Welcome to the Yolo County Climate Action & Sustainability Newsletter! We are excited to share updates from our climate action and adaptation planning (CAAP) process, countywide sustainability efforts, upcoming events, and sustainability resources as we work to meet our goal of achieving a carbon negative footprint by 2030.

We are now on social media! Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more updates on our CAAP process.

If you have resources or events you would like to be featured on the newsletter, submit them via email to sustainability@yolocounty.org for consideration.

 

 

The April YCCAC Hybrid/In-Person Meeting is a great opportunity to hear more about our 2030 CAAP and provide your input on critical components of our planning process. YCCAC meetings are now offered in a HYBRID format for members of the public, meaning you can listen and provide public comment via zoom, or in-person at the Yolo County Board Chambers at 625 Court Street, Room 206, Woodland, CA 95695. View the Zoom link here to join our monthly meeting and view the Agenda and Meeting Materials.

 

 

 

Are you interested in learning more about the 2030 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan? Do you want to provide your input into our planning process or share how climate change is impacting you? Come to one of our upcoming CAAP outreach events! Be sure to follow our social media to get updates about these events as the dates grow closer! 

🌱 Yolo County Library Día de los Niños Events: Celebrate Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros at Yolo County Library! Children and families are invited to join this FREE, fun, and educational celebration featuring special performances, story time programs, educational activities, and free giveaways! Yolo County Sustainability will be attending to educate on local climate action efforts on the following days: 

April 22nd – Winters Branch | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 708 Railroad Ave., Winters, CA 95694 

April 25th – South Davis Montgomery Branch | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | 1441 Danbury St., Davis, CA 95618 

April 26th – Clarksburg Branch | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | 52915 Netherlands Ave., Clarksburg, CA 95612 

April 29th – Mary L. Stephens Branch | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 315 E. 14th St., Davis, CA 95616 

May 6th – Yolo Branch | 1:00 – 3:00 PM | 37750 Sacramento Street, Yolo, CA 95697 

🌱 April 22nd – Yolo County Central Landfill Earth Day Celebration | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM | 44090 County Road 28H, Woodland, CA 95776 

🌱 April 28th - Woodland Public Library Día de los Niños Festival | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Ferns Park, 750 W. Southwood Dr., Woodland, CA 95695 

🌱 May 12th - 2023 West Sacramento Senior Resource Fair | 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM | West Sacramento Community Center Resource, 1075 West Capitol Ave., West Sacramento, CA 95691 

🌱May 12th – May 14th – Whole Earth Festival | Friday 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM | UC Davis West Quad, Davis, CA 95616 | Stay tuned for Yolo Sustainability’s plan to table at the 2023 Whole Earth Festival! 

 

 

As we celebrate Earth Month, we want to share with you the inspiring story of Yolo County Climate Action Commission Member and Equity and Engagement Vice Chair, Bernadette Austin and how she raises environmental awareness in her personal and professional life. Bernadette spent six and a half years running the Center for Regional Change, a research center at UC Davis focusing on environmental justice and community development. Her research projects included inclusionary housing, gentrification and displacement, carbon neutrality, and more. Now, she focuses on helping local governments improve their climate action implementation as the new Chief Executive Officer of CivicWell. Bernadette is a passionate advocate for the environment in her professional life yet is most proud of the work she has done to promote education and advocacy for environmental sustainability closer to home. As a board member of the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California, Bernadette takes pride in her work with youth, teaching them how to take action. When her daughter was just a Brownie, her troop worked to make local parks more walkable and bike accessible, and they even presented their ideas to the city's Parks and Planning Commissions when they were Junior Scouts. Bernadette credits her hope for the future of the environment to the inspiring political action taken by younger generations and youth advocates to create change. For this reason, she is especially excited about Yolo County’s new Equity & Engagement Technical Advisory Committee that includes youth members advising on equity and engagement efforts.

During Earth Month and every month, Bernadette encourages everyone to challenge themselves to take one simple act or earth-friendly resolution to make a difference today. For her, it was biking to work once a week. That personal challenge led to a passionate campaign for making West Sacramento more bikeable. Bernadette believes that influencing infrastructure and design changes is one of the most powerful ways to enact change. Additionally, during Earth Month, Bernadette loves to celebrate Arbor Day in West Sacramento, planting and distributing trees throughout the community. This tradition not only helps to improve tree cover in urbanized areas but also brings the community together to make a difference.

