>>  The Green Living Workshop 101 is a condensed version of the 6 week Green Living Workshop which covers the following topics: water, energy, waste, chemicals, transportation, and shopping & food. Sustainability tools will be raffled off to help participants carry out the solutions discussed during the workshop. Workshop takes place this Sat., Dec. 3 from 10 am – 1 pm at the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Cost: free, though please register through Eventbrite.

>>  Your banana peels, sandwich crusts, lawn clippings, and coffee grounds are precious resources that can be cycled back into the garden. Come participate in a composting lesson at the Natural History Museum by getting your hands in the mix! Workshop takes place on Sat., Dec. 3 from 1-4 pm at the Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. Cost: admission to the museum is $12 for adults, $5-8 for children.

>>  Come out to see the documentary “Tipping Point – The End of Oil”, which addresses the largest industrial project in human history – the Alberta Tar Sands.  Speakers and the q&a will address what we can do to help heal the destructive impact of this project and options for an alternative energy economy.  Takes places on Sat., Dec. 6 from 7-10:30 pm at All Saints Church, 132 North Euclid Ave., Pasadena.  Cost: $15 suggested donation.  RSVP to info@burbankgreenalliance.org.

Image retrieved from wilderutopia.com

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About this time tomorrow, I’ll be in Detroit — getting off the plane before heading to Dearborn, Michigan, where I’ll learn about Ford’s new green initiatives at the “Forward with Ford” conference put together by the company. So it seemed only fitting that today I found about other green initiatives happening in Michigan — showcased in a new film called “Urban Roots.”

Produced by Leila Conners and Mathew Schmid, “Urban Roots” shows the growing urban farming movement in Detroit — where people are finding ways to feed themselves locally and sustainably during economically turbulent times. Watch the trailer for an inspiring preview.

A few screenings are in the works, but none are in L.A. You can, however, buy the 90-minute DVD for $19.95. Or if you think watching the film will inspire you to finally plant your own urban garden, spring for the $30 “Root Level” package that’ll get you the DVD, three packs of heirloom seeds, plus the happy knowledge your money went to fund farms in schools.

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A couple months ago, I wrote about how a local group called L.A. Guerrilla Gardening‘s mixing rock and roll with urban beautification — through a fun day-long event when Angelenos planted planted a bunch of gardens near Metro Red Line stations, with local bands performing while local gardeners worked. That event drew a lot of gardeners, but often, just a few people work rather surreptitiously on these surreptitious green projects — since guerrilla gardeners don’t ask for permission before planting. They go ahead and beautify first — and apologize later, if necessary.

Apparently, the gardeners have been taking on their quiet task of late with the help of a quiet plug-in Prius, provided by Toyota as part of the company’s Toyota Prius Projects. Watch this short video to see the guerrilla gardeners at work!

Want to lend a hand at these gardening events? Sign up for L.A. Guerrilla Gardening‘s newsletter — and join the group’s Facebook community page to get in on the last-minute requests for help on super secret projects.

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What do urban gardening, subway riding, and local live music have in common? If you guessed good green fun, you’re right — but you get bonus points if you guessed Rock ‘N Crawl, an all-day event that got Angelenos taking the Metro Red Line from Universal City to downtown L.A. — stopping at nine stations to put in sustainable urban landscaping while listening to local bands perform.

That event was put together last April by Los Angeles Guerrilla Gardening, a collective of urban gardeners that take over sad-looking urban spots in public areas and put in drought-resistant greenery, with or without permission of the land owner. Now, almost a year later, a video of the event’s been released!

Watch it to see happy-looking Angelenos get on and off the subway holding succulents, nine different local bands performing plaintively or energetically or both, smiling dancers goofing off on the streets, prettified and greened urban corners, and a lot more good stuff that makes both gardening and subway-riding look like a lot of fun.

No news as of yet whether a second annual Rock ‘N Crawl’s planned for 2011, but Los Angeles Guerrilla Gardening is having a public Seed Bomb Workshop next week in conjunction with a pop-up art exhibition of the late artist and photographer Dan Eldon‘s work. The event happens Tue., March 15 at 7 pm at Space 15 Twenty, 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles. RSVP by emailing rolypoly@laguerrillagardening.org. Suggested Donation? A packet of seeds.

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>> Happy World Carfree Day today! Don’t forget about the car-free community meetings this month! Both the Los Angeles Bicycle Plan meetings and Westside Subway Extension meetings are happening this and next week!

>> Get politically active at the No on Proposition 23 event, put together to make sure the oil industry-funded initiative goes down in defeat. You’ll get to enjoy local sustainable snacks, watch a mini-docu about Prop 23, hear from experts, and find out how to help fight against Prop 23. The FREE event requires an RSVP and happens Thu, Sep. 23 at 7 pm at TreePeople in Coldwater Canyon Park.

>> California Assembly Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass is holding a Green Living Workshop that’ll cover eco-friendly shopping and eating, greener cleaning, wise water use, and composting. Be there Thurs., Sep. 23 from 7 pm to 9 pm at Veterans Memorial Complex, 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City.

