>> The Canoga Park Farmers Market’s grand opening happens tomorrow, Sat. April 24 from 9 am to 1 pm at Owensmouth St. between Sherman Way and Wyandotte St. There’ll be free carrot cake, as well as raffles, live music, and other entertainment.

>> Want to trade in a book you own for a new read — without plugging in ISBN numbers into reseller websites? Take your unwanted books to the Swaptree.com Live Book Swap at LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA, 405 Hilgard Ave. Just go to Booth #644, old book in hand, and trade it in for one of 500 titles at the Swaptree.com booth. The FREE festival goes from Sat., April 24 from 10 am – 5 pm and Sun., April 25 from 10 am – 5 pm.

>> Don’t forget about all the other green Earth Month events happening this weekend!

>> Mar Vista residents: Join the Mar Vista Green Power Community, sign up for green power, and help your neighborhood reach its goal to get 100% of its electricity from energy sources with zero carbon emissions by 2018!

Then enjoy more eco-friendly Earth Week events over the weekend:

>> Pasadena’s Greening the Earth Day Festival (PDF) will feature entertainment from local bands, an interactive drum circle, dancers, children’s activities, educational info about the city’s greening efforts, eco-friendly vendors, and a guided bike tour of the city’s green facilities and projects organized by C.I.C.L.E. The free event happens Sat., April 24, from 10 am to 4 pm at Memorial Park, Armory Center for the Arts, and on Raymond Avenue between Walnut and Holly streets.

>> Sign up for the Fight For Air Climb and challenge yourself to climbing Aon Center’s 63 flights of stairs — and raising funds to benefit the American Lung Association. The climb begins Sat., April 24 at 9 am — though climbers will begin at staggered times. Cost: $25 registration — plus a pledge to raise at least $100.

>> Get your hands dirty at Treepeople’s Coldwater Canyon Park Volunteer Work Day/Earth Day and enjoy free music and food while volunteering. The cleanup happens Sat., April 24 from 9 am to noon. RSVPs are required as the cleanup might get full!

>> The FREE Whole Children Whole Planet Expo 2010 will celebrate Earth Day with free workshops about sustainable living practices, non-toxic products, organic foods, yoga and more at an all-ages event. Be there on April 24 from 9:30 am – 6 pm at Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge.

>> Guerilla gardners who love music and the Metro are invited to Rock ‘N Crawl, an all-afternoon event that lets you greenify the area around Metro red line stops while listening to great local bands. Grab your gardening tools to start digging on April 24 at 1 pm at the Universal City Metro Station, then get on the train to ride down to more digs all afternoon! The after party happens at 7 pm at Bar 107. Cost: $15 online or $20 on the day — which gets you a reusable water bottle filled with a thirst quencher.

>> 93.5′s Devi Dev will host the Global Coolin’ Earth Day Block Party, featuring live performances by Dom Kennedy, El Prez, Overdoz,, Kingpen Slim, Black Cobain. The day-long event, put on by Broccoli City, LAXPaperBoys, and a number of eco-groups, happens Sat., April 24 from 11 am to 8 pm at Margo Studios, 1354 Margo St, downtown Los Angeles. Cost: $5 from 11 am to 2 pm, and $10 from 3 pm to 8 pm for the indoor concert.

>> For eco-art, head over to see ReVisions/10 and EartH. Watch a billboard-sized art piece by Leeann Goya, painted on a recycled vinyl billboard, get unveiled over Eco-LA Gallery at 8 pm, then see the gallery show featuring local artists working in recycled and upcycled media. There’ll also be eco-art demos, music, libations, green accessories for sale, and EartH (Eco Art Helps) an exhibit of art on recycled billboard, created by the youth of Los Angeles. The free event begins April 24 at 7 pm at Eco-LogicalART Gallery, 4829 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles. Earlier: Eco-LogicalArt turns old billboards into eco-art.

