Elemental Awareness Camp at The Ecology Center

admin | July 1, 2011

This Summer The Ecology Center is proud to offer our first ever Eco-Camp series. Our Elemental Awareness Camp, July 18th-21st, is a 4-day camp for kids aged 9-12 ($160). Participants will learn important survival skills and positive ways to interact with the natural environment.  Focusing on shelter, fire, water and food, kids will learn true survival skills as well as sustainable ways to interact with their environment.  Led by Elemental Awareness’ Todd Larsen, campers will partake in activities such as gourd canteen making, fire safety and construction, cooking with fire, harvesting wild edibles and fort design and building. On the last day of camp participants will take part in our Farm to Fork experience where they will harvest and prepare a garden lunch.  Each camp includes a take-home Eco-Kit. Be sure to sign up sign up soon as space is limited.

A Few New Things…

admin | June 21, 2011

As we transition into summer and the days get longer, the gardens around The Ecology Center continue to grow at an incredible rate.  Lately the sunflowers seem to have taken over every spare piece of land, which we don’t mind one bit.  It is always shocking to see how many changes there are here in a matter of days (that coming from someone who is here everyday).  So just in case you haven’t been down to visit us lately, here are just a few things that have taken shape in the last week or so.

The new signs are up!  We recently added a ton of educational signage around the gardens…

Carmenita is growing up!  About a month one of our hens gifted us with a baby chick.  Due to her uncanny resemblance to one of our other hens, Carmen, we have named her Carmenita.  It is truly amazing how fast baby chicks grow!

New trash cans.  Yes, you read that correctly, new trash cans.  What’s so exciting about our new trash cans are the new decals on them that make putting trash in the right place a no brainer.

Backyard Skills: Graywater Systems

admin | March 28, 2011

What saves up to $600 a year for a family of four and does your laundry? No, it’s not your mom. It’s your washing machine!

Your washing machine has a pump that discharges graywater from the wash cycle to a standpipe that carries it to the municiple water system and away from  your home. That’s a shame because the thing about graywater is, that you pay for it once, but you can use it twice. Why not keep graywater around and give your lawn or garden a nice drink?  With a few basic materials, you’ll be conserving cash and water in no time.

One thing to be mindful of when using graywater is the detergent you are putting into it.  Cut down or eliminate the amount of bleach you use, and do not use detergents that contain boron because it is toxic to plants.

Every time we wash our hands, our peach tree gets a small drink of water!

Retrofitting a graywater drain pipe is a fairly simple process requiring only a couple of hours of your time.  This Saturday April 2nd, we will be offering our latest Backyard Skills Water Workshop: Graywater Sysems.  Come spend an afternoon at The Ecology Center and learn how to get creative with water re-use.

Backyard Skills: Graywater Systems

$25 ($22.50 for members)+ $200 option for graywater kit

Saturday, April 2nd from 1:00pm to 3:00pm

The Ecology Center

32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Register online at theecologycenter.org or in advance by calling The Ecology Center at 949.443.4223


Children’s Water Education Festival

admin | March 26, 2011

The Ecology Center was proud to be a part of this years annual Children’s Water Education Festival.  More than 5,000 fourth, fifth and sixth graders attended the event that was held at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda.

Our topic of choice?  Water foot printing of course.  The kids were presented with 5 practical ways to reduce their water foot print and then pledged their savings.  Some of the simple ways they pledged to save water included using a reusable water bottle, playing sports instead of watching them on tv and swapping out a meat based meal for a veggie based meal.

When it was all said and done, everyone had a good time and thousands of gallons of water savings were pledged!

Treadle Pump!

admin | March 8, 2011

One of the newest additions to The Ecology Center is this awesome treadle pump!  Our friend Larry Casner designed and built this functional and fun piece of equipment.  Traditionally treadle pumps lift water from the ground but we use ours with our 550 gallon rain barrel. Using the water we harvested from this years abundant rainfall we can water our gardens and get a little exercise at the same time!

Another Reason to Conserve Water

admin | February 25, 2011

The City of San Juan Capistrano sent this important public service announcement:

Conservation needed to prevent Stage 4 water emergency.

With the City’s imported water supplier set to shut down its plant for a week, the City is urging residents to conserve water in the event of a Stage 4 water emergency by ceasing landscape watering, car washing and utilizing other conservation methods.