Bernadette emphasized the importance of implementing local change to set an example for global issues. She believes that bottom-up solutions lead to impact, and community-based input is crucial to determining the priorities of local groups.  We hope Bernadette’s story inspires you to take action this Earth Month and beyond. Remember, though every little action counts towards creating a greener and more sustainable future for all of us, the best way to enact change is to engage with your community and involve yourself with local action. We are incredibly proud of the passionate community of Yolo County and encourage you to continue using your voice!  

 

 

 

🌱 The Yolo County Climate Action Commission held its first in-person meeting last month. Stay tuned for the many engagement opportunities coming up in the months ahead!

🌱 Go Green, Yolo! Join us April 1-30, 2023, for an entire month of BRAND-NEW vegan options all over Yolo County! During this time, restaurants throughout the Yolo County area will feature special vegan menu items. Diners can test a variety of vegan dishes, vote, comment, and post photos of the delicious vegan meals they have ordered, tagging @YoloVeganChefChallenge on social media. Click here for a list of participating restaurants.

🌱 May Is Bike Month is back! Ride with your workplace, ride solo or ride for the first time to show the world that life is better when it’s pedal-powered! Click here for information on in-person events and how to register for leaderboards and awesome prizes!

🌱 Shape the future of food security in Yolo County by taking this 10-minute survey by April 22^nd! Yolo Food Bank has launched a Countywide Yolo Food Access Survey to better understand the food access, food security levels, and related health issues in Yolo County. Participate by accessing your unique invitation code that was mailed directly to your home in the beginning of April. Those who complete the survey may enter a random drawing to win one of six $100 gift cards. For more details or questions, email informaiton@yolofoodbank.org or call (530) 668–0690.

🌱 The program for the 14^th Annual California Climate and Energy Collaborative (CCEC) Forum is available! The California Climate & Energy Collaborative (CCEC) is an alliance dedicated to supporting California local governments to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and accelerate climate action. Those with local government affiliations receive free attendance. Click here to register.

🌱Interested in organizing a tour, workshop, network meeting, or networking activity as part of the 2023 California Adaptation Forum? Submit your proposal today! The Climate Adaptation Forum will be featuring a set of local tours and a set of partner-led workshops, network meetings, and networking events on different aspects of climate adaptation in action. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, complete a 2023 Call for Tour Proposals or 2023 Call for Partner-Led Event Proposals form by May 5^th at 5 PM.

🌱 The City of Woodland’s Parks & Recreation Commission is currently seeking nominations for the name of a new park in Woodland! Nomination forms are available online at www.cityofwoodland.org/csd or by calling the Woodland Community Services Department at (530) 661-2000. All forms must be received by May 1^st at 5 PM.

 

 

April 24^th, 2023            Yolo County Climate Action Commission (YCCAC) Meeting | 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM |  Hybrid/In-Person | Zoom or Yolo County Board Chambers | 625 Court Street, Woodland, 95695

Join us at the April YCCAC Meeting to hear more about our 2030 Climate Action Plan and provide your input on critical components of our planning process. View the agenda and meeting materials at the top of this email. This meeting will be held in-person at the Yolo County Board Chambers but is available for virtual public participation via Zoom.

April 24^th, 2023           NextGen Webinar | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM | Join via Zoom Registration

NextGen is partnering with California State Library and CalNonprofits to host a one-hour webinar that will provide step-by-step guidance related to using the California State Grants Portal. Click here for registration and more info.

April 25^th, 2023           Aging and Adult Services Emergency Preparedness Presentation | 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | West Sacramento Community Center | 1075 W Capitol Ave, West Sacramento, CA 95691

Join presenter (and YCCAC Commissioner extraordinaire!) Suzanne Reed to learn about types of local emergencies and disasters, how to create an emergency plan, how to pack a go bag and a shelter in place box, and how to sign up for YoloAlerts. RSVP by leaving a voicemail at (530) 776-5006 or emailing the Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance at info@yolohealthyaging.com.  

May 1^st, 2023               Greenhouse Gas Emissions Information for Decision Making: Dissemination Meeting | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Join via Zoom Registration

What are the greenhouse gas emissions information needs of cities and local decision makers? Join members of the recent National Academies report, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Information for Decision Making: A Framework Going Forward as they facilitate a discussion on the needs of decision makers and the tools available in the public, private, and research sectors at urban scales to aid local decision making. Click here to register.

