June Newsletter

06.17.10

Financing for Home Improvement Projects: GreenFinanceSF, The Green Zebra Environmental Action Center

06.18.10

Field Trip: Indian Valley Campus Organic Farm Tour, Novato
Solar Energy and Efficiency Fair, Santa Rosa

06.19.10

56th Annual North Beach Festival, San Francisco
Heathly Soil and Lawn Alternatives Workshop, Los Altos

06.20.10

56th Annual North Beach Festival, San Francisco
Special Father’s Day Dinner and Tour, San Francisco

06.23.10

How to Breathe Easier in California, San Francisco
The Facebook Effect and is Google Making us Stupid?, San Francisco

06.24.10

Elements, an Eco-Art Conference for Artiss and Ecologists, East Bay

06.25.10

Transportation Funding in the Next 25 Years-- What Are the Options, San Francisco
BPA, PCB, DDT & Dioxins oh my!, Fairfax

06.26.10

Free Talk: Know Your Soil, Berkeley

To find out about more great green events in the Bay Area
click here.

Spring has sprung around the Bay Area, and weather this gorgeous is enough to lure even reluctant cultivators into the garden. If you’re like most Green Zebra enthusiasts, you’d be happy to try less toxic alternatives for managing household and garden pests. You just need assurance that such options really do exist, as well as some advice about which ones would best suit your needs. With such concerns in mind, we’ve hand-picked and harvested the following tip just for you!

In the Bay Area more than 170 local nurseries and hardware stores (including all four locations of Green Zebra participant Cole Hardware) have partnered with local government to help educate consumers about less toxic options. These retailers place cards on store shelves in front of less toxic products. Each card lists the name of the product with the notation “Less Toxic to People and Pets” to help customers identify alternatives to conventional pesticides. These stores (as well as the Green Zebra Environmental Action Center) also carry fact sheets presenting tried and true ways to control common household and garden pests.

OurWaterOurWorld.org is the helpful website you can visit to find these store listings and also learn:

• which insects actually benefit your garden
• how to cultivate a lawn that deters weeds and other pests
• what less toxic products can replace conventional pesticides
• how to dispose of leftover pesticides safely so they won’t end up in our creeks, Bay, and Ocean
• what to ask a pest control company before deciding whether or not to hire it

You can even submit a question about your pest problem, and get a free personalized online response in less than 24 hours!

For more information, visit OurWaterOurWorld.org.

Cringe when you realize just how many contributions you made to Dad's vast collection of coffee mugs and neckties? This year, how about investing your allowance in a more active Father's Day present? Encourage Dad to get off the couch and out of his comfort zone by trying out an activity that may just turn into that new hobby you've been looking for to enjoy together. Take Dad for a beginner kite-boarding clinic at Boardsports where you'll learn to harness the power of the wind to glide across the ocean and leap over waves. Receive 20% off an Intro to Kite Boarding clinic when you present your Green Zebra. With three Bay Area locations you’re sure to find a spot that's convenient for you, and the experts at Boardsports will get both of you ripping it up in no time at all.

A day filled with sun, wind and sea will certainly put you and Dad in the mood for a delicious, frosty beer. Head over to Thirsty Bear Brewing Company where you can enjoy a variety of organic local brews. This Bay Area Green Business makes a delicious Brown Bear Ale using brown and caramel malts, or if pale ales are more your style, try the Howard Street IPA with its lively, citrus, hop nose. With seven beers to choose from (and sampling options), we’re sure you’ll find one that appeals to your tastes.

If kiteboarding’s too extreme for your dad, but he still enjoys a bit of adventure, take him whitewater rafting for only $59 (usually $119)! Experience Class III rapids on the American River, located in the Sierra Foothills. You’ll save 50% on your trip, but this deal expires on Sunday, June 20th, so if you want to provide him with a Father's Day gift that will be an unforgettable experience, jump on it!

The first official day of summer is Monday, but you've probably been fantasizing about that dream vacation for some time now. Unfortunately,
the economy just hasn’t rounded that corner yet, and your slim wallet hunkered down deeper in your pocket when you started browsing airfares. Don’t worry! Green Zebra will help you to plan an affordable romantic in-town “getaway” to help recharge your batteries.

Book a room at the LEED certified Hotel Carlton located in Nob Hill. Save 20%
on their best available rate when
you bring your Green Zebra. The
eclectic mix of vintage style and exotic
travel photographs will make you feel
like you’ve been transported far from
home.

Flying off to distant locales is not necessarily the greenest nor the most wallet-friendly of vacations (although don’t we all dream of it!) Send us your green vacation ideas for a chance to win a night’s stay at the Hotel Carlton in San Francisco ($279 value). We’ll pick our favorite and let you know who the winner is via facebook. Send your ideas to contest@thegreenzebra.org for a chance to win.

While it may be a little early to finalize your Independence Day plans, we'd like to remind you about some of the great ways you can make this a Green Zebra Fourth of July. Rent bikes from Big Swingin Cycles where you’ll save $10 on a $30, 24-hour bike rental.

Then, pedal over to Lombard and Steiner to pick up some chow at Let’s
Be Frank. This San Francisco-based company serves up grass-fed beef hot dogs, humanely raised pork brats, and free-range uncured turkey dogs. Eat at the restaurant or grab some pre-packaged dogs from the fridge and
head down to Crissy Field to grill them up yourself. Save 20% off your total purchase of foods prepared in the shop when you use your Green Zebra.

If you’re the independent-minded, free thinking type, you may prefer the less traditional 4th of July fare you will find at Chilayo Sabor Mexicano on Chestnut Street. This terrific restaurant serves up Mexican street food with modern flair. Most of their organic produce comes from their family farm in Sonoma County where they cultivate more than 25 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, tomatillos, cilantro, squash, 100 varieties of chili peppers, and much more. The restaurant will feature a
live mariachi band to add some Latin flair to your Independence Day celebration. Receive two for one entrees plus a complimentary order of
chips and guacamole when you use your Green Zebra.

Whatever type of feast you choose, head down to Marina Green afterward
to catch a glimpse of the fantastic fireworks shows over the Bay

Reserve a table downstairs at Saha to explore the flavors of the Middle East. Chef Mohamed Aboghanem's specialty is lamb, but his creative vegan and vegetarian dishes are tasty enough to satisfy even the most confirmed meat eater. Like most Green Zebra restaurants, Saha focuses on local and organic ingredients. Order a dinner entrée and receive an appetizer for free when you show your Green Zebra, and when you return to enjoy breakfast the next morning, you'll receive half off your second breakfast entrée.

Send us your “staycation” ideas for a chance to win a free night at the Hotel Carlton.