Resources

BACKYARD FARMING

• Freedom Gardens - www.freedomgardens.org - Think of it as Facebook meets the Farmer’s Almanac: A social networking site for 21 st century pioneers who want to fight soaring food prices and global warming by growing their own food. On this site, novice and expert growers from all over the world can gather to post success stories, ask questions, and challenge one another to ever-increasing levels of self-sustained living.

• Path to Freedom – www.pathtofreedom.com – A site from a family who is forging their own sustainable path in the city. They are urban homesteders, growing most of their own food in their own backyard. Lots of valuable information here on living a sustainable life. Their mission – Path to Freedom strives to inspire people all over the world to live the idea, “think globally, act locally.” Our goal is to motivate them to walk the path to freedom, a path of serious eco-stewardship that leads to a simpler and more fulfilling life.

• The Dinner Garden - www.dinnergarden.org -  We are gearing up for Spring planting, so if you want to plant a garden this year, we’ll provide the seeds for free. Have too many seeds you saved from last year? Please donate them to us! We’ll find good homes for them.

Are you new to gardening? Are you concerned you won’t be able to garden or can’t afford it? Remember, people were growing their own food long before gardening stores were invented! Human civilization began because people started gardening instead of foraging for food. They had seeds, dirt, and water. So if you have dirt and water, we’ll provide the seeds!

CLIMATE CHANGE

• California Climate Change Portal – http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/ -  California’s Resource for Global Climate Change Information.

California produces roughly 1.4 percent of the world’s, and 6.2 percent of the total U.S., greenhouse gases. Our state has been working on and finding solutions to our impact on climate since 1988. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2005 executive order on climate change kicked into high gear to further advance clean renewable energy and other solutions to lower our state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. And the landmark California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 established the first-in-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of GHG.

ENERGY

• The Energy Guy - http://www.theenergyguy.com/ – The Energy Guy web site is determined to bring you more substantive information regarding energy technologies, including those that are “very important but poorly understood, and/or used.” For example, to come up to speed on important energy-related issues most people aren’t aware of – but are fundamentally important to know about if you care about a sustainable future, check out the energy issues page; it covers things like climate change, transportation, energy supply and demand, and the politics of energy – all with just a few minutes of your time!

ENVIRONMENT

• CLAIM-GV – Citizens Looking at Impacts of Mining - http://www.claim-gv.org/BreakingNews.html – Emgold, a Canadian junior mining company, has filed a plan to re-open the Idaho-Maryland Mine within the city limits of Grass Valley, California, and to also build and operate a ceramics factory and / or crush mine waste rock and sell it as aggregate all within 1 mile of downtown Grass Valley and surrounded by homes and businesses on all sides.
  Is this project a good idea for Grass Valley?    CLAIM-GV examines the issues so you can decide for yourself.
• Nevada County Land Trust – http://nevadacountylandtrust.org/ – The Nevada County Land Trust exists to create a balance between nature and the needs of the people who make a life and a livelihood here. This is our home. Our mission is to enrich the deep community connection with our land — today, tomorrow, and forever. The Nevada County Land Trust is a non-profit, membership-supported group promoting voluntary conservation of our natural, historical and agricultural resources.

• New American Dream – http://newdream.org/index.php New American Dream helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice.
• Wild Flowers Forever – http://www.wildflowersforever.org/ – Our mission is to protect and preserve native wildflowers and their habitats in our local Sierra Foothills, to create a wildflower preserve that is open to the public for low-impact recreation, and to educate people about the value and beauty of native plants and wildlife.

We intend to develop practical programs that will directly help protect Foothill habitat. The first program we have created is the Sierra Smart Gardens workshop series. This program was first taught in early 2009, and will be repeated and expanded in the first part of 2010. We intend to promote this particular series at least once a year in Nevada County, and to place our collection of teaching materials at the disposal of organizations outside our area.