May 12^th, 2023            2023 Senior Resource Fair | 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM | West Sacramento Community Center | 1075 W Capitol Ave., West Sacramento, CA 95691

Bryte & Broderick Community Action Network (BBCAN), in coalition with West Sacramento Parks & Recreation, welcomes local senior citizens and their families and caregivers. A diverse set of organizations will be on hand with information that will enhance and support daily living, health & interests.

May 12^th -14^th, 2023  Whole Earth Festival | UC Davis Quad | Specific Location TBD, Davis, CA 95616

Come celebrate Mother Earth at The Whole Earth Festival! The Whole Earth Festival is a family-friendly, student-run, zero-waste arts and music festival that runs 3 days over Mother’s Day weekend and attracts over 30,000 visitors each year. Yolo County Sustainability will be tabling at the Education Space to teach visitors about our CAAP process!

May 16^th - 17^th, 2023  MicroGrid Knowledge 2023 Conference | 700 W Convention Way, Anaheim, CA 92802

Are you curious about how microgrids can benefit businesses, institutions and communities? Are you working in the energy sector, or seeking opportunities to do so? Are you a policymaker, regulator, researcher or advocate? Explore the markets, technologies, policies and customer benefits emerging as we decentralize our energy supply and electrify buildings and transportation. This one-of-a-kind event will serve as a venue for businesses, communities, institutions and government to learn what’s available now – and what lies ahead – to improve their operations with microgrids and distributed energy. Click here to register.

May 24^th, 2023            National Publics Work Week Event | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Community Service Office | 292 W Beamer St, Woodland, California

National Public Works Week is a time when Public Works demonstrates what ‘public work’ means. This week celebrates accomplishments and milestones while raising awareness to the contributions public works has on our community and our everyday lives. Join Yolo County Sustainability as we educate the community on local climate action efforts, share updates on our CAAP process, and receive community input!

 

🌱 Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District makes $4.29 million available for air district incentive programs. The application period is currently open for on-road and off-road vehicle replacement projects, clean vehicle infrastructure, and the purchase of replacement low-dust harvesting equipment. The deadline to submit applications is Thursday, May 19, 2023 at 4 PM.

🌱 Yolo Community Foundation has released their third annual State of the Yolo Nonprofit Sector Report! The report enables the Yolo County community to understand the needs and concerns of local nonprofits and how to support those nonprofits as they serve our Yolo County community.

🌱 Protect Your Investments in the Soi: USDA’s Modernized Lab Data Mart Website Provides User-Friendly, State-of-the-Art Data. The newly updated Lab Data Mart website, also known as the National Cooperative Lab Characterization Database, brings valuable soil data in an interactive map.

🌱 Netweather has a new interactive global jet stream forecast map!

 🌱 Justice40 Accelerator has created an online hub for funding opportunities! Click here to see their list of Featured Funding Opportunities and to receive more information.

 

 

🌱 Photo Essay: A musician’s unexpected journey to protect the earth’s last remaining quiet places. Composer Jonathan Kawchuk wanted to capture the sounds of nature for his latest album, but repeated interruptions by helicopters and traffic set him off on a new path.

🌱 New tech could one day scrub 'forever chemicals' from your tap water. Canadian researchers said they have developed a method to filter toxic “forever chemicals” from water and potentially destroy the long-lasting compounds permanently.

🌱 The nerd's guide to Biden's newest electric vehicle push. POLITICO provides a breakdown of the 1,475 pages of proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations that could transform the way Americans get around.

🌱 Fast fashion goes to die in the world's largest fog desert. The scale is breathtaking. Some of the developed world’s favorite brands lie in discarded heaps in Chile’s Atacama Desert. How they got there tells the story of modern fast fashion.

🌱 In Pursuit of the Climate-Proof City. As extreme weather events drive more people from their homes, the idea of moving to “safe” places—even before disaster strikes—has assumed particular urgency. 

🌱 Video: Seychelles fighting climate change—Entrepreneurs dream of saving the ocean.  Overfishing, global warming, and plastic pollution are having a devastating impact on the world’s oceans. Researchers warn that marine ecosystems could almost completely collapse within 25 years. Gaëlle Borgia headed to The Seychelles to meet with some young entrepreneurs dreaming of ways to water down the damages already done.