The Green Issue 2016

It’s always spring in California. At least when it comes to our year-round farmers markets. Three days a week, each week of the year, regional growers tout fresh pro-duce at open-air markets in the commu-nity. These markets are always in bloom.

San Juan Capistrano Wednesdays: 3 p.m.–7 p.m. Shop seasonal produce, fresh flowers, specialty foods and more at this weekly market in San Juan’s historic downtown. Yorba Linda Street at Camino Capistrano. www.farmersmarketsjc.com.

Dana PointSaturdays: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Merchants from across Southern Califor-nia sell an array of produce, flowers and foods at La Plaza Park. Each fi rst Satur-day features a craft fair. Pacifi c Coast Highway north of Golden Lantern. www.danapoint.org.

Vegetable peelings, discarded meat bones and uneaten leftovers are full of life.

San Clemente residents will soon give these items a new purpose. Kitchen scraps and yard waste be-come energy starting July 1. Organic waste, from egg shells and banana peels to chicken bones and pizza slic-es, will divert the landfi ll and instead be recycled into fertilizer and fuel.

Organic materials account for one-third of all waste in landfi lls.

Its diversion is key to meeting Cali-fornia waste reduction goals, calling for a 75-percent diversion from land-fi lls by 2020. With a current directive of 50 percent recycling, Californians will have to salvage an estimated 20 million tons of additional waste annually, according to CalRecycle, the

state’s recycling department. The Costa Mesa Sanitary District

launched Orange County’s fi rst resi-dential organics recycling program in June. Today, according to a UC Irvine study, two thirds of Costa Mesa’s single-family households are recy-cling food scraps. Residents now use a two-bin system. One bin for green waste, the other for trash. Without food, trash bins are mostly fi lled with recyclables, said CR&R Waste & Recy-cling Service sustainability specialist Lawrence Jones.

In February alone, the district col-lected more than 600 tons—or 1.2 million pounds of food waste, Jones said. Those recyclable organic materi-als are now skipping the landfi ll and instead being composted in Victor-ville.

Costa Mesa’s food and yard waste will soon be sent to Perris where the Stanton-based CR&R is fi nishing a more than $25 million anaerobic di-gesting facility. Here, microorganisms will break down biodegradable mate-rial inside an oxygen-free chamber. The matter will then be processed into fertilizer and biogas. The fertilizer will eventually be sold to farmers to grow crops, while the fuel will power CR&R’s fleet of collection trucks.

Other municipalities could soon follow Costa Mesa’s lead. San Clem-ente’s organic recycling service rolls out this summer with Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano expressing interest in implementing the two-bin system. •

San ClementeSundays: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. This weekly market features dozens of vendors selling seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers and specialty foods and goods each week along San Clemente’s downtown Avenida Del Mar.

Whether you’re headed to your local grocer or farmers market, be sure to shop the season. In season now: artichokes, asparagus, beets, mushrooms, spinach, cherries and tangerines. Watch for stone fruits to hit stands soon—peaches, apricots and plums peak in May. •

The Green Issue

In Seas n

Recycling kitchen scraps, yard waste into energy

Organic Diversion

Photo: CR&R

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON JARRELL

If there’s one thing 6-year-old Ryan Hickman loves, it’s sorting.

So when, at the ripe age of 3, his par-ents, Damion and Andrea, let him come along to return some water bottles at a recycling center, he was thrilled to help.

“He likes to sort pretty much anything, and he liked putting the bottles in the machine,” Damion said. “He probably got two or three bucks, and he was so excited about it. And of course then he got to sort his change, so that meant more sorting.”

For an average 3-year-old, that prob-ably would have been the end of the story. But when Damion returned home from work the next day, Ryan was waiting for him in the driveway. He told his dad that he wanted to show him his new busi-ness—or “bidness” in toddler talk.

“I asked him what it was, and he kind of waved down the street and goes, ‘tah-dah!’” Damion recalled. “Ryan and Andrea had gone around giving all the neighbors trash bags—he wanted everyone to start saving cans for him.”