• WorldWatch Institute: Vision for a Sustainable  World - http://www.worldwatch.org/
• Scientific American: Energy And Sustainability – A good source for a wide array of articles – http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/index.cfm?category=energy-and-sustainability
• Earth Charter – www.earthcharterinaction.org - What is the Earth Charter? The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action.

• Enviroblog – www.enviroblog.org – All about environmental connects to  your health.
  

• Sierra Buisness Council - www.sbcouncil.org – Pioneering innovative projects and approaches that foster community vitality, environmental quality, economic prosperity, and social fairness in the Sierra Nevada.
• Sierra Nevada  Alliance – http://www.sierranevadaalliance.org - Since 1993 the Sierra Nevada Alliance has been protecting and restoring Sierra lands, water, wildlife and communities. Our mission is to protect and restore the natural resources of the Sierra Nevada for future generations while promoting sustainable communities. The organization is an Alliance of conservation groups that are based or work in the Sierra Nevada region. There are over eighty member groups that span the entire 400 mile mountain range.The Sierra Nevada Alliance unites individuals and groups behind a common vision. The Alliance envisions a Sierra where natural and human communities coexist in harmony. A Sierra where residents and visitors alike understand and value the unique qualities of the range and protect the places they love.

• Sierra Nevada Conservancy - http://www.sierranevadaconservancy.ca.gov/about_us.html – The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) is a state agency created by bi-partisan legislation and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2004.  The SNC was created with the understanding that the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Sierra Nevada and its communities are closely linked and that the Region would benefit form an organization providing a strategic direction.

The SNC Region, made up of all or part of 22 counties and over 25 million acres, is one of the most significant natural and biologically diverse regions in the world.  The Sierra constitutes about 25% of California’s land area and is the state’s principal watershed, supplying 65% of the developed water supply to residents and businesses across the state.

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy’s vision for the future is: The magnificent Sierra Nevada Region enjoys outstanding environmental, economic and social health with vibrant communities and landscapes sustained for future generations.

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy initiates, encourages, and supports efforts that improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Sierra Nevada Region, its communities and the citizens of California.

• SYRCL - South Yuba River Citizens League – www.yubariver.org – A grass roots organization, whose objective is to protect the South Yuba River.
• Yuba Watershed Institute -www.yubawatershedinstitute.org -  The Yuba Watershed Institute is a group of citizens who are concerned with the sustainable use of natural resources and the protection of long-term biological diversity within the Yuba River watershed.  The study, maintenance, use and preservation of the watershed is undertaken in partnership with public land management agencies, professional associations, private landowners, other non-profit organizations, and community organizations.  The Institute also serves as an educational resource, providing an ongoing series of talks, seminars, publications and walks on all aspects of the watershed. Events & Education P.O. Box 2198 | Nevada City, CA 95959 | 530.265.4459

FARM

• Ag Innovations Network – www.aginnovations.org – Ag Innovations Network (AIN) was founded in 2000 to build a better future for farmers, consumers, and communities. In the years since we have worked across California and across the United States to bring together unusual partners to support change in the food system. We are a 501( c)(3) not-for-profit California corporation. 101 Morris Street, Suite 212, Sebastopol CA 95472-3838 – (707) 823-6111 – Fax: (707) 823-6113

• California Farm Bureau Federation – http://www.cfbf.com – The California Farm Bureau Federation is a non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary membership California corporation whose purpose is to protect and promote agricultural interests throughout the state of California and to find solutions to the problems of the farm, the farm home and the rural community. Farm Bureau is California’s largest farm organization, comprised of 53 county Farm Bureaus currently representing approximately 85,000 members in 56 counties. Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to provide a reliable supply of food and fiber through responsible stewardship of California’s resources.

• University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Managment Program -  http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/index.html – Established in 1979, the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) develops and promotes the use of integrated, ecologically sound pest management programs in California to serve agriculture, urban and community, and natural resources audiences.

