Eucalyptus Magazine, July-August 2012 by Eucalyptus Magazine

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Features 16 Get Out!

Outdoor exercise comes in all shapes and sizes By Doña Bumgarner

18 From Yuck to Yum!

Making school lunches better By Erica Goss

20 Eco Art

Bay Area artists create sustainable beauty By Ashley Johnson

Departments 7 Grown Local /Metro Mulberries 10 Living Smart /Solar-Powered Cars 13 Health or Hype? /Summer Tonics

In Every Issue 5 Publisher’s Note 28 Tidbits /Green Tips 28 Advertisers’ Index Cover: Photographed by Lane Johnson. This page: Glass house sculpture by Mary Bayard White, page 21; photographed by Lee Fatheree.

Mary Bayard White, Eagles Mere Lake, Sullivan County Memories, 2010, made with recycled window glass

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EUCALYPTUS Michaela Marek Publisher and Founder EDITORIAL Editor Ann Marie Brown Contributing Writers DoĂąa Bumgarner, Erica Goss, Ashley Johnson, Stephanie Liou, Julie McCoy Copy Editor Erin Yasuda Soto Editorial Intern Rhea Maze DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Designer Greg Silva Photo Editor and Photographer Lane Johnson Contributing Photographer Rachael Olmstead Production Manager Diana Russell advertising sales Rebecca Campos, Michaela Marek contact 15559 Union Avenue, Suite 215 Los Gatos, CA 95032 phone 408.335.4778, fax 408.877.7303 email info@eucalyptusmagazine.com Web eucalyptusmagazine.com Twitter twitter.com/eucalyptusmag Facebook facebook.com/eucalyptusmagazine Subscription rate $24.00 per year Advertising rates on request Volume 2, Issue 12

ÂŠ2012 by Eucalyptus Magazine, ISSN 2160-4541 (print), ISSN 2160-4576 (online). Eucalyptus is a registered trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All rights reserved. Some parts of this magazine may be reproduced with written permission only. We welcome your ideas, articles, and feedback. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Eucalyptus Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors. We do not necessarily endorse products and services advertised. Always consult a professional provider for clarification.

Eucalyptus is the winner of the 2010 Apex Awards for Publication Excellence for green publications, and the 2010 Gold MarCom Award for green publications.

4 | July + August 2012

lane johnson

publisher’s note

When I first came to Palo Alto as an international student, I was shocked by what my host family ate for lunch: chips, soda, and a sandwich. At my home in the Czech Republic, chips and crackers were served only occasionally as party food, and soda was never on the shopping list. My idea of “lunch” was a hot, multi-course meal, with soup, a main entrée, and sometimes a small dessert. All educational institutions in the Czech Republic, from preschools to colleges, have properly staffed, health-codeapproved cafeterias in which hot lunches are made daily. They typically offer a choice of hot entrées served with soup and tea, water, or milk. In addition to providing lunch for students and staff, most Czech school cafeterias also serve seniors who live in the neighborhood. The seniors and students dine together. Students entering the cafeteria must hang up their jackets and backpacks. They pause at a row of sinks, where they wash their hands. They sit down at dining tables to eat their meals. Staff members supervise the dining room, and students are required to sit properly, eat all their food, and use good manners. Food waste is discouraged. By taking part in this lunch ritual, Czech children learn to eat properly in a civilized, social atmosphere. These early lessons instill good eating habits that continue into adulthood. Perhaps here in the United States, our frenzied lunch hours and ultra-casual eating habits contribute to our obesity epidemic.

On page 18, we look at the American school lunch program and see how a few schools are trying to improve both the food quality and the lunch experience for their students. It’s inspiring to see that a few innovative chefs and administrators are finding ways to make lunch healthier and more appealing for American students.

Michaela Marek Publisher and Founder publisher@eucalyptusmagazine.com

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grown local Mulberry growers and avid ballroom dancers Monica and Kevin Lynch at their Palo Alto “farm”

metro mulberries left to right: elena elisseeva/istockphoto; lane johnson

A micro-farm in Palo Alto

Juicy, tart, and sweet, the mulberry is a healthy and versatile fruit. Low in calories and loaded with vitamins C and A, the berry can be eaten on its own or used in pies, jams, cocktails, and barbecue sauce. If there’s a downside, it’s a mushy one. Mulberries perish quickly, so you won’t find them in grocery stores. That’s what sends legions of mulberry fans to the Downtown Palo Alto Farmers Market in the summer, when Kevin Lynch sells his backyard-grown mulberries. “It’s a very unique berry,” Lynch says. “It has this deep, rich, taste that’s not like other berries.” Lynch’s mulberry business began incidentally, when he and his wife planted a

mulberry tree in their Palo Alto backyard in 2003. They fell in love with the taste and soon, he says, “We both agreed we needed to get more trees.” Now their backyard overflows with 28 mulberry trees and a variety of other fruit trees, including Nanking cherries, elderberries, lemons, kumquats, raspberries, apricots, plums, figs, and pomegranates. Lynch sells many of these fruits alongside his mulberries at the farmers’ market. The fruiting season for mulberries keeps Lynch, a teacher in the Palo Alto Unified School District, busy during the summer months. During the school year, he teaches seventh grade science, but the rest of the year, he’s known as “The Mulberry Guy.” He