That was the beginning of Ryan’s Recycling Company, established in 2012 in the family’s San Juan Capistrano home. first-grader at mbuehl lemen-tary School, Ryan has already earned more than $8,000 by collecting cans and bottles from about 0 customers in five different neighborhoods. His biggest cli-ent is the El Niguel Country Club.

Of course, being a 6-year-old entrepre-neur comes with some hurdles. Ryan’s parents, grandmother and aunt all help drive him around to collect his recy-clables and often make multiple trips to pick up a few carloads at a time. The family’s backyard acts as Ryan’s sorting facility, where he has about eight large trash cans that he sorts containers into—bottles and cans, plastics and glass, they

all have their place. Ryan’s family visits the recycling center every third Sunday, and on the weekends he can often be seen sorting to prepare for those visits with his work gloves on and sporting a blue CR&R hat.

The young businessman said even though he has to dump the occasional “yucky liquids” from some of the collected containers, it’s all worth it—every nickel goes into a savings account and toward his dream of owning his own garbage truck one day. Since he’s got about 10 more years until he can learn to drive, Ryan figures that gives him at least a decade to earn the $70,000 needed to purchase a used truck, or $120,000 for a brand new one.

“Ryan’s one of those really unique kids who has a passion, said his first grade teacher Suzanne Devaney. “He just sees things that need to be done and he does them.”

Since the company’s inception, Da-mion, a graphic designer, has created business cards for Ryan as well as Ryan’s Recycling T-shirts, which sell for $13 apiece. All the proceeds from the shirts are donated to the acific arine am-mal Center—so far they’ve contributed about $1,000.

In a YouTube video posted last July, Damion asks Ryan if other people should start recycling to help save the earth.

mm no, Ryan says nonchalantly. “I got it all handled.”

His answer has changed a bit since then. Ryan said he thinks people should start recycling not only to earn some ex-tra cash, but “because it helps the world, too.” He worries that birds at the beach may eat the trash and “get sick or die.”

“He’s very passionate about it, and he likes to get everybody else passionate about it as well,” Andrea said. “I think he’s rubbed off on all of us now. You find yourself walking past a can on the ground and needing to pick it up instead of walking away and leaving it there.”

For more information on Ryan’s Recycling, visit www.dhdwear.com/Ryans-Recycling. To see Ryan talk about his recycling efforts, search for “Ryan’s Recycling Company” on YouTube. •

The Green Issue

FindingTreasure in TrashSan Juan Capistrano 6-year-old starts his own recycling business, aspires to drive his own garbage truck one day

Caspers Guided Nature Hike: Sunday, April 17; 8 a.m.–9:15 a.m. Join the park ranger on a 1-mile hike through Bell Canyon’s pristine sycamore and oak savannas. Rain cancels the hike. Hike is held each Sunday. $5 parking fee. 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.923.2210, www.ocparks.com.

Healing Yoga in the Garden: Monday, April 25; 10 a.m. Restore and balance your body during this 60-minute, gentle practice among the trees with Yoga Trippin’ and Goin’ Native. Yoga is held each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 31661 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, www.goinnative.net.

Headlands Nature Tour: Saturday, May 7; 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Explore the region’s ecology and natural history on this 1.5-mile, docent-led tour of the Dana Point Headlands. Walk is held the fi rst Saturday each month.Nature Interpretive Center, 34558 Scenic Drive, Dana Point, 949.248.3527, www.danapoint.org.

California Native Plants: Tuesday, May 10; 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Learn the historic, pre-mission uses of California native plants during this 2-mile hike over steep, uneven terrain. Parking is $3. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, 18751 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.923.2235, www.ocparks.com.

Mission Garden Tour: Wednesday, May 18; 10 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Tour Mission San Juan Capistrano’s elegant gardens fi lled with roses, perennials, herbs, succu-lents and more. Held every Wednesday. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.org.