FOOD

• Animal Welfare Approved – www.animalwelfareapproved.org/ – The Animal Welfare Approved program audits and certifies family farms that utilize high-welfare methods of farming. Farmers benefit from having a third-party affirmation of their practices and consumers benefit by knowing that the label means what it says.

• CAFF – http://www.caff.org – Today’s Community Alliance with Family Farmers is the result of efforts by both farmers and urban activists working together for almost 30 years. Our mission is to build a movement of rural and urban people to foster family-scale agriculture that cares for the land, sustains local economies and promotes social justice.

• Green Restaurant Coalition Sacramento – http://www.digitalinevitable.net/GRAS/ – Green Restaurants Alliance Sacramento is a coalition dedicated to a sustainable food community in California’s Capitol City. Led by restauranteurs, and in collaboration with diners, staffs, municipalities and our local food industry, GRAS aims to start by creating a greener restaurant industry in Sacramento.

• Local Food Coalition - www.localfoodcoalition.org – Local Food Coalition mission: “Working together to support local farmers, preserve local farms and farmland, and ensure a local food supply in the western Nevada County area.” The Local Food Coalition is not an organization per se. Instead it is an informal network of agricultural organizations and agencies, farmers and ranchers, community non-profits, businesses, and individuals. The purpose is to facilitate communication and collaboration among all the sectors of our community that care about local agriculture and local food production.

• Nevada County Grown – www.nevadacountygrown.org – The mission of Nevada County Grown is to foster a sustainable local agricultural economy by making the community aware of locally grown agricultural products and assisting qualified agricultural producers to promote their products. This is done by proudly displaying the Nevada County Grown logo, publishing the Farm Guide, maintaining the Nevada County Grown web site, and promoting local agriculture at community events.

• Nevada Grown - http://www.nevadagrown.com/ – your resource for Nevada’s rich selection of locally-grown food. If you’re a consumer, we can help you find fresh produce and eggs, premium Nevada beef and poultry, and more. We’ll help you find the nearest farmers market or provide information about Community Supported Agriculture or restaurants and stores that sell NevadaGrown products.

If you’re a farmer, we can help you find sales opportunities and marketing resources to make your farm more successful. If you want to learn to farm, we’ll help you find  training and resources to get started. 

• Non-GMO Project – http://www.nongmoproject.org/ – The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit collaboration of manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed companies and consumers.Our shared belief is that everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified products, and our common mission is to ensure the sustained availability of non-GMO choices. (Curious what a GMO is? Click here.)

• Non – GMO Shopping guide – www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/SG/Home/index.cfm – Put together by the Institute for Responsible Technology and The Center for Food Safety. They teel you in this guide how to shop, read labels products to avoid and what to buy.
• Pesticide Watch – Since 1991, Pesticide Watch and Pesticide Watch Education Fund (“Pesticide Watch”) have helped citizen groups across California develop sustainable solutions for dealing with pests, instead of using toxic pesticides. Our mission is to work side-by-side with Californians to prevent pesticide exposure, promote local farming, and build healthier communities.

Using community organizing, expert referrals, conferences and information guides, Pesticide Watch Education Fund helps community groups wage effective campaigns to force stubborn polluters and unresponsive bureaucracies to protect the health and safety of your community.

• Soil Born Farms - http://www.soilborn.org/index.html - The mission of Soil Born Farms Urban Agriculture and Education project is to create an urban agriculture and education project that empowers youth and adults to discover and participate in a local food system that encourages healthy living, nurtures the environment and grows a sustainable community.

Local Organic Food Production – Create, manage and support urban organic farms and gardens that are accessible to the public, permanently protected for future generations, and that practice and promote responsible land stewardship. Community Education – Develop a food and environmental education program focused on service and experiential learning in the natural world and in the kitchen for youth and adults. Activities include classes, hands-on workshops, tours, job training and youth leadership development. Food Access for All – Address food security needs by developing alternative food distribution and food donation programs that target our under-served communities.Reconnect with the Land -Bring people together to celebrate cultural diversity and share the simple pleasures of living life in harmony with nature.

