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Wishing you abundance, happiness, and health in 2022. Happy holidays!
As we close out 2021 and set our sights on a new year supporting conservation and resilience, we wish to celebrate all the progress we have made with your support over the past year. From bringing in new programs to address fire resiliency and climate change, engaging youth in creek and land stewardship projects, providing business support to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, and more, 2021 was a year of growth. And you, our Conservation Works friends, have made all this growth happen. Thank you for sharing our commitment to conservation and community.
As we approach the final days of the year, please consider a year-end gift to Conservation Works and continue to make a difference in 2022 and beyond!
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November/December Newsletter
In this issue:
- Tips - 5 Ways to Reduce Food Waste in 2022
- Team Highlight- Brian Taiji
- Article - Youth Taking Action to Steward a Beloved Local Forest
- Announcement - Creek Care Youth Action Group Enrollment is Open!
- Join our Team - Now Hiring a Farm Community Outreach Coordinator
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Five Steps to Reduce Food Waste in the New Year
Did you know that you can make a BIG difference to mitigate climate change by not wasting food? Right now we waste 40% of the food produced in our country and a lot of this ends up in our landfills where it rots and produces methane a super-pollutant as much as 80 times more toxic than carbon dioxide and a very potent climate-warming greenhouse gas.
Unfortunately, 10% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change are linked to this food waste. Fortunately, this is something we can very easily solve. Although food is lost along many different points in the supply chain, nearly half of all waste happens in our own very own kitchens. Together we can make a difference!
Here are five simple ways to start reducing your food waste at home today!
- Plan meals - Plan your meals and stick to it. Also, take stock of what you commonly throw away to become a more conscious consumer.
- Revive veggies- Many vegetables such as wilted greens and rubbery veggies can be reinvigorated by soaking them in water or used in soups or sauces.
- Freeze your food - If you don't think you will be able to use certain foods before it goes bad, freeze it. And, remember today's veggie peels and scraps can be frozen to make tomorrow's soup stock.
- Understand "Use By" Dates - "Use By" dates are created by food manufacturers as quality guidelines, not food safety guidelines.
- Compost it - Instead of tossing your food into your garbage can, choose to toss it into a green waste bin and compost it! This simple act makes a big impact returning organics to the land, thereby improving soil quality, enhancing drought resistance, bolstering crops and, especially, reducing climate-warming gases.
Conservation Works has been on the front lines reducing food waste by composting in our schools and community for many years through our Worm Wizards of Waste program. Find out more about composting and recycling and access our list of composting resources for educators HERE
Additional resources to help you reduce food waste and learn to compost can be found below:
Zero waste meal planning spreadsheet template
Planning, recipes, and Storage
FDA website - understanding "Use By" Dates
EPA - How to start composting at home
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Team Highlight: Meet Brian Tajii
 We are excited to introduce you to one of the newest members of our team, Brian Tajii. Born and raised in Torrance, CA Brian grew up being active in many different community organizations including Boy Scouts, music programs, recreational sports, and community service clubs in middle and high school. After graduating from Indiana University with a BM in Performance, Brian realized that while he loves music, being a part of and fostering a community was his passion.
While in his final year of the Masters in Public Administration program at Sonoma State University, Brian is applying his skills and passion for fostering community with Conservation Works by helping us assist underserved and small-scale farmers in our new California Underserved Small Producers (CUSP) program.
To learn more about our CUSP program contact Brian at brian@ncrcanddc.org or visit our program page HERE
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On a cloudy Monday morning, earlier this month at the Otis R. Johnson Wilderness Park, an Anchor Academy student from Fort Bragg High School gently placed a new redwood tree on a hillside clearing where he had just removed several leggy invasive acacia saplings and trailing ivy the hour before. After planting this tree, he stepped back, leaned on the arm of his shovel to admire his work and then moved on to provide some advice to his close friend who was struggling to dig through a rock to get his hole deep enough to plant another tree.
 Conservation Works formally adopted the Otis R. Johnson Wilderness Park this year to engage local youth in environmental education and native species planting and preservation as well as invasive species removal and watershed enhancements of this local park. Eradication of invasive species is a complex process, but Conservation Works hopes that through a partnership with the city of Fort Bragg and local youth, the community can develop an ongoing stewardship program for years to come to restore this small watershed, bringing it closer to its natural habitat.
Come join us in protecting this beautiful park. For more information contact us at admin@conservationworksnc.org or visit our Creek Care Youth Action Groups page HERE
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Announcement: Registration is Now Open for our 2022 Creek Care Youth Action Group
Imagine spending your winter and spring outdoors, hiking with your neighborhood friends along beautiful creeks and hills of Sonoma County while making a real difference in protecting local fish and other wildlife.
In 2022 teens who live within Colgan and Roseland Creek watersheds will have an opportunity to join Conservation Works Creek Care Youth Action Group and participate in real on-the-ground environmental science and leadership training.
Local teens will find an opportunity in this five-month program to engage with our beautiful Russian River watershed along Colgan and Roseland creeks and learn from experts as they conserve, protect and enhance our creeks. Teens will develop valuable skills, including water quality testing, habitat restoration, data collection and management, leadership skills, and more. Throughout the program they will interact with local government officials, environmental advocates, scientific researchers, Sonoma State University professors, and other natural science professionals, gaining insights into career pathways and college opportunities.
Registration is open now for youth 8th through 12th grade. This program is made possible by the generous support of the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment and the City of Santa Rosa and Sonoma Water Creek Stewardship Program. Click HERE to register or for more information about this program.
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Latest News!
Now Hiring: Farm Community Outreach Coordinator for Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma & Marin Counties
This position is to help Conservation Works manage and implement a 20-month project deploying workshops and other education, training, and mentorships to help farmers and ranchers achieve sustainable and profitable farming and ranching businesses. If you’d like to be part of our team, make a difference to support our underserved farmer's and enhance the quality of life across our four counties, we would love to hear from you.
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter stating your interest in the position to oona@conservationworksnc.org
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Run out of Coffee? Keep the Buzz Going with a Monthly Coffee Subscription to Bee Bold
Conservation Works is a Pollinator Partner with Thanksgiving Coffee Company. Purchase of their Bee Bold product line helps support our work as a Pollinator Protector. When you purchase Bee Bold Coffee online, we receive 20% of your purchase price to help fund our conservation programs.
Happy sipping!
  
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