GE T SM A R T

Garden Fest: Saturday, April 9; 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Peruse the garden flea market while learning about water-smart pro-grams and butterfly habitats at the San Clemente Garden Club’s annual event. San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

Imaginology: Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead: Friday–Sunday, April 15–17. Discover careers in agriculture, the arts, science and technology at the OC Fair’s hands-on, educational e ploration of robotics, fi sh-ing, storytelling, farming and more. OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, www.ocfair.com.

Grow Your Own! Spring Festival: Saturday, April 16; 10 a.m. Build ter-rariums, learn how to pickle, get dirty in the garden, pick strawberries, enjoy live music and food to celebrate the season. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

Ocean Institute Earth Day: Saturday, April 23; 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Explore marine

life and native plants, build a butter-fly garden, learn about protecting the environment and take part in a harbor cleanup. E-waste will be collected. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274, www.ocean-institute.org.

Earth Day San Clemente: Saturday, April 23; 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Visit Parque Del Mar at 8:30 a.m. to lend a hand in clean-ing up Main Beach. Earth Day festivities kick off at 10 a.m. with music, crafts, displays and more for the whole family. Parque Del Mar, San Clemente Pier, www.scwatersheds.com.

Eco Garden Expo: Saturday and Sunday, April 23 and 24; 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Get equipped, inspired and empowered to make eco-friendly gardening choices to save time, water and money. Los Rios Park, 31790 Paseo Adelanto, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

Backyard Beekeeping: Saturday, May 7; 1 p.m. Learn how critical the honeybee

is to our ecosystem and food supply, the equipment needed to start beekeeping, hive tips and more. Cost is $40. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

The Magic of Composting: Saturday, May 14; 8:30 a.m. Gain knowledge to naturally return kitchen scraps and yard waste to the earth during this fun work-shop. Cost is $10. Register by May 13. Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo, Dana Point, 949.248.3530, www.danapoint.org.

Casa Wellness Wednesdays: Garden Workshop: May 18; 7 p.m. Join Casa Romantica’s garden director Lisa Chumura in this hands-on gardening workshop. Each guest takes home their own handmade craft. Cost is $35. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139, www.casaromantica.org.

Container & Patio Gardening: Saturday, May 21; 1 p.m. Pick up tips to grow

organic food anywhere—from front yards to patios and roof tops to window sills—during container gardening basics class. The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.443.4223, www.theecologycenter.org.

R E C Y C L E GO O D S

Community Shred Day: Saturday, April 16; 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Shred documents at Monarch Bay Plaza for free. Pacifi c Coast Highway and Crown Valley Park-way, Dana Point, www.monarchbayplaza.com.

Bulky Item Drop-off: Saturday, May 7; 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Bring e-waste, green waste, appliances, furniture and other items for collection by Goodwill Industries. Shredding services also available at two drop-off locations.Dana Hills High School, 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point; Palisades Elementary School, 26462 Via Sacramento, Capistrano Beach, www.danapoint.org.

GIV E B A C K

Civic Beautifi cation: Second Tuesdays, 8:45 a.m. Do your part to maintain San Clemente’s public gardens by joining the San Clemente Garden Club for monthly maintenance at the Pier Garden, Jo Read Memorial Garden, Park Semper Fi and Rose Garden at City Hall. www.sanclementegardenclub.com.

Earth Day Restoration, Cleanup:Saturday, April 16; 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Help place native plants, install signage and remove trash from Doheny State Beach. Also, do your part to maintain San Onofre State Beach’s San Mateo Camp-ground by cleaning trails, planting native trees, weeding, painting and more. Bring work gloves, shovel and reusable bag. Register at www.calparks.org/earthday.

Mother Earth Beach, Creek, Park Cleanup: Saturday, April 23; 9 a.m.–noon. Help clean Doheny State Beach and San Juan Creek. Bring work gloves and reusable bag. Parking fee waived. Meet at lifeguard headquarters. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6172, www.dohenystatebeach.org.