The Diemer Filtration Plant, the Yorba Linda-based water treatment plant that serves South County, is expected to perform necessary maintenance and upgrades from Feb. 27 through March 6. The facility, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), provides South County’s imported potable water needs through two regional water pipelines.

In past years, the City’s groundwater recovery plant, which began operation in December 2004, has provided enough water to see the City through the annual shutdown, but the plant is not operating at full capacity due to some wells being out of service for maintenance and repairs. Staff is working diligently to get it back online before the shutdown but the timing may be close.

If the shortage condition becomes critical or demand exceeds the City’s local resource, a Stage 4 water emergency could be declared. The City has been proactive in alerting the community about the shutdown and its need to conserve. For the past two months, water customers have received notification in their water bills; all landscape customers received a letter alerting them that irrigation must cease for that week; advertisements have been running in a local paper; the City issued a press release and eNewsletter last month; and the City’s website, has contained information about the shutdown. The water conservation site will be updated as conditions change.

If supplies to do become critically short and a Stage 4 emergency is declared, residents will be notified through the “AlertOC” (reverse-911) calling system. For individual notifications, sign up for the City’s eNewsletter at www.sanjuancapistrano.org to receive up-to-date information about San Juan Capistrano’s water supply.

If you’re wondering how to best conserve this precious resource, come to The Ecology Center exhibition “How Good Water Works” and attend one of our upcoming Backyard Skills water workshops!

Down With Juggy!

admin | February 18, 2011

We did it!  Juggy was defeated, though not how we had originally intended.  Last Saturday our friends and family gathered at The Ecology Center to celebrate Juggy in his final moments.  As everyone gathered and grazed on pizza and refreshments we started to dismantle this water wasting beast.  In just about an hour the Juggernaut was disassembled and loaded up into the truck to rest at his temporary home.  What’s next for Juggy?  That’s our design challenge for you!  What would you do with 365 plastic bottles?

Thanks to all of our friends and family for coming out to celebrating Juggy.

Follow-up: Slow Sand Water Filters!

admin | February 8, 2011

Last Saturday, February 5th, was our first Backyard Skills water workshop of the year.  Due to beautiful weather and a great crowd it was a joy to be outside learning about the tools for clean water.  Although people have been using this technology for hundreds of years, it is still a popular method of water filtration today.  The method is based on principles of fresh water passing through rivers and streams and being filtered along the way by rocks and sand.  Constructing your own slow sand filter is easy to do and costs less than buying one.

Here is a list of what you will need:

-Plastic bucket and lid

-Spigot

-PVC pipe (approx. 8 inches long), pieces to attach to spigot and a cap for the end

-Fine Sand

-Gravel

-Fine screen

-Charcoal

-Zip ties

Procedure:

Start by thoroughly rinsing the gravel.  Drill a hole on the side of the bucket near the bottom and insert the spigot into the hole. Drill small holes in PVC pipe and wrap with screen material several times.  Fasten the screen with zip ties and attach the pipe to the spigot using attachments. Then cap the pipe on the other end.


Put a layer of gravel into the bucket about 5 inches deep so that the pipe is completely covered.  Insert a layer of screen material and place a couple of handfuls of charcoal on top of that.  If you are using whole charcoals be sure to break them up into small pieces first.  Place about 5 inches of sand on top of the charcoal.  Now fill the rest of the bucket with water and begin the filtration process.  Let the water filter through until it is clear.  It is always best to keep your filter full with water.



Easy Home Energy Audit Checklist

admin | February 3, 2011

These eight tips will help you cut down on energy costs in your home. The addition of smart meters by San Diego Gas & Electric will help too.

Sometimes, looking out for the environment will cost you extra time, effort and cash. In other cases, however, it can pay major dividends. Improving your home’s energy efficiency, for example, is a win for the environment and your pocketbook. By employing the right combination of cutting-edge technologies and good old-fashioned behavioral changes that fit your budget, your monthly gas and electric bill can be more wallet-friendly. Here are eight places to find opportunities for energy savings in your home.

1. If your furnace is 18 years old, it’s time to buy a new one.

Furnaces built before 1992 are extremely inefficient, wasting more than a third of the fuel they use to get the job done. They are also near the end of their service life. Replace yours with a unit that has an annual fuel utilization efficiency of at least 90 percent. This type of unit will cost between $1,500 and $3,000.