>> Take the 100 Gardens Challenge and pledge to plant your own edible garden during the weekend of April 24 and 25! I took this challenge last year — and I’m proud to say that my year-old chard plants are still going strong (though the basil died really fast and the lettuce barely grew). Help transform L.A. into an edible oasis over just one weekend by planting that garden.

>> Want a unique green gift for Mother’s Day? Stop by the 2nd Annual UNIQUE LA Spring Show to pick from the wares of over 300 hand-selected designers and artists. There’ll be an eco-lounge, free workshops, and lots of shopping. The shoe goes on Sat., April 24 and Sun., April 25 from 11 am – 6 pm on both days at the California Market Center’s Penthouse, 110 East 9th St., Los Angeles. Cost: $10, which includes a free drink and a tote bag.

>> Head over to the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase and take a self-guided tour on foot or by bike to see 79 pretty, eco-friendly gardens that save water — and money on utility bills. The free event happens on Sun., April 25 and is open to all; a map will be posted closer to date.

>> Celebrate Earth Day with Eco Maya (PDF) by enjoying folkloric dances, music, art, and Oaxacan and Mayan regional food. The event happens Sun., April 25 from noon to 7 pm at the Los Angeles Eco-Village, 117 Bimini Pl., Los Angeles. (via Garcetti’s blog)

>> For kid-friendly green fun, go to STAR ECO Station’s Children’s Earth Day. The FREE event will feature celebrity guests, live performances, rescued exotic wildlife, environmental , eco-friendly giveaways, games with prizes, vegetarian food, and more — with optional $5 STAR ECO Station tours running throughout the day. on Sun., April 25 from 10 am – 4 pm at STAR ECO Station, 10101 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City.

>> Catch 2 free eco-foodie documentary film screenings, thanks to the Whole Foods’ Earth Months film series and challenge, “Let’s Retake Our Plates!” On Sun., April 25, watch No Impact Man at 12:30 pm and Food, Inc. at 2:30pm. Both screenings will take place at Beverly Hills Library, 444 N. Rexford Drive; Beverly Hills.

Image via City of Pasadena and LA Guerrila Gardening

The city wants to install 3 new demonstration gardens at 3200 Airport Ave., across from Airport Park — and is crowdsourcing the design. According to the city press release:

These landscape designs must be simple to recreate, yet sustainable water-efficient garden design templates. Participating designers are encouraged to base their layouts on local neighborhood communities in Santa Monica, i.e., Ocean Park, Sunset, North of Montana, and incorporate outdoor living room features, elements from Mediterranean and shade gardens, climate appropriate plants, as well as permeable paving options. Recommendations for scaling up or down the garden design template to match appropriate neighborhood lot sizes should also be included.

Get your design in by Mon., March 15 for a chance to see your dream grow — literally.

Don’t feel confident enough to tackle a landscape design challenge? Maybe you will, after a couple free gardening classes — both happening next week before the contest deadline:

>> Take a FREE Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Garden Class and learn about sustainable landscaping practices that will curb urban runoff and ocean pollution. The class — featuring light snacks — happens Wed., March 10 from 6 pm – 9 pm at Hostelling International Santa Monica, 1436 Second St., Santa Monica. RSVP required; contact oceanfriendlygardens@surfriderwlam.org or 310.694.8351 with first and last name, phone number and email address.

>> Co-opportunity’s also having a Free Gardening Event featuring Darren Butler and Margaret Oakley that will teach you about techniques for sustainable and edible gardening. Be there on Thurs., March 11 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Santa Monica Main Public Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.

Gardening goodness doesn’t end there. Put these yummy events into your calendar for the Spring:

>> Learn from a free seminar, Secrets of Growing Delicious Heirloom Tomatoes, in time for the tomato season. The free class happens Sun., March 21 from 9 am – 10 am at the Ocean View Farms Community Garden’s’ 6th Annual Tomato-bration in West L.A. on S. Centinela at Rose Ave.

>> Take the 100 Gardens Challenge and pledge to plant your own edible garden during the weekend of April 24 and 25! I took this challenge last year — and I’m proud to say that my year-old chard plants are still going strong (though the basil died really fast and the lettuce barely grew). Help transform L.A. into an edible oasis over just one weekend by planting that garden — or get involved now with the Westside Permaculture Group, the organization behind this challenge, and help organize the big event.