ROOTS Restoration: Saturday, May 27; 9 a.m. Each fourth Saturday take part in the California Coastal Commission’s restoration project to preserve Upper Newport Bay. Remove invasive plants and perform site maintenance. Register at www.coastal.ca.gov. 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach, 949.923.2290.

Los Rios Garden Angels: Thursday, April 21; 8:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m. Volunteers meet each Thursday at the Montanez Adobe to maintain native plants and the endangered Monarch butterfly. Bring gloves and clippers. Los Rios Park, 31745 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, 949.606.6386, www.goinnative.net.

The Green Issue

Green SceneLocal events to celebrate Earth Day,

explore Mother Nature

D ISC O V E R N A TU R E

Imaginology at the OC Fair & Event Center April 15–17. Photo: Courtesy

Earth Day at the Ocean Institute April 23. Photo: Courtesy

Eco Garden Expo at Los Rios Park April 23 and 24. Photo: Allison Jarrell

All it takes is a little light. Six to eight hours of direct sunlight,

that is, to power up a Moonshiner Co. solar mason jar.

Launched earlier this year, this Dana Point-based e-commerce business is just lighting up.

Moonshiner’s marquee product, a 32-ounce mason jar with a solar panel lid, lasts up to 12 hours with one full charge. This clean, renewable energy source is decorative and portable—an ideal light for an outdoor table, be it in a backyard, campsite, wedding venue or on a boat. It goes where its users go.

“The opportunities to use a solar— powered mason jar are endless,” said Moonshiner Co. co-founder Mike Nuse-now. “It is all up to our users’ imagination.”

Tied to a backpack and hung from a bike, Nusenow has taken his Moonshiner from Yosemite to the Dana Point Harbor, with ideas for where the solar-powered

Shine OnLocal lights up e-commerce solar-powered mason jar business

Photo: Moonshiner Co.

jars can go darting left and right. It all started with a trip. When co-

founder James Sampson traveled home to South Africa he came across a varia-tion of the solar-powered jar. Not seeing anything like it in the states, he brought the idea back. The idea came at the right time for Nusenow. Ready to end his four-hour daily commute, and with a baby on the way, the chief marketing offi cer at the Los Angeles-based Hudson Jeans, wanted to make a change.

The one-item, start-up was born. For now, Nusenow is working to get the

solar jars in front of consumers. The pair eventually wants to expand Moonshiner products and the company’s global reach. Looking at what other brands have done internationally, Nusenow said Moonshiner could one day assist individuals worldwide.

Check out Moonshiner Co’s solar-pow-ered mason jars on Instagram, Pinterest and at www.monshinerco.com. •

The Green Issue

Simple changes can make all the difference to an energy bill.

This summer, and all year round, make a few adjustments. It doesn’t have to be solar panel installation or replacing every appliance in the house—just a couple alterations here and there will go a long way. You can cut your energy usage and utility bill while helping to increase Southern California’s energy security.

Bump it up: Cooling costs can be cut by 12 percent by raising the air conditioner from 72 to 78 degrees.

Make a switch: On not so hot days, use ceiling and portable fans to stay cool and comfortable.

Power down: Unplug devices like TVs, computers and game consoles

that draw power when turned off. Change out: When it comes time

to replace lightbulbs, opt for energy-effi cient options.

Block it out: Lower blinds, install shade trees, awnings or trees to block direct sunlight from windows.

Eat cool: Avoid using the stove top and oven. Instead dine on cold and outdoor grilled meals.

Freshen up: Keep the air condition-ing fi lter clean for optimal effi ciency and save on cooling costs.

Shine on: Dim or turn off lights during the day and take advantage of natural light.

Cool down: Setting the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees should be suffi cient for most uses.

Visit www.sdge.com for more year-round energy saving tips and to view current rebate programs on lighting, pool pumps, appliances, water heaters and more. You can also download your home’s energy data using SDG&E’s Green Button where you can connect with a third-party app that will help you make choices about saving energy and lowering your bill. See more at www.sdge.com/green-button.