• Weston A. Price Foundation - http://www.westonaprice.org – The Weston A. Price Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated nonindustrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets. Dr. Price’s research demonstrated that humans achieve perfect physical form and perfect health generation after generation only when they consume nutrient-dense whole foods and the vital fat-soluble activators found exclusively in animal fats.

The Foundation is dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. It supports a number of movements that contribute to this objective including accurate nutrition instruction, organic and biodynamic farming, pasture-feeding of livestock, community-supported farms, honest and informative labeling, prepared parenting and nurturing therapies. Specific goals include establishment of universal access to clean, certified raw milk and a ban on the use of soy formula for infants.

GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS

• California Report – http://californiawatch.org/ – A Project of the Center for Investigative Reporting. Our MissionCalifornia Watch, a nonprofit and independent investigative reporting team, exposes injustice, waste, mismanagement, wrongdoing, questionable practices, and corruption so that those responsible can be held to account and so the public can be armed with the information needed to debate solutions and spark change.

GRANTS

• The Grant Farm - www.thegrantfarm.com – The Grant Farm specializes in connecting public funding opportunities with small businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and government agencies seeking investment in their solar, wind, biofuel, and other renewable energy and transportation projects. – 224 S. School Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945 – 530.559.2791

GREEN BUILDING

• The U.S. Green Building Council – www.usgbc.org – The U.S. Green Building Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

GREEN CERTIFICATION

• Keep the Sierra Green - www.keepthesierragreen.org – Sustainability and waste reduction business certification program.

• Dine Green America – www.dinegreen.com – The Green Restaurant Association. A national non-profit, provides a convienient and cost-effect way for restarants, manufacturers, distributors and consumers to become more environmentally responsible.

• Green America’s Business Seal of Approval – www.greenamerica.org – Green America is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to harnessing the economic power of consumers, investors and businesses to promote social justice and environmental sustainability.

• Sustainable Sacramento – http://www.sacberc.org/Web/programs/ssbp/ – Become a Sacramento Sustainable Business in Three Easy Steps…

1. APPLICATION. Review the certification criteria and checklists.
   Fill out the checklists indicating the suggested measures or practices you select. Once implemented, submit an application and your completed checklists for review.
2. VERIFICATION. Allow program staff to verify the selected measures and track your progress by setting up a site visit at your place of business. Once certified, your business will be presented with a certificate and window placard indicating the level of certification.
3. RECOGNITION. Submit a business description, a business logo, and a picture of your choice. These will be used on the Sacramento Sustainable Business website where your business will gain free advertising.

What are the benefits of being a Sacramento Sustainable Business?

• Free assistance in making changes to your business
• Free advertising and promotion
• Cost savings through improved efficiency, energy and water conservation, and waste reduction
• Community recognition of your voluntary efforts to improve our environment
• The opportunity to gain recognition in the SSB quarterly newsletter
• The opportunity to gain recognition through SSB annual awards ceremony

For additional program information please call (916) 649-0225, or click How to Become a Sacramento Sustainable Business link, to learn more on how your business can become Sustainable Business.

GREEN JOBS

Green Jobs California - http://greenjobscalifornia.org/ – Learn about real people and companies working in California’s green economy by watching the film, Faces of Green Jobs and visiting our Green Economy Business Profiles page. Envision a green career that’s right for you by exploring Environmental Defense Fund’s acclaimed Green Jobs Guidebook. Locate a green job training program that provides the tools you need by searching our map of programs throughout LA County. Get connected at our Green Jobs Resource portal that includes links to job boards, partner organizations and other EDF green economy resources.