2. Swap out incandescent bulbs for CFLs.

Now’s the time! Don’t let the up-front cost of a CFL bulb prevent you from making the swap. Over its lifetime, a CFL bulb’s operating cost is less than one-third of that of an incandescent. Remember, if you’re replacing a 100-watt incandescent, you need only a quarter of the wattage, so purchase a 25-watt CFL. CFLs cost about $10-$15 per bulb but less if you buy in bulk.

3. Landscape strategically.

Planting a deciduous tree on the southwest side of your home can provide real energy savings, especially if your home has poor insulation and/or leaky windows and doors. In summer, the leaves block the rays that would otherwise heat up your home and, in winter, the bare branches allow the sun to shine through, warming it up. While a fully grown tree will cost you, you can get a 15-gallon deciduous tree for under $100.

4. Insulate your walls and attic.

Proper insulation minimizes the energy you need to heat or cool your home simply by slowing the rate of airflow in and out of the house, saving energy and money. Depending upon the R-value, a measure of thermal resistance, blown-in insulation can cost between 75 cents and $2 per square foot.

5. Fine tune your hot-water system.

You can improve the efficiency of your water heater in three easy steps.

  • Turn the temperature setting down from hot to warm. Free.
  • Purchase a jacket to insulate your water heater. Kits are available for about $30.
  • Swap out the aerators in your sink faucet for low-flow models. $2 per aerator.

6. Rid yourself of phantoms.

Even when the electronic devices in your home are turned “off,” they still draw power when plugging into an outlet. While unplugging devices is a cost-free way to solve the problem, it’s not the most feasible. Simplify your efforts by plugging devices into a surge protector that you can easily switch on and off. A surge protector should cost you $10 or less.

7. Upgrade or replace your windows and seal up your doors.

When it comes to windows, the greatest energy- and money-saving strategy is to replace single-glazed windows with double-glazed. If you’re not ready to swap out your windows, you can still boost their efficiency with weather-stripping, which should also be done around drafty doors. A tube of indoor caulking will set you back about $6, and placing a rolled bath towel (also called a draft snake) at the bottom of leaky doors is absolutely free.

8. Invest in a clothesline.

For the cost of some rope and a couple dozen clothespins, you can dramatically reduce your dependence on your dryer. Inexpensive pulley kits are available at your nearest hardware store for under $10. Not comfortable displaying your unmentionables outside? You can still make energy efficiency gains in the laundry room by washing all loads—even whites—in cooler water and/or setting the dryer to a cooler setting. These tricks are both free.

When considering energy efficiency measures, you should always check with your local utility for rebate programs. San Juan Capistrano’s provider, San Diego Gas & Electric is offering the following rebates for single-family residences:

  • Attic or wall insulation, $0.15 per square foot
  • Central furnace, $200
  • Dishwashers, $30
  • Water heaters, $30
  • Whole-house fans, $50

It’s also important to note that by the end of 2011, San Diego Gas & Electric will have upgraded all gas meters to smart meters, which is a very handy energy conservation tool. What exactly is a smart meter? It’s simply a high-tech version of your current meter, which, instead of being read once monthly by a utility representative, can send real-time energy use information to SDG&E, which then sends the information to your online customer portal. This allows you to access and monitor your energy use (and see how much it’s costing you) as you are using it. The goal of smart meters is to save time, energy and money and to prevent blackouts. All SDG&E customers will be receiving the smart meters this year. For more information on the residential and business smart-meter installation process and to provide feedback regarding the program, visit theSDG&E website.

Saturday February 5th Learn the Tools for Clean Water

admin | January 27, 2011

Did you know that one in six people worldwide do not have access to clean water?

Slow sand filters can be used as a treatment for raw water to produce a potable product in both developed and developing countries.  First used in the U.S. in 1872, slow sand filters are the oldest type of municipal water filtration.  Some benefits of slow sand water filters are that they require little or no mechanical power, chemicals or replaceable parts.  They are also quite easy to make due to their simple design.

Join us Saturday, February 5th 1-3pm at The Ecology Center for the kick-off of our Water Workshops as we design and build our own slow-sand filtration systems. Inspired by Jon Rose and Waves for Water, this workshop will provide you will the tools and teaching to build your own “Brita” filter applicable in Orange County or Port-au-Prince.

All events are held at The Ecology Center, 32701 Alipaz St., San Juan Capistrano.

BUY TICKETS NOW or by calling The Ecology Center at 949.443.4223.


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