>> Then head over to the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase and take a self-guided tour on foot or by bike to see pretty, eco-friendly gardens that save water — and money on utility bills. The free event happens on Sun., April 25 and is open to all; a map will be posted closer to date.

Earlier:
>> Book Review: Fresh Food From Small Spaces – Balcony gardens, simplified
>> Urban lawn garden in Santa Monica

Photo by Anika Malone

The latter, in essence, is what just a few Mar Vista residents have managed to make happen. This L.A. neighborhood’s put on both a popular Green Garden Showcase with 1000+ attendees and a Wise Water Use Expo with local celebs in the last year. Not only that, Mar Vista residents get treated to an eco-speaker and expert at the local farmers’ market each week. All those green initiatives helped make Mar Vista one of the pilot program areas for the City of L.A.’s free rainwater harvesting program, allowing Mar Vistans some of the first in the city to get free rainbarrels installed in their homes.

How did Mar Vista make all this happen? The green force behind all those eco-happenings is the Mar Vista Community Council’s Green Committee. Created less than 2 years ago by a few eco-minded MVCC members, the Green Committee today’s a vibrant part of the Mar Vista community, educating and connecting neighbors, serving as a hub for local green resources and knowledge, and throwing the occasional big green event.

“Our focus has been serving as a connector, says Green Committee co-chair Sherri Akers (above, in the center with name badge), “really finding a way for people in the community who have this passion for making change to find each other — but also to help them find the resources they need to support these choices — in our community.”

While the Green Committee’s now a successful community group, efforts to green Mar Vista didn’t always run so smoothly. Apparently, the first year was rocky for the Green Committee. Formed back in early 2008, the 3 – 5 people on the committee, according to Sherri, had lots of well-intended intended ideas, but “no handle on where to start.” The group tried to connect the community through an educational booth with a speaker at the farmers’ market, but “it quickly became apparent that people weren’t going to make an appointment [to sit and listen to a speaker] on a Sunday at the farmers’ market,” Sherri says. “Nothing was really happening.”

That’s when the Green Committee decided to plan an event to introduce the neighborhood to the group. So in Fall 2008, the Green Committee took over the MVCC’s open community meeting, bringing in speakers to talk about everything from composting to solar power. “The turnout was unbelievable,” Sherri says. “And it gave people the chance to find out that there were so many like-minded people in the community.”

That event served as a wakeup call of sorts, opening the way for a big Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase (above are the showcase participants) in April this year, which let 1000+ people take tours of 44 local lawns and gardens turned into drought-resistant or edible landscapes. Then came the Water Use Expo in July, featuring L.A. Councilmember Bill Rosendahl and actorvist Ed Begley, Jr.

All this greening work’s also gotten the Mar Vista community some nice eco-bonuses from the city too. After all, city councilmembers are more likely to select a location where they know people will get behind the programs. “They knew we’d do a lot to make it happen,” Sherri says, pointing out Mar Vista’s not only a pilot area for the L.A. rainwater harvesting program — but also on the list for a pilot green street program.

Now the group’s come full circle. The farmers’ market booth gets steady traffic all day, with the experts and speakers talking one-on-one with residents about how they can apply eco-changes to their individual lives.

Was the Mar Vista community simply more green than other communities to begin with, thus making the Green Committee’s work easy? “I don’t think it’s that Mar Vista has more eco-friendly people than anywhere else,” says Sherri. “We’ve just found this channel to find each other.”

Want your neighborhood to have a Green Committee? All it takes is a few people, Sherri says. “It really is neighbor-to-neighbor. Find 3 or 4 people who are like minded, then approach the city council or neighborhood association.” Then let your neighbors know the new green group exists. “Hijack something that happens anyway and give it a green flavor,” Sherri advises.