GREEN SCHOOLS

• Green Schools – http://www.greenschools.net – The Green Schools Initiative was founded in 2004 by parent-environmentalists who were shocked by how un-environmental their kids’ schools were and mobilized to improve the environmental health and ecological sustainability of schools in the U.S. We believe it is essential to protect children’s health – at school and in the world beyond school – and we work to catalyze and support “green” actions by kids, teachers, parents, and policymakers to: * Eliminate toxics, * Use resources sustainably
  * Create green spaces and buildings, * Serve healthy food, and teach stewardship
  We are working to leverage the schools sector to transform the school environment – and the markets that supply schools – to improve health and sustainability. Using the Precautionary Principle as our policy foundation, we are advocating that school boards and state policymakers develop comprehensive action plans and build the local capacity to implement these plans.  We are starting our efforts with schools throughout California; we collaborate with and support organizations and individuals in other states and nationally.

MEDIA

• The Farm – www.foothillmedia.org – Foothill Arts, Resources and Media – a non-profit dedicated to raising environmental and social consciousness through the visual and performing arts. They are partnering with other groups to help foster sharing and sustainability in our community. 478-1179

• World Changing – http://www.worldchanging.com – Worldchanging.com is a nonprofit media organization headquartered in Seattle, WA, that comprises a global network of independent journalists, designers and thinkers. We cover the world’s most innovative solutions to the planet’s problems, and inspire readers around the world with stories of new tools, models and ideas for building a bright green future. We have brought awareness to issues like refugee aid, renewable energy and innovative solutions for improving building, transportation, communication and quality of life. Our readers are ready to change the world, and Worldchanging connects them with the latest ideas on how to do that.

OCEANS

• 5 Gyres – http://5gyres.org/ - Understanding plastic marine pollution through education, exploration and action.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

• Sierra Outdoor Recreation – http://www.sierraoutdoorrecreation.com – Covering spring, summer, fall, plus dozens of year-round outings, Sierra Outdoors is the most comprehensive outdoor recreation guide for over a million acres stretching south from the Lakes Basin to Auburn State Recreation Area. Skinner considers this his “backyard.” For each of 13 individual activities he shares over 215 trails and designated routes, 127 campgrounds and picnic areas, 110 high-country lakes and reservoirs, and more. Much more.

• Forest Trails – The Forest Trails Alliance is a community of trail advocates and recreationalists. The organization is based partially in the region south of Downieville called the Pliocene Ridge. Snuggled high in the ridge top at the headwaters of the Oregon Creek Water Shed is a small historic town called Forest City. In its day a prosperous mining town, the region is laced with old trails and ditches, many of which have been converted to excellent single track.

PARENTING

• Hip Moms Go Green: the hip mom’s guide to living and eating green – http://www.hipmomsgogreen.com/

PERMACULTURE

• The Camassia Institute – The mission of the Camassia Institute for Sustainable Communiites is to provide holistic experiential education in the area of sustainable community development, at the village and block scale, for adults at a variety of levels. We aim to facilitate our program participants’ growth in skills and knowledge to create regenerative ecological and social systems for ecovillages and sustainable communities. We focus on the scale of the village or block (we define this as from 30-100 residents), while also providing information and skills that are applicable for home-sites to entire cities. We include material relevant for rural, suburban, and urban contexts. Our courses and programs cover subjects such as restoration and edible landscaping, organic food production, green building, ecovillage design, green community planning, interpersonal wellness in community, and legal, economic, and decision making systems for ecovillages.

Our educational approaches include a mixture of class sessions, small group interactive formats, hands-on action learning based in real world projects, and opportunities to see and interact with demonstration sites and case studies. Most of our courses are residential and held at Lost Valley Intentional Community and Education Center (LVEC), where many of our instructors live. LVEC has been hosting Permaculture Design Courses and using permaculture techniques since 1990. We also offer a Ecovillage Design Education Certification EDE through the GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) and UNITAR (The United Nations Institute for Training and Research).  LVEC is also known for its emphasis on fostering interpersonal relationship sustainability. While not perfect in sustainability, LVEC provides Camassia’s participants with a great case study and living laboratory for active learning.