>> Get pretty at the Evolue beauty event, where green author Sophie Uliano will demo how to make your own Vitamin C serum. You’ll also get to enjoy complimentary hand treatments, mini manis, and makeup touch ups. The event happens Thur., Sep. 23 from 6 pm to 9 pm at Evolue, . RSVP to info@evoluebeauty.com if you’d like to take advantage of the complimentary services. Earlier: Évolué: A New green beauty boutique opens in Beverly Hills.

>> Watch Dirt! the Movie free on Fri., Sep. 24 starting at 7 pm on the Santa Monica Pier. Earlier: Review of Dirt! The Movie.

>> Architect Mark Lakeman brings City Repair — which “combines architecture, urban planning, anthropology, community development, public art, permaculture and ecological design in projects that transform public space” — to Los Angeles. Mark’s City Repair Slideshow and Potluck event happens on Fri., Sep. 24 from 7:30 to 10:30 pm at the Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice. Cost: $5 – $20, sliding scale.

>> Dig In! at Median Makeover Merryment — and get a free lunch while you’re at it! This hands-on workshop will get you into cob building, planting, painting, and more. Be there on Sat., Sep. 25 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at the intersection of Dudley Ave. and Main St. in Venice.

>> Tour the L.A. River with Friends of the Los Angeles River! See the waterway up close, find out about its revitalization plans, and get a lesson on L.A. eco-history. Meet up Sun. Sep. 26, at 8 am at the River Center, 570 W Ave. 26, Los Angeles to form carpools and caravan around until 4 pm. Cost: $25. RSVP required.

>> Hear permaculture teacher Larry Santoyo and City Repair architect Mark Lakeman discuss City Repair and Permaculture, Similarities & Differences between LA & Portland. The conversation begins Tue., Sep. 28 from 7 pm – 10 pm at Project Butterfly, 821 Traction Ave. Unit #108, Los Angeles. Cost: $35.

>> Don’t forget to sign up for the Permaculture Design class from EarthFlow, taught by renowned permaculture expert Larry Santoyo. The chance to win tickets has now passed, but it’s not too late to sign up! The first class of the six weekend course happens Sat., Oct. 2 to Sun., Oct. 3, from 10 am to 6 pm both days.

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Want a garden of your own — but don’t have a backyard to convert? Long for a spot in your local community garden — but remain stuck on a long waiting list? On Sat., Sep. 25, you’ll have a chance to get your garden on — no plot of dirt required! That day, hundreds of Dig Ins will be happening around the country for would-be gardeners and locavores that want to get their hands dirty.

These events are organized by Slow Food USA, a nonprofit pushing for a more sustainable food system that gets people more connected to — and drawing more pleasure from — the food they eat. If you’re ready to Dig In, find an event near you on Slow Food USA’s website. You’ll get to do some good old fashioned work in a local garden — before indulging in a celebratory meal to cap the day.

So far, the only L.A.-area event listed is a Slow Food Pasadena Dig In (email mzboray@la.chefs.edu for more details). But more events are getting listed every day — and I know of at least one relevant westside event Dig In!-esque that’s not yet listed. That’s the Median Makeover Merriment, featuring architect Mark Lakeman of City Repair fame. This community building and beautification project will get you prettifying a median by planting, painting, and even cob structure building. Then, all participants will get to indulge in a free lunch. Be there on Sat., Sep. 25 from 9:30 am to 4 pm at the intersection of Dudley Ave. and Main St. in Venice. For more info, email Francis Delavecchia at francis@joyfulactivist.com.

Of course, if you’ve got a garden that could use some hands-on love, organizing your own Dig In can be a great way of getting free gardening help! Sign up to start a Dig In on Slow Food USA’s website, provide the details, and prepare for the arrival of volunteers on Sep. 25.

Image via Slow Food USA

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>> Put Moving Beyond Cars, L.A.’s alternative transportation celebration, on your calendar. GOOD, railLA, the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, deLab and the Coalition for Clean Air invite you to a party — so long as you get there car free. The FREE party happens Wed., Aug. 18 from 7 pm to 10 pm at The Jewel Box at City National Plaza, 525 S. Flower St., Downtown Los Angeles.

>> Take the City of Santa Monica’s Lawn Alternatives Tour to see gorgeous water-efficient gardens that “range from dense turf, to luscious meadows, to sprawling groundcovers” in Santa Monica — and get water-smart ideas for your own lawn. The bus tour happens Sat., Aug. 21 from 10 am – 1 pm, starting at the rear entrance courtyard of the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. Cost: $5. RSVP to Russell Ackerman at russell.ackerman@smgov.net or 310.458.8405.

>> I hope you’re signed up for Santa Monica Museum of Art’s second annual Cause for Creativity: Tour da Arts — because the event’s reached capacity though there’s still room for the spoke card art workshop at 2 pm (cost: $5). Those RSVP’d will enjoy a FREE C.I.C.L.E.-led cultural bike ride from 4 pm to 7 pm that includes a performance from bicycling cellist Ben Sollee, followed by a closing party. All that happens Sun., Aug. 22.

