News
TCEC members receive the Eco-Logic Newsletter, which is published monthly except for July/August and November/December issues. Each issue is full of local environmental news, events and activities, and ways you can get involved in environmental issues. Review a sample (past) issue.
Online, we feature the Closer Look column, written for our newsletter by TCEC Publications Chairperson, Donna Olsen.
Closer Look — September 2019
New This Year, Ducks for Bucks Donation is on Line! Buy Some Duckies!!
- Go to the ducks for bucks website…https://www.ducks4bucks.org
- Click on the big blue button (Let’s Race)
- Choose Tri-City Ecology Center from the drop down menu.
- Pay with your credit card.
- Smile for doing a good deed! Thank you so much!
2019 Lemonade Profits Excellent and Lemonade Brigade Fantastic
Fremont Festival of Arts in August was busy and bustling with visitors; the weather was perfect and the crowd was happy, alas no pirates of Emerson as our neighbors this year. Our flow rate was toe to toe throughout the weekend with last year which netted in over 2,500 cups of lemonade being sold. Lots of customers are repeat visitors; they remember where our booth is; they tell us they like the taste and appreciate the value they get from a simple hydrating ice cold lemonade. Overall net take for the two days was about $3,700. World Centric again donated the compostable cups, lids and straws, this year we had paper straws; they worked perfectly. If you ever have an interaction with World Centric please tell them we are eternally grateful for their donation and we love their sturdy products.
Thanks also to all the fabulous volunteers that worked the booth this year, I hope you all had sticky fun and the shift passed quickly as you scooped, poured and sold the drinks. I appreciate your flexibility in covering all the bases and being the smiling TCEC interface with all the customers. I thank you all each and every one.
And here they are: Co-Chairs Tom Browne and Steve Evans. Shift Captains: Ann Morrison, Steve Evans , Rich Godfrey and Stuart Guedon. Volunteer Coordinator: Caroline Harris. Money: Janis Stob. Servers: Lalita Bendale, Mellicent Fraticelli, Dee Miner, Pat Finch, Liz Ames, Kathleen Wade, Cathy Keesee, Dan O’Donnell, Kyoko Comerford, Sally Mills, Adrienne Stephens, Beeyond Team (Chandra Garapaty, Emma Nguyen, Tammy Lee, Teja Mukundh & Kanan Prashar), Mavis Brown, Ruel Brown, Evelyn LaTorre, David Keim, Doug Ford, Jane Mueller, Patricia Schaffarczyk, Tom Coroneos, Elaine Owyang, Syndee Kuhl, Lynn Miller, Beth Rasler, Phil Stob, Janis Stob, Nancy Flores and Steve Elman. Set Up and Tear Down Crew: Tom, Dan, Caroline, Stuart, Rich, Donna, Gus, Steve, and Phil.
The outstanding success of the booth really is in your hands; please be proud of yourselves. The team is well organized and highly efficient. I know a lot of work went into making the apparatus and consumables appear and disappear by magic. Thank you, Caroline Harris & Tom Browne.
A Thank you Note to World Centric
The Tri City Ecology Center and all our members want to thank you for the very kind and generous donation made by World Centric. We pointed out to customers that the cups and lids were compostable and donated by World Centric. And everyone was pleased with the sturdy paper straws.
Once again, thank you for your help with the order and many thanks to World Centric for the donated cups, lids, and straws. Signed, Dee Miner (TCEC’s Compostable Chair)
Education Project Receives Eco-Grant
Abi Shiva, a junior at Washington High School, is the latest recipient of a TCEC Youth Eco-Grant. His project includes the creation of 10 informational (and portable) signs for the LEAF Stone Garden at 55 Mowry Ave. The signs will “cover topics ranging from pollinators to vermiculture”, according to Abi, and will greatly aid youth and adults alike in understanding the complex business of gardening. The grant was for $350. Congratulations, Abi, for a great project.
Visit TCEC’s Latest Library Display Today
The subject of September’s display is the ecology center’s 47 year book (and DVD) donation project for the public libraries of the Tri-City area…that is Fremont, Newark, Union City, Centerville, and Irvington/ Niles. The average donation contains about 10 childrens’ titles, 8 adult and three DVDs. The cost per donation is about $1350. The 47 year total is approximately $63,450. (Note: There are 5 copies of each title.) Currently, we are purchasing and processing books and DVDs for the 2020. In case you are trying to figure it out, we started this program in 1972
The creative people on the job are Caroline Harris, Ann Morrison, Donna Olsen, Dan O’Donnell and Janis Stob. The display will come down on September 30.
Stiver’s Lagoon Update
Last month, Chair Gus Morrison described the Stivers Lagoon situation (the massive destruction of the nature area at Lake Elizabeth). Since then, we have been trying to arrange for a meeting with City of Fremont. We hope to have it lined up by next week (September 9-13). The ecology center has been joined in the effort by Phil & Pat Gordon of the Ohlone Audubon Society and Joyce Blueford of Math Science Nucleus. We must make sure this never happens again.
Beeyond Team Busy
As summer starts to draw to an end, so do the wild blooms that have provided an abundant feast for our bees. In order to support our bees native and otherwise in the upcoming fall, Honey Natives & Beeyond has begun giving out free California poppy seeds to our festival attendees. Not only do they provide pollen for bees to harvest, they also provide a burst of vibrant color for every home. Even better: autumn happens to be a good time to plant poppy seeds!
According to UC Davis’ Robbin Thorp, California poppies only provide pollen. While bees require both pollen and nectar, providing even one part of the equation is a huge help. Pollen is an important source of protein for all bees, and our solitary native bees mix pollen and nectar to create stores of food for their future young. Honey bees, while not native to our country, create bee bread from pollen and honey, which is fed to their larvae.
The rapid decline of our bee population is a behemoth that cannot be solved by one person alone, but with the help of many, we can slowly chip away at this issue. Please consider planting some native plants to help out our bees in the upcoming fall!
A little more Bee news….
Our Team discussed setting up bee-friendly structures at Quarry Lake Park with one of its gardeners. We hope to begin project soon. Bee Team also worked at the Lemonade Booth at the Festival of the Arts. And finally, we attended a BEEKS meeting at LEAF’s Stone Garden, learning all about raising bees. Signed Tammy Lee from Beeyond
Niles Canyon Stroll & Roll – September 22
The 3rd Niles Canyon Stroll & Roll will be held on Sunday, September 22, from 7 am to 2 pm. This event is not to be missed! You will be able to walk, bike or run along Niles Canyon Road through Niles Canyon, on a day the roadway will be closed to car traffic. This is also an opportunity to visit some of the route locations for the planned Niles Canyon Trail. Visit the Alameda Creek Alliance information tables at the Sunol and Niles ends of the canyon. See https://www.84strollroll.com/ for more information.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
Come out for the 35th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 21, 2019. For more information and to register for the event, go to Fremont.gov/CoastalCleanupDay. This cleanup is considered the world’s largest volunteer event.
Coyote Hills Regional Park: 26th Annual Gathering of Ohlone Peoples, 10am-4pm, Sunday, October 6 Ohlones from several tribes will share their culture, including music, song, dance, and stories. They’ll discuss contemporary cultural involvements, and demonstrate basket, jewelry, soaproot brush, and dogbane string making. Visit a more than two-thousand-year-old village site, play an Ohlone game, try making fire without matches, or make a miniature tule boat.