RECYCLING

• The Bra Recyclers – http://www.brarecycling.org/ – What is the The Bra Recyclers® all about? We are a textile recycling company, specializing in recycling bras and providing deserving women in our communities who are facing challenges with a basic lingerie staple.We are creating awareness about delaying the number of re-usable textiles, such as bras that are unnecessarily being sent to landfills and could be used for women and girls in our communities who are experiencing challenges in their lives. We are using simple encouragements to develop, blossom, and renew positive attitudes and self-esteem.

• Californians Against Waste - http://www.cawrecycles.org/ - Mission:Californians Against Waste is dedicated to conserving resources, preventing pollution and protecting California’s environment through the development, promotion and implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs.

Who we are:
Founded in 1977, Californians Against Waste is a non-profit environmental research and advocacy organization that identifies, develops, promotes and monitors policy solutions to pollution and conservation problems posing a threat to public health and the environment. Californians Against Waste’s history has demonstrated it to be the nation’s oldest, largest and most effective non-profit environmental organization advocating for the implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs.

• Nevada County Recycles- http://www.mynevadacounty.com/iwm/index.cfm?ccs=1149 – Information about what can be recycled and where as well as the Keep The Sierra Green program. Nevada County Recycles, Eric W. Rood Administrative Center 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City CA 95959. Recycling Hotline: 530-265-1768 Email the Recycling Team

REUSE

• Freecycle – swap things for free on this Grass Valley Yahoo group. http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/California/Grass%20Valley
• Craigslist - www.craiglist.org – buy, sell, swap.

RIDESHARE

• GoCar - http://www.gocarshare.com/ – With goCarShare you can see if any of your facebook friends or friends’ friends are traveling the same way. Just log in via facebook – then use the search box below to find someone to travel with.

SMALL BUSINESS

• Sierra Commons -  http://sierracommons.org – is a business incubator.  We provide a platform for small businesses to commercialize and market their products and services. The goals are to support emerging businesses, build community and business acumen through peer mentoring and networking, and strengthen the local economy through job creation and retention, and increased local revenues. 107 Sacramento St., Suite 300
  Nevada City, CA 95959 – 470-9292

SUSTAINABILITY

• Appropedia -http://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia – Our vision is that all of humanity is able to work together developing and realizing rich, sustainable lives. We build the infrastructure, and help make the connections and populate free content to effect that vision. We provide the living resource library of individuals and organizations working towards a sustainable, healthier future, so that efforts can be spent evolving instead of duplicating past efforts. We briefly capture our vision and mission in this way: Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives.

• APPLE Center – www.applecenter.org/ – A sustainability center, with monthly exhibits and classes.A physical and virtual hub to facilitate Western Nevada County’s transition to a sustainable community. The Center serves the general public as a community gathering place for “greening” their lives.  It’s a place where visitors and locals can connect to businesses and organizations that provide knowledge and tools for living sustainably.

• Camassia Institute – www.lostvalley.org – The mission of the Camassia Institute for Sustainable Communiites is to provide holistic experiential education in the area of sustainable community development, at the village and block scale, for adults at a variety of levels. We aim to facilitate our program participants’ growth in skills and knowledge to create regenerative ecological and social systems for ecovillages and sustainable communities. We focus on the scale of the village or block (we define this as from 30-100 residents), while also providing information and skills that are applicable for home-sites to entire cities. We include material relevant for rural, suburban, and urban contexts. Our courses and programs cover subjects such as restoration and edible landscaping, organic food production, green building, ecovillage design, green community planning, interpersonal wellness in community, and legal, economic, and decision making systems for ecovillages.

Our educational approaches include a mixture of class sessions, small group interactive formats, hands-on action learning based in real world projects, and opportunities to see and interact with demonstration sites and case studies. Most of our courses are residential and held at Lost Valley Intentional Community and Education Center (LVEC), where many of our instructors live. LVEC has been hosting Permaculture Design Courses and using permaculture techniques since 1990. We also offer a Ecovillage Design Education Certification EDE through the GEN (Global Ecovillage Network) and UNITAR (The United Nations Institute for Training and Research).  LVEC is also known for its emphasis on fostering interpersonal relationship sustainability. While not perfect in sustainability, LVEC provides Camassia’s participants with a great case study and living laboratory for active learning.