Low- to no-cost ways to cut energy usage

EnergyEfficient

Tower gardens, raised planters make organic gardening accessible

GrowingOrganic

Chris Garcia, owner of Organics Out Back, stands next to a chicken coop with a raised garden on top in

his backyard. Photo: Eric Heinz

Paul Carter stands with multiple Tower Gardens. The gardens are able to grow more produce at a faster

rate due to their planting design. Photo: Courtesy BY ERIC HEINZ

Southern California’s climate lends it-self to gardening all year round. From the patio to the backyard, local businesses are taking the guess work out of organic growing, so residents can make the most of their spaces while supplying fresh fruits and vegetables for the family.

Organics Out Back Chris Garcia, owner of Organics Out

Back, has centered his business around environmental awareness, sustainability and accessibility.

Garcia’s grandmother, Frances, had a green thumb. With her teaching—a bit of trial and error, too—Garcia mastered the garden. He’s transformed his passion for gardening into a career—installing raised, edible organic gardens with function and aesthetics in mind.

“People in the last couple years are really concerned about what’s going into their bodies,” Garcia said. “With our growth climate, we’re really spoiled here. We can grow just about anything. We tell people it’s good to eat seasonally because you get different nutrients from different plants.”

The main thing gardens need is good soil. That along with a good root system produces good food, he said. Garcia en-courages clients to use composting and worm bins to make their organic gardens flourish. He also designs gardens with his client’s needs and abilities in mind.

“The reason we do raised boxes is it’s easier on your back and you don’t have to amend the soil as much,” Garcia said of his raised gardens, designed with chil-

dren, the elderly and disabled in mind. The company also works with local

schools to create gardens and collects extra vegetables from client gardens to donate to area charities.

“I know money can be tight, and the organic food and vegetables can get pushed to the side,” Garcia said. “Organic food at the grocery store is much more expensive than the others, but the health benefits of the ones we grow in our gar-dens are much healthier.”

Tower GardensIn an effort to lead a more healthful life

and share his love for organic gardening with others, local surfboard shaper Paul Carter recently became a Tower Gardens

representative. The tower gardening system, made by

Juice Plus, is designed to grow vegeta-bles, herbs, fruits and flowers vertically using aeroponics—a water-only technolo-gy used by NASA—and in 30 percent less time than a traditional, in-ground garden. The tower format, too, means a garden can be grown anywhere from a small balcony, front porch or backyard.

“They grow 30 percent quicker and yield, using 90 percent less water,” Carter said. “The roots are getting watered directly and it’s consistent every 30 min-utes. There’s no herbicides or pesticides.”

Fruits and vegetables are ripe in about four to five weeks, Carter said.

Constructed out of a plant-based plastic, the towers are an opaque white color to help keep them cool. The whole irrigation is on a timer. Water, and a spe-cial mineral blend, is kept in a reservoir at the bottom of the tower and pumped up. It then trickles down through the plastic cylindrical tower.

Any kind of vegetable or fruit can be grown in them so long as the climate permits. Each tower costs about $550 and comes complete with all materials needed, but Carter said his tower paid for itself through its produce. Off of five tow-ers, Carter is able to gather 45 pounds of produce in one harvest.

Carter has been traveling to San Diego and other parts of Southern California to teach people about the tower gardens, but his passion is to teach people to eat healthy. •

resh, unky fi nds hat s what you ll discover ood causes and volunteers, too

As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. No telling what you’ll fi nd. ou can keep your unused items out of the trash by donating to stores in the local second-hand shopping scene—where recycling and purchasing second-hand benefi ts the environment and nonprofi t missions. win-win. ere are a few options

iH P reasures42 C , S Colunteers at this nonprofi t storefront, located on the

Rodeo rive of thrift stores accept donations onday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays start-ing at noon. ll donations, and purchases, help provide homeless individuals and families a pathway to success. www.ihopeoc.org.