// By Julie McCoy

drives an electric car he calls the “Mulberry Mobile” to the farmers’ market. The car doubles as his sales table. Many people are not familiar with mulberries, Lynch says. A common myth— thanks to the nursery rhyme “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”—is that they grow on bushes. The purple-black berries look like tiny raspberries and only grow on trees. They must be used within a couple days of being picked. Lynch’s berries are so popular at the farmers’ market that he usually sells out. He recommends that people come early or contact him in advance to set some aside. The crop is usually at its peak in July. For Lynch, running the mulberry business EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 7

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is more about creating friendships than making money. “After three years of selling at the farmers’ market, what do I have? I have a bunch of new friends,” he says. Lynch also sells his mulberries to a number of Peninsula restaurants, including Menlo Park’s Madera and Sand Hill; Palo Alto’s Quattro, Calafia, Pampas, and Mayfield Bakery and Café; and Woodside’s Station One. “We’re just a small, backyard [business] trying to share these berries with people,” Lynch says. Lynch, a teacher for 20 years, says his heart is in education. He likes running his mulberry business as a side gig and doesn’t want to change his profession to full-time farmer. His wife, Monica, is also a teacher. The couple’s two sons, Halo, 8, and Osy, 10, will help out at the farmers’ market this summer. Lynch says the experience will teach them about money and help them understand the value of good customer relationships. “Those are good values to instill in them,” he says. When Lynch and his wife aren’t busy teaching, parenting, or running their mulberry business, they go dancing. “Monica and I met each other through a school district Internet class, but it was through swing dancing that we got to know each other,” he says. “We taught swing together for about five years, and met a lot of good friends through that experience. These days, we’re dance students ourselves, trying to learn the Argentine tango.” EUCALYPTUS MAGAZINE AD 3.5” x 4.75” In addition to the Downtown Palo Alto Farmers Market, Lynch’s mulberries can be purchased online at www.metromulberries.com.

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a tank full of sunshine How do you get the chance to meet the President of India, be featured on MTV, and take a prince out for a late-night joyride? The answer, according to Alexis Ringwald, is to drive a snazzy-looking solar car. “We wanted a creative way to highlight solutions to climate change in India, mainly to inspire young people to take action on climate change,” says Ringwald, a Yale alumnus and former Fulbright scholar who drove 2,100 miles across India in a solarpaneled electric car. She and two of her friends spearheaded the India Climate Solutions Road Tour in 2009. The Indian manufacturer Reva Electric Car Company supplied the vehicles—lightweight, colorful solar cars outfitted with batteries that could travel for 90 miles on a six-hour charge. Solar panels on the cars’ roofs provided about 10 percent of the cars’ energy requirements. Accompanied by a solar-powered band, a Bollywood dance troupe, and a luggage truck fueled by locally produced plant oils, the caravan made its way from Chennai to New Delhi over a three-month period. Along the way, they stopped in dozens of cities and villages, giving presentations at schools and temples, founding local chapters of the Indian Youth Climate Network, and documenting innovative alternative-energy solutions that are being used all across India. Along the way, Ringwald and her friends demonstrated the real-world readiness of Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicles (PEHVs). 10 | July + August 2012

// by stephanie Liou

“It felt just like a normal car,” Ringwald says. “Electric vehicles are definitely taking off and have tremendous potential.” Are solar cars the vehicles of the future? Probably not, says Wesley Ford, head of the Stanford Solar Car Project, a group of Stanford University students who design and build solar-powered race cars. Ford says that the amount of sunlight that falls on the earth is insufficient to power a modern car equipped with air conditioning, heated seats, and other energy-hungry amenities we’ve come to expect. But that doesn’t mean solar car technology isn’t important. Alumni of the Stanford Solar Car team include the founders of Bay Area-based electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors. Students working on the solar car project have helped to develop several key technologies that are now found in most electric vehicles. “Homes that use a combination of solar, wind, and other sustainable fuel sources could power a nationwide fleet of battery electric vehicles,” Ford says. “Our team’s cars serve to highlight the potential connection between green energy sources, electric transportation, and the future of the automotive industry.” Xenith, the Stanford team’s most recent creation, boasts an array of cutting-edge engineering achievements that enable the spaceship-like vehicle to achieve constant speeds of more than 55 miles per hour, powered entirely by solar panels. The car was driven successfully across the Australian outback. The Stanford team plans to unveil an even more aerodynamic and efficient vehicle in 2013.