• Center for Sustainable Energy – www./energycenter.org/ -  The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to Greening Your World^®. Join us for free workshops; take advantage of incentive programs; attend our special events, and contact us for technical assistance. The California Center for Sustainable Energy ( CCSE) is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that helps residents, businesses and public agencies save energy, reduce grid demand and generate their own power through a variety of rebate, technical assistance and education programs. CCSE also provides the community with objective information, research, analysis and long-term planning on energy issues and technologies.

• Nevada Eco Net - http://www.nevadaeconet.org/ – Nevada EcoNet, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation to serve as a primary source of environmental information for Northern Nevada and proud to organize the Earth Day Celebration for the past 20 years.775.323.3433

• Peace Center – http://www.ncpeace.org/ – Education and Action for Peace and Social Justice, The Peace Center of Nevada County honors the essential power of people in community.Through open inquiry, education, and nonviolent direct action, we nurture peace, equality, justice and dignity in ourselves, our community and our Earth. 216B Main Street, Nevada City, CA 95959 -  530.265.0200 -  ncpeace@sbcglobal.net

• River School – http://www.riverschool.info/River_School/Home.html – The River School is an educational and event center that demonstrates a holistic approach to sustainable living, bioregional design, and creative expression through a wide array of classes, workshops and events.  We are dedicated to revitalizing the human spirit and regenerating the Earth.

• Sacramento Sustainability Forum – www.sacramentosustainabilityforum.com - a monthly venue for connecting businesses, non-profits, government and interested citizens in the sacramento area in order to promote sustainability, share insights and resources, and support movement towards a more sustainable future.

TRANSITION TOWNS

• Transition California -http://transitioncalifornia.ning.com/ - TRANSITION CALIFORNIA is a USA networking site for those interested in exploring and/or implementing the Transition model in their community. This site is being created through grassroots participation, and is continually evolving. It is a spontaneously arising effort to connect transitioners with each other and to encourage and support the development of local Transition Initiatives. The Transition approach empowers communities to squarely face the challenges of peak oil and climate change, and to unleash the collective genius of their own people to find the answers to this momentous question.
• Transition Network - http://www.transitionnetwork.org/ – The purpose of this website is to:
• provide an introduction to the concepts, principles and practices of Transition around the world
• show you how to go about setting up and developing a Transition Initiative in your locale
• help you deal with some of the objections you may come up against
• identify training that you may need as your initiative progresses
• enable you to connect to other Transition Initiatives around the world
• find out more about specific projects that Transition groups are engaging in
• enable you to find people involved in Transition based on their particular area of interest or location

TRANSPORTATION

• Reno Bike Project- http://blog.renobikeproject.com/ – a full service, self service community bike shop,Reno Bike Project, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, is committed to promoting the benefits of bicycles as an energy-efficient, economical, non-polluting form of transportation, and as a healthy lifestyle choice, by providing access to affordable equipment and education throughout the Truckee Meadows. 541 E. 4th Street, Reno, NV 89512
  Hours: Wed. – Fri. 11:00am – 6:00pm Sat. 11:00am – 5:00pm – 775-323-4488

WASTE REDUCTION

• Californians Against Waste – http://www.cawrecycles.org/ – Californians Against Waste is dedicated to conserving resources, preventing pollution and protecting California’s environment through the development, promotion and implementation of waste reduction and recycling policies and programs.

WOMEN AND SUSTAINABILITY

• Gather the Women - http://gatherthewomennc.ning.com/ – Bringing womens power and wisdom together for a positive future.

• See Jane Do - www.seejanedo.com - Radio show and website.Everyday  women doing extraordinary things for the planet.