Dear Ventura Planet Activists,

It's "Earth Day" around here! There are soooo many ways for us help protect our wonderful planet. And seriously - folks, VCCool Needs YOUR help in a big way - so we can keep doing our great work!!

Stay connected, stay involved, Read on!

-From the folks of VCCool
www.vccool.org

Earth Day Eco Festival
Sponsored by the Ventura Charter School

Saturday, April 18th
11am to 7pm
Promenade Park - Ventura
(Next to the Ventura Fair Grounds)

Come visit VCCool's booth at this year's Eco-Fest Earth Day festival. Join our new Ventura Bicyclists Union and get an original bike-art TShirt, get personally involved with Public Transit, learn about the Green Urban Design pod, and more! There will also be many other booths, workshops, music, food, kids events all day! More Info.

At 3:00 VCCool will be part of the Green Panel: VCCool, Kids vs. Global Warming, Ventura City Council member, CAUSE, and Ventura Surfrider Foundation.

Earth Day Green Home and Garden Tour and Expo
Sponsored by the Midtown Ventura Community Council

Sunday, April 19th
11am - 4pm
1290 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura

The VCCoolers will also have a booth at the Green Home and Garden Tour and Expo. This Earth Day event also includes the California Native Plants sale, and self-guided tours of Mid-Town's greenest homes and gardens. (Tours $10)

Please Help Out with VCCool's Annual Kids' Bike Safety Rodeo

The first year 200 people attended, last year 500 people came, this year - we expect 1,000! What is it? It's a great event where kids get free helmets, get their bike worked on, and learn the rules of the rode on our fun "skill course."

The 2009 bike rodeo is May 30th, and we need volunteers to help at the event! We also need to raise $4,000 to cover expenses! So PLEASE - Donate Generously! $50 would repair 10 kids' bicycles. $100 would buy quality helmets for 11 youthful heads! Help our kids to help the planet!

To Donate

To Volunteer

National Global Warming Bill - Petition
Please Sign by April 22!!

California Rep. Henry Waxman has done it again - along with Massachusetts Rep. Markey. They've crafted a bill called the "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. " This bill has the support of an incredible list of Heavy Hitters in the environmental movement (see this partial list)!! A petition is being circulated to let Congress know that we want them to pass this bill.

Sign the Petition

Weaver Wines: Green Tips Benefit VCCool!

Thursday, April 23
6pm to 8pm
Weaver Wines
14 S. California St., Ventura

Join us for a glass of wine at Weaver Wines and heckled the Celeb Wine-Tender Rachel Morris. All the tips collected by Rachel will be donated to VCCool for our huge annual Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo. Join us Thursday April 23rd from 6-8pm and we can drink wines together and discuss "Green Tips for Changing the World."

Seana Weaver IS the Hostess with the Mostest! There will be door prizes including baskets of goodies, and great organic and local wines. Family style seating and standing at the bar and two tables of fun! So bring your checkbooks and enjoy a meet-and-greet. Your tips will help fund our annual kid's bicycle safety rodeo!

Food, Water and Energy
A panel discussion on what is being done to preserve our planet for future generations

Friday, April 24th
7:30pm - 9:00pm
Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
3327 Old Conejo Rd., Newbury Park
$5 - suggested

Four Ventura County activists working on the cutting edge of environmental issues will discuss positive steps many conscientious people are taking to live more responsibly.

Panelists:
Rachel Morris, Director of VCCool
Kristofer Young, co- founded “Eat Local One Year”
Wally Geer, a founding director of the Central Coast Chapter U.S. Green Building Council
Steve Forman, Open Space and water issues.

Santa Paula League of Women Voters Presents:
Global Climate Change

Saturday, April 25
9:30 a.m. to noon
Santa Paula Community Center
530 W. Main Street, Santa Paula

The Santa Paula Unit of the League of Women Voters and the Ventura County League of Women Voters will present a community forum on Global Climate Change. A discussion will follow speakers’ presentations.

Speakers:
Dr. Catherine Gautier - Geography, Earth System Science and Global Warming at UCSB.
Donald R. Price - An engineer with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District.
Architect Kara Davis - member of the C4 Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

First Friday Art Ride: Prom Ride to the Promenade
Dress to Impress!

Friday, May 1
First Friday Art Ride (a non-sponsored event)
5:00 pm start - with lots of mapped places to join in
Ventura Government Center
way more info
press release

At 5pm we will meet at the Government Center of our fair County, corner of Victoria and Telephone, dressed in our finest Prom-appropriate apparel.

Once gathered, we will be led along the streets and past the High Schools, setting forth en mass, gathering riders along the way, thrilling passersby with not only our joyous glee but also our two-wheeled vehicles and our decadent garments!

There will be delight… there will be art…there will be spontaneous portable promness…

And before 8pm, the ride will end at the location of the Bike Prom: The Ventura Beach Promenade! (This ride is not sponsored by any organization, so ride often, ride safely, ride at your own risk.)

Monthly Meetings:

Bike Pod meeting (a.k.a. Ventura Bicyclists' Union)
Tuesday May 12th
Second Tuesdays of the month
6:30pm to 8:30pm
345 West Center St, Ventura

The purpose of the Bike Pod is to create a bike culture in our community.

Green Urbanism Pod meeting
Thursday, April 30th
6:30pm to 8:30 pm
Mainstreet Architects
422 East Main Street, Ventura

The New Urbanism Pod is reviewing issues of city planning, zoning, parking, and more, all with an eye on greener communities.

Events to Watch for:
Advocacy 101: Ojai Green Valley Coalition - Wednesday, April 22
Grow Food Party Crew, Gardening Party - Sunday, April 26
National Train Day - Saturday, May 9th
Ventura Bike to Work Day- Thursday, May 14th
Ventura County Green Economy and Green Jobs Summit - Thursday, May 21st

If you received this message from a friend, and you'd like to be on Ventura's Global Warming email list, send a note to the action@vccool.org with instructions to add you to the global warming e-mail list.

To remove yourself from our list, simply send a note to action@vccool.org with a request to remove you from the global warming list..