And rest assured that it won’t always be the 3 – 4 of you pulling all the weight. “One important key to our success is that this is such a hands on community, with so many people willing to volunteer and contribute,” Sherri says. When we put on events, it truly seems effortless because so many people pitch in!”

Are you a Mar Vista resident who wants to pitch in? Then sign up for updates from the Green Committee — including details about open monthly meetings — at MarVista.org (select “email notification system,” then subscribe and select “Green Committee”). You can also find out who the next speaker will be at the farmers’ market by visiting the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase site.

And don’t miss the MVCC Green Committee’s next big event: Mar Vista Goes Green. That event’s actually Mar Vista’s annual fall community festival — now with a green theme. Go for the food, the entertainment, the yoga, and the eco-informative booths on Sat., Oct. 3 from 10 am – 4 pm at Mar Vista Park, 11430 Woodbine St., Los Angeles.

Photos via MVCC Green Committee

How to make sure your soap’s locally handmade: Walk into Soaptopia‘s boutique store in Mar Vista to see and smell the yummily-scented process firsthand. Founded by an eco-preneur called Jolie Chitwood, Soaptopia makes deliciously junk-free, natural soaps in small batches — and customers can can actually watch the process happening at the back of the store as they shop!

If allergies and chemical sensitivities have you always opting for the fragrance-free stuff, Soaptopia will bring olfactory pleasures back into your life. Jolie actually started concocting her own personal care products due to her own allergies caused by the synthetic, chemical stuff. Now, she’s got a five-year-old business, a devout cadre of customers both locally and across the U.S., and a very eco-friendly line of soaps with scents ranging from Love Thyme All The Time to Red Hot Lover (cinnamon and clove).

Customers may walk in for the delicious soaps, but the green aspects of the business can’t be missed once you step into the store. Besides soap, we’re talking body balm, salves, lip balms, and candles — all made with simple, recognizable ingredients. “We now have a fair trade shea butter we bring in that’s just delicious,” says Jolie. “Raw, organic, unfiltered, unprocessed. It’s in all of our soaps.”

Everything’s in minimal packaging — made of 80% post-consumer recycled waste, no less — and the store also carries cute one-of-a-kind products from other local and eco craftsters. There’s locally-made jewelry, hemp washcloths, fair trade and organic-bamboo-and-organic-cotton bath blankets, and feelgoodz compostable rubber flipflops for $20 a pair.

“In our store, we try to celebrate the community,” Jolie (left) says. “I work with the other merchants of the block and some other people in the community to make Mar Vista a little bit more of a community. We started a nonprofit — and opened a farmers’ market on Sundays.”

Some of Soaptopia’s ingredients are organic, but for the ingredients that aren’t, you can rest assured that a local soap expert’s scrutinizing the quality of the ingredients. “I’ve been making soap for about 10 years now. Over time, you understand what’s what — like what a type of lavender really means,” Jolie says. “[Information on the certificate of analysis for] the lavender oils — it’s like your blood count. Like say, I have this many red cells and white cells, or my cholesterol’s this — You can see that in oils too. So you can see if there’s been pesticides used in the oils by the certain marks on the certificate of analysis. We try to go for stuff we know we like and we know is clean and we feel good about.”

More people are looking for healthy, good-for-you products, Jolie says. “There’s a shift in consciousness in what’s important — taking care of yourself, finding the things that are maximizing your dollar. And part of our branding, our whole company ethos, is about products that are for daily use — meaning, they’re affordable! It’s not just for a special occasion. You can use it daily, you can use it for your family. It’s not like you’re putting in huge dollars to make the whole system work.”

And right now, you can get a really amazing deal on Soaptopia products — thanks to the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. All August, you can get 3 for $16, 5 for $25, or 9 for $40 deals on Woodstock-inspired soap scents, ranging from Purple Haze to Flower Power to Piece of Peace.

You can find Soaptopia at a number of Whole Foods on the west coast, stores across the country, online, and of course, at the Soaptopia boutique in Mar Vista. Love Thyme All the Time’s the bar I got — because, well, its thyme –

Soaptopia. 12228 1/2 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista — Los Angeles.