Clean indows: It may seem counterintuitive, given the ink newspapers can leave behind on your

hands, but old newspapers may outperform cloth in the streak-free window and mirror contest. ake window cleaning a step greener and switch out commercial glass cleaning products with a water and vinegar combo.

ust take one part of each, mi , spray and wipe away with yesterday’s news.

ipen ruit: We’ve all been there, at the grocery store searching for a ripe avo-cado to fi ll tonight’s guacamole craving.

f you can keep your stomach at bay, buy the non-ripened piece of fruit and try this wrap it in newspaper. uch like the brown paper bag trick, newspapers are porous allowing air to move in and out while still concentrating the levels of ethylene gas that helps induce ripening.

Crush dors: Smelly shoes, musty tow-els and stinky fridges beware. here’s a newspaper in town. o deodori e food

and drink containers—such as lunch-bo es, coolers or water bottles—ball up newspaper, seal it and let it sit overnight. lso, place crum-pled up newspaper in wet cleats or running shoes to dry them out and get rid of unpleas-ant odors. ewspapers also work well in the refrigerator’s fruit and vegetable drawers.

Compost aterial: ewspaper is a carbon-rich material. t’s also has a high lignin content—a substance found

in the cell walls of plants—according to the Cornell Waste anagement nstitute. t can be slow to decompose. ut, if combined with nitrogen-rich materials such as grass clip-pings, coffee grounds and kitchen scraps, newspapers can provide a rich addition to your garden compost.

i t rap: Show your thoughtfulness by wrapping life’s biggest moments up in ocal ews ou Can se. irthday,

engagement, retirement, shower, wedding and holiday gifts are best when wrapped in colorful photos and the latest city news from The Cap-istrano Dispatch, San Clemente Times and Dana Point Times—wrapping paper that’s e ually environmentally friendly and informative.

Seedling Pots: ou’ll need a can for this one—full, empty, whatever you’ve got.

ake half a sheet of newspaper folded in thirds and wrap it around the can. Secure with tape. hen, fold one newspaper end over the can. ape it. Slide the can out and viola—you’ve got a perfect home for seedlings and and succulent clippings. ush the pro ect’s greenness by using compost to keep seed-lings moist until they’re ready for planting. •

The Green Issue

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R ead and R eusew ay s t o st ret c h t he l i f e o f y o ur new sp ap er

a ienda hri t Store C , S C

t a ienda, used items serve a greater purpose. Sales of clothing, furniture, housewares, electronics, ewelry, sporting goods and other gently-used items benefi t

oshua ouse—a one-year, no-cost, faith-based recovery program providing men a safe environment to rebuild their lives. www.latiendathriftstore.com.

ighthouse hri t Store4 H P 42 P C C C S H H ,

PWith two locations, the ighthouse Charitable ounda-tion ma imi es its reach and offerings. onations and profi ts of this faith-based organi ation’s thrift store go to

ictory ouse, a one-year men’s residential ministry in Capistrano each. www.lcfonline.com.

iles4 utism6 P V , S -4, S C P S

hrifty fi nds await at this S C store front where dona-tions and proceeds help support Orange County children with autism. he nonprofi t, which started in 2012, has a second location in aguna each. t provides advocacy support for autistic children. www.milesforautism.org. •

Curiosity is at conservations core ow do you spark a child’s innate sense of e ploration

and discoveryt’s a uestion icki Wiker, oheny State each park

interpreter, asks every day. Wiker is head of the parks interpretive programs. rom

coastal clean ups and fi eld trips to arth ay events and native planting pro ects, Wiker engages the community, and its youngest residents, encouraging them to give back, learn about and e plore the local ecosystem. du-cational activism at its fi nest.

try really hard to foster a genuine love and under-standing in children at an early age so they can embrace a regard and reverence for the other arth and all of her precious creatures, plants, trees and everything that goes with nature, Wiker said.

t oheny, Wiker and a team of oheny State each nterpretive ssociation volunteer docents work to en-

gage kids in a fun, hands-on way. t starts in oheny’s visitors center where fi ve large

fi sh tanks and a tide-pool simulator give guests an up-close view of waters ust outside the center’s walls. California state marine fi sh, the irabaldi, spiny lobsters and other sea life swim among reefs and kelp forests, mirroring the region’s underwater realm.