>> Catch a free screening of Bag It, a fun documentary about the plague that is disposable plastic, followed by other anti-plastic and pro AB1998 PSAs. Hosted by the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the screening happens Sun., Aug. 22 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the UCLA James Bridges Theater. RSVP to RSVP@plasticpollutioncoalition.org.

>> Eco-shop Green Tangerine’s having a Green Day and E-Recycling event. Take your electronic waste to the party for recycling, then enjoy live music, a green fashion show and a green tag sale while meeting local eco-entrepreneurs. The event happens Sun., Aug. 22 from 10 am to 2 pm at 11973 San Vincente Blvd., Los Angeles.

Image via good.is

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>> Are you an ethical omnivore? Then you may be especially interested in Conscientious Carnivore, a panel featuring three farmers who raise animals humanely — and chefs who cook up these ethically-sourced meats. This FREE event happens Thurs., Aug. 12, from 7 pm – 9 pm at the MLK Jr. Auditorium of the Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

>> Support Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s City of Lights program — which works to empower Latino immigrant cyclists by providing bike safety education, bike lights, and other resources — by dining at the City of Lights Annual Awards Dinner. There’ll be food, music, a silent auction, and an awards presentation on Aug. 12 from 5:30 pm to 10 pm at the MALDEF Building, 634 S. Spring St., downtown Los Angeles. Cost:  $45.

>> Take a Free Composting Workshop offered by the Resource Recovery & Recycling Division in partnership with the County of Los Angeles. on Sat., Aug. 14 at 9:30 am at Virginia Park, 2200 Virginia Ave.

>> Curious about Colony Collapse Disorder? Go to a fundraiser and screening of The Vanishing of the Bees, where you’ll be treated to a honey-tasting reception. The event happens Fri., Aug. 13 starting at 7 pm at G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. Cost: $15 donation.

>> Power Mix – A Cutting Edge Alternative Energy Expo will bring together the movers and shakers of the Alternative Energy Community in the L.A. — at least according to the organizers. Go there to learn, mingle, network, and nibble on local organic food. The event happens Sun., Aug. 15 from 3 pm – 7 pm at 1350 Margo St., Los Angeles. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

>> L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa broke his elbow when a car caused him to fall of his bike — and now he’s holding a Mayor’s Bike Summit to discuss biking in L.A. According to the press release, “The Bike Summit will provide an opportunity for cyclists to talk directly with the Mayor and representatives of key departments and agencies about improving conditions for cycling in Los Angeles.” Be there Mon., Aug. 16 from 9 am – 11 am at the Board Room of the Metro Building, One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles.

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>> Be at the book launch for Mark Frauenfelder‘s Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World — to hear Mark talk about beekeeping, guitar and amp making, and spoon carving. The event happens Sat., Aug. 7 starting at 8 pm at Machine Project, 1200-D N. Alvarado St., Los Angeles.

>> Need new seeds for your balcony garden — and don’t want to pay for them? Trade with your neighbors at Gardenerd’s Heirloom Seed Exchange and Pot Luck. Just take the seeds you’ve got along with your favorite meatless dish made with food from your garden — and head over to the FREE party on Sat., Aug. 7 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm in Mar Vista. RSVP to to Nicole@Gardenerd.com for the exact address.

>> If you don’t already know about the swirling stew of plastic garbage in our oceans, 5 Gyres: Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans is an event that’ll teach you all you didn’t want to but need to know. The FREE lecture happens Tue. Aug. 10, from 7 pm – 9 pm at the MLK Jr. Auditorium of the Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

>> And don’t forget to visit your local farmers market during National Farmers Market Week and to sign up for the many car-free parties happening later this month! RSVP for them now before tickets run out!

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A trio of funny headlines I came across yesterday that started with ‘O’:

>> Oh, Deer! How to Keep Wildlife Out of Your Garden. Unfortunately this Re-Nest post doesn’t tackle the issue of squirrels nibbling on my balcony-grown chard….

>> O2h no! Is our oxygen running out? Don’t panic — NewScientist says we won’t be dying from lack of oxygen any time soon, though levels are going down. Other enviro-calamities are more likely to kill us first.

>> Oh, No, They Didn’t! Unsolicited Advice and Product-Promotions for Singles. Bella DePaulo, champion of single living and blogger at Psychology Today, gives us a rundown of emails in her inbox from PR people who never bothered to actually check out what her blog is about:

This publicist wants me to know that her client once was sure that she just did not have “the wedding gene,” but she just “got married!!” Lucky me! She is now “available for an interview to discuss all things WEDDING.”

As for the emails I get: By far the most frequent inappropriate pitches have to do with baby and kid related stuff, like this breathless one from a publicist who wanted to know whether I will be at the BlogHer ’10 conference in New York next month. Why? She explains:

Although we’re not participating in the event, we’d love to send some toys for your baby to play with while you’re here in New York. (Or something for you to bring home to baby if you’re coming without your family!)

I ignored these types of idiotic pitches for a while — which led me to discover that while the senders of these pitches don’t have the time to check out your blog, they sure have plenty of time to resend their pitches over and over again with more and more desperate appeals. Now, I send back a form email.

Earlier:
>> Lessons on online publicity
>> How NOT to pitch a story

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