SAVE THE DATE: SFV Climate Reality Mtg.,Tuesday, May 13th, 7pm |
|
|
|---|
|
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CHAPTER MEETING |
|
|
|---|
|
| Join our Chapter Meeting Tuesday, May 13th 7pm - 8:30pm Click Here To Register Everyone is welcome! Please spread the word. |
|
|
|---|
|
Green Banking: Divesting Yourself From Fossil Fuels |
|
|
|---|
|
Have you been wanting to switch to a "green" bank, but aren't quite sure how to do it? Now's your chance! Join us in May and June for a team effort to divest our finances from fossil fuels. It's easier now than ever before, with tools and resources to make the switch to financial institutions that meet your needs AND support your values. This month we'll learn all about the whys and hows of making sure your money isn't supporting fossil fuel projects, guided by our guest speaker David Rosenstein. David is the Co-Leader of Third Act So Cal's Climate and Clean Energy Team, which includes the Banking On Our Future Task Force to help members align their financial lives with their climate values. Register Here for our May meeting. |
|
|
|---|
|
SFV CHAPTER NEWS & EVENTS |
|
|
|---|
|
Habits of Waste: 8 Meals A Week Have you downloaded the free #8meals app yet? Our April guest speaker Sheila Morovati introduced us to this fantastic resource for exploring plant-based recipes and tracking your carbon savings. She also generously shared the slides from her presentation, so if you missed the April meeting you can check out her 8 Meals Presentation or view the recording on our YouTube channel. Don't forget to check out a copy of her inspiring book Imperfect Environmentalist: How To Reduce Waste and Create Change for a Better Planet for more stories of how you can be a change-maker! Habits of Waste is currently running a giveaway of plastic-free personal products as well as copies of Sheila's book, so check out their Instagram to participate. |
|
|
|---|
|
Legislative Team Meeting and Actions Our next legislative team meeting will be Tuesday, May 6 at 7:00pm. It's almost time for this year's bills to shift to the opposite house, so join us to find out which ones are passing committee votes and moving forward!
Tuesday, May 6 at 7:00pm At meeting time, join zoom link here. |
|
|
|---|
|
Action Alert: Protest to Support Polluters Pay
Join us May 4 to rally in support of the Polluters Pay bills currently in the CA state legislature. This protest will be held in Altadena, site of the recent climate catastrophe, to highlight the damage these companies are responsible for. RSVP for the protest here. The Polluters Pay bills, Senate Bill 684 andAssembly Bill 1243, will assess the largest oil companies for damages caused by their actions and consistent misleading of the public, based on their documented emissions between 1990 and 2024. Taxpayers, local municipalities, and the State should not have to pay for climate damages caused by the fossil fuel industry. |
|
| |
|---|
|
Can't join the protest on May 4? Call your reps instead! Make a call to your state Senator for SB 684 and another call to your Assembly Member for AB 1243 and ask for their yes votes. If they tell you that the Senator or Assembly Member is already backing these bills, tell them THANK YOU! (Senator Menjivar is the author of SB 684, so no need to call her office if she is your Senator). If you are not sure who your Assembly Member or Senator is, find them here. |
|
|
|---|
|
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel's 4th Annual Day of Service Join Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel for the annual Valley Day of Service! There will be dozens of community groups and nonprofits to assist with service projects around the San Fernando Valley. SFVCR will be tabling at this event, so stop by our booth to say hello! After an opening welcome at Pierce College, there will be options to volunteer at Pierce or other locations around the Valley, so sign up to help with any project that interests you. |
|
|
|---|
|
| Sign up opportunities to help at Pierce College include: Assemble homeless outreach kits, support domestic violence survivors, donate blood, learn how to save a life with CPR taught by an American Red Cross certified CPR instructors, send gifts to service members, write letters to homebound seniors, pack lunches for unhoused neighbors, or help adopt a pet. There are additional opportunities to volunteer at other locations around the San Fernando Valley. Register and choose a project to volunteer for here. Sunday, May 4, 2025
9:30 am at Pierce College |
|
|
|---|
|
Biodiversity Spotlight The coyote is a versatile and adaptable North American canine, able to thrive in both wild and urban habitats. Intrinsically linked to human development, Coyote is an archetypal character, prominent in both Native American mythology and urban folklore. If we are to coexist with nature, we need to learn to cohabitate with the animals that live here, and coyotes may be our best teacher. |
|
|
|---|
|
Spotlight: Coyote (Canis latrans) Range: Throughout North and Central America, in every US state except Hawaii. Habitat: Deserts, grasslands, oak savannahs, woodlands, temperate rainforests, alpine meadows, open ponderosa pine forests and subalpine meadows, as well as suburban areas and large urban parks. Threats: Humans are by far the greatest threat to coyotes. In the wild, coyotes are susceptible to larger predators such as cougars, bears, wolves and even eagles and great horned owls. But hunting, trapping, and poisoning by humans take the greatest toll. In suburban and urban environments, vehicle strikes and the use of rodenticides cause injuries, illness, and often death. Urban development disrupts the coyotes' natural habitat. In contrast to what many people think, coyotes are not moving into our neighborhoods; we have taken over theirs. Impacts: Coyotes are an adaptable generalist species. They are omnivorous, surviving on everything from small rodents, rabbits, and squirrels to insects, fruits, and berries; in packs, they are able to take down larger prey such as deer. As human developments move into coyote areas, their food has begun to include garbage, pet food left outside, and even small cats and dogs. There have been two known cases of humans being killed by coyotes. If you live in an urban wildlife interface, responsible pet ownership means keeping your cats indoors, not using dog doors, never leaving pet food outside, picking up and disposing of fallen fruit, and never feeding coyotes. Resources To Help us Live with Coyotes Pasadena Humane Society The Coyote Next Door Project Coyote |
|
| Photo Credit: Sherrell Cuneo |
|
In California, coyote mating season is from January through March, averaging six pups per litter born between March and May. It is at this time that coyotes become more territorial and more aggressive. Adults protecting a den will often make their presence known to people and dogs, following a short distance behind in a behavior called “escorting” to guide intruders away from their dens. Coyotes are monogamous, with both the male and female helping to raise the pups. Unattached females are often known to help their sisters or mother with the litter. Pups usually leave the family in August, though some remain for longer. Coyotes are famous for their vocalizations; the name Canis latrans means barking dog. There are at least 11 different coyote vocalizations used for greetings, contact, threats, and alarms. In Native American folklore, Coyote is a mythic figure: often anthropomorphized, shapeshifting, sometimes a creator, sometimes transformative, and very often the trickster. Since 1949, Wile E. Coyote has continued in the trickster tradition, relatable in his relentless and futile pursuit of the Road Runner, while he is constantly foiled by the questionable reliability of modern technology. |
|
|
|---|
|
If you would like to suggest a California Native species to focus on or write a biodiversity spotlight, please contact Sherrell Cuneo or Zina Block. |
|
|
|---|
|
This email was sent to you because you are a subscriber of SFV Climate Reality chapter. Unsubscribe |
|
|
|---|
|
|
|