a idermy creatures from land and sky line the cen-ter’s walls and shelves. isplaying historic artifacts give visitors a glimpse at the region’s rich past. he walls of the center, too, engage guests.

man is painted in a mural above the tide pool. e’s washing his car in the driveway. Runoff is portrayed traveling down his drive and into the storm drains. rom there, the soaps and oils are seen entering an estuary before flowing into the ocean. simple task with a big impact e posed.

t’s those connections Wiker strives to make with young park visitors, who can discover marine diversity in intertidal ones, learn about the life cycle of regional birds, take a fi eld outing to e plore a time when ative

mericans lived harmoniously with nature, use their senses to travel around the butterfly garden and learn about the importance of keeping the ocean environment

healthy. try to get kids at a young age to embrace the earth

so it becomes a lifelong commitment and dedication to our precious planet, Wiker said.

oheny State each hosted the inaugural roheny estival on pril 2. roheny is the brainchild of evan iller, who conceived the idea as a student of the horti-

culture program at Saddleback College. he free event is family-friendly and horticulturally focused, with edu-cational workshops, guest speakers, games, gardening and cooking demonstrations and live music. f all goes well, iller hopes roheny will become a twice-annual event in spring and fall with classes tailored to growing seasonal crops.

went to a lot of classes and events and noticed they were missing the music element and the family element,

iller said. t really all starts with the children, so decided to put something together that could engage the whole family.

o to www.dohenystatebeach.org for the latest park events, including the upcoming beach cleanup and plant-ing pro ects to mark arth ay. nd be sure to check back for information on summer events like grunion runs and oheny Surf estival. •

OneMan’sTrash

tri-city, second-hand goods uyers guide

Sparking curiosity, encouraging kids to e plore, uestion and wonderCarbon-Conscious Kids

Children interact with oheny State ark naturalist interpreter icki Wiker at the inaugural roheny estival. hoto ndrea Swayne

The Green Issue

South Orange County lies within the San Juan Creek Watershed, an area of land draining all streams, rainfall and melted snow to a common outlet—in the region’s case, Doheny State Beach.

We talked to watershed expert Jenna Voss, an environmental engineering spe-cialist with OC Public Works, to discuss the health of our watershed.

Picket Fence Media: Can you give us an overview of our watershed and how it relates to our communities?

Jenna Voss: The San Juan Creek Wa-tershed encompasses about 160 square miles and includes portions of Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. San Juan Creek begins in the Santa Ana Mountains area of the Cleveland National Forest and flows to the acific Ocean at oheny State Beach. A large portion of the water-shed is public or open space, including Caspers Wilderness Park and Laguna

iguel Regional ark. he rest is largely residential and commercial, with some remaining pockets of agricultural use.

San Juan Creek is an important sur-face water resource; however, the creek also overlies the San Juan Groundwater Basin—a slow-moving, underground river. Water from San Juan Creek and its major tributaries provides some of the water supply drawn from the basin. f you live or work in one of the watershed cities, you’ll notice San uan Creek flows during the winter months and runs mostly dry in the summer; this is both because flow decreases without rainfall and because the water in the creek is flowing under-ground.

Is our watershed healthy? What out-side factors play into our watershed’s health?

Watershed health—the overall water uality, channel condition and available

habitat—is impacted by several natural and man-made factors. For example, there are naturally occurring salts in San Juan Creek Watershed from geologic deposits that enter the creek through high groundwater. hey can increase the amount of salts and decrease overall wa-ter uality. Other issues, such as indica-

tor bacteria, are influenced by wildlife and human activity.

he county, cities and local stakehold-ers have conducted source investiga-tions, started a comprehensive program to prevent sewage spills and implement-ed several projects to combat high bac-teria levels. As a result, bacteria levels during high-recreation summer months have significantly improved, as shown by the nonprofit group, eal the ay, in their

each Report Card, that awarded oheny an ’ grade during the summer.