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Cool summer tonics

// by ann marie brown

lane johnson

Tired of drinking plain old water and iced green tea? Need to quench your summer cravings for liquid refreshment? The grocery store is crammed with bottled drinks touting health benefits. Here’s a look at four popular “healthy” elixirs available in your supermarket’s refrigerator case. Coconut Water Equally popular with professional athletes and stay-athome moms, coconut water has become the go-to drink for post-workout or midday slump. It may be relatively new to Americans, but in places where coconut palms grow, people have been sipping coconut water for thousands of years. Rehydration is the drink’s main benefit, courtesy of electrolytes, magnesium, and potassium. Unlike coconut milk, coconut water contains no fat and is low is calories—about 120 calories per 16 ounces. A major bonus is that packaged coconut water doesn’t need to be refrigerated until opened. It is sold off the shelf in cans and aseptic containers (boxes), as well as in refrigerated bottles.

Chia Seed Drinks If you can get past the liquid-gel consistency and the crunchy seeds in every mouthful, chia seed drinks dole out a rich dose of fiber, calcium, and B-complex vitamins. They also provide the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any non-marine food—great news for people who don’t eat salmon. Proponents claim that chia seed drinks offer digestive benefits and aid in healthy weight loss. The drinks come in several fruit flavors, all weighing in around 150 calories per 16 ounces. Or make your own chia fresca at home by combining chia seeds, filtered water, lime juice, and honey or fruit juice. And yes, chia seeds come from the same plant that was used in the kitschy “chia pets” of the 1980s.

Kombucha Kombucha, a fermented beverage made from bacteria and yeast (not from mushrooms, as many believe) has a tangy vinegar flavor that’s an acquired taste. Many first-timers never get past the first sip. But since the Los Angeles-based company GT introduced its less potent “Enlightened” line, the drink has caught on among even non-believers. Fans claim that kombucha boosts their immune system and energy levels, aids in digestion, and helps control weight. Although these claims are unsupported, we do know that kombucha is naturally low in calories and sugar (60 to 100 calories per 16-ounce bottle). Try a kombucha drink in place of your morning coffee.

Aloe Vera Drinks The gel from the interior of the aloe vera plant has been used since early Egyptian times to treat burns and other skin ailments. Aloe vera juice, which is made from the gel, was used in laxatives until 2002, when the FDA pulled them due to safety concerns. Bottled drinks made with aloe vera juice are now plentiful in stores, and their manufacturers claim they aid in digestion, boost immune function, and reduce joint inflammation. However, a study by the National Toxicology Program suggests a possible link between drinking aloe vera juice and intestinal tumors in rats. The National Cancer Institute has also raised concerns. So is it health or hype? The jury’s out on this one. EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 13

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Get

outdoor exercise comes in all shapes and sizes

by doñ a Bumg a rn er

disc golf Matthew Scott (third from left) and friends watch Blair Jones putt for a birdie.

outdoor salsa dancing Eduardo Hernandez spins Elena Cortes at a Salsa by the Sea event.

hen the sun is shining and the days stretch longer, why sweat under florescent lights and breathe recycled air? On summer days, just say “no” to exercising at the gym. Instead, try one of these innovative outdoor activities to get moving and stretching in new, fun ways. Most of them cost less than a gym membership, and you’ll learn new skills and meet new people in the bargain.

Slacklining A guy in baggy shorts and bare feet bounces his way across a rope strung between two trees, hung only inches above the lawn, while onlookers wait their turn. The art of balancing on a rope is an ancient sport, but this version—slacklining—is growing in popularity. A length of one-inch-wide, flat webbing is stretched just taut enough to allow for some “give”—like a perilously narrow trampoline. Simply walking across the slackline requires all major muscle groups to aid in balance and stabilization. Most first-timers do a lot of flailing and falling, but advanced “trickliners” do backflips, turns, and even yoga poses on the line. Bay Area Slacklining Meetup group organizer James Welsh, who has been practicing the sport for 10 years, says that slacklining is a “present moment” practice. Strict mental focus is critical to maintaining balance, so slackliners have to leave their worries behind. Although “walking the line” is great exercise, the focus is not on calories burned. “The idea is how much fun you have