expecting to collect just as much material so long as the same number of volunteers come out again.” The volunteers pick up plenty of “typical everyday litter,” DiFalco said, but the vast majority of trash, by both weight and volume, comes from homeless encampments. However, she doesn’t want people blaming homeless people alone for the waste in the waterways. “This is all part of the bigger situation in our community and society,” she said. “Our role at BEC is to facilitate the community having a positive impact and getting out there for the cleanup.”
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