Wet weather bacteria levels, however, are still a major challenge for San Juan Creek as rainfall and the associated runoff carries bacteria from the entire watershed area into the creek and out to the ocean.

Residents can help do their part and pick up pet waste and yard clippings prior to rainfall to help prevent downstream bacterial growth, as well as ensuring their trash is properly disposed of, limiting the availability of food to pests or wild birds which can similarly contribute to bacteria levels.

How can we safely interact with and enjoy our watershed?

These are several recreational areas near San Juan, Trabuco and Oso creeks that provide residents a way to en oy their watershed. iking trails near the headwaters in Cleveland National Forest provide opportunities to see the most natural condition of San Juan Creek and its tributaries.

f you want to stay closer to home, there is a bike path along San Juan Creek and there are organized creek cleanup events held throughout the year.

ou can also en oy San uan Creek at its terminus at oheny State each or one of our other local beaches. aily water

uality samples are collected at the beaches from pril through October. ny postings for exceedances of bacterial standards at beaches can be found at www.ocbeachinfo.com. •

o read more of oss’ comments on natural and human impacts and how you can support a healthy watershed, visit www.sanclementetimes.com.

Watershed Well-BeingQ&A with Jenna Voss, Environmental Engineering Specialist, OC Public Works

oheny State each. hoto ndrea Swayne

Renewable Energy Heralded as groundbreaking climate change legislation, the Clean Energy and Pollution and Reduction Act of 2015, a.k.a. SB 350, mandates that California receive 50 percent of its electrical power from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030. The bill also doubles energy-effi ciency goals for homes, factories and offi ces. While in-tense oil industry lobbying killed a provi-sion to reduce state gasoline use by half, SB 350 delivered a zero-emission vehicle boost by creating incentives for utilities to install more electric vehicle charging stations statewide.

Plastic Microbeads California joined eight states in banning the sale of facial exfoliators, body wash-es, toothpastes and other personal care products containing microbeads. The bill, which will take effect in 2020, was preempted by federal legislation requiring companies to stop using beads in their products by July 2017. The Microbead-free Waters ct of 2015 cruised through both the House and Senate.

Sale of IvoryAB 96 closed major loopholes in Califor-nia’s existing ivory ban that allowed the sale of ivory imported before 1977—a measure skirted by illicit dealers through ivory distressing. The bill eliminates two of the nation’s largest ivory markets—Los

The Green Issue

New eco-laws ban microbeads, call for renewable energy growth

Angeles and San Francisco—by making the sale or intra-state importation of ivory illegal. Sales of ivory inlayed in a musi-cal instrument imported before 1975 or in a more than 100-year-old antique are excluded from the ban.

Livestock DrugsThree measures garnered legislative approval to ban and regulate the use of antibiotics in California livestock. In an effort to prevent the emergence of an antibiotic-resistant superbacteria, Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 27 into law, banning the routine use of antibiot-ics for livestock. The law also requires antibiotics be veterinarian prescribed for an individual animal. SB 361 requires veterinarians to participate in continuing education regarding antibiotic use and SB 770 regulates medicated feed.

Bills covering water conservation, the state’s Air Resources Board, marijuana industry and oil pipelines were also passed. AB 1288 expands the state’s clean air agency from 12 to 14 members. Three bills—SB 266, SB 643 and AB 243—ad-dress inconsistencies in the marijuana industry. Among other things, they direct state agencies to craft environmental regu-lations for cannabis growers. Also, a duo of bills, SB 295 and SB 414, increase oil pipeline inspections and AB 1 and AB 1164 prohibit localities from fi ning residents for brown lawns or forbidding drought-tolerant landscaping like artifi cial turf. •

California Greenin’BY ANDREA PAPAGIANIS

California’s lawmakers passed a slew of new environmental laws in 2015 aimed at expanding the state’s renewable energy and banning ivory sales, routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock and microbeads in personal care products. Here’s a snapshot of the state’s newest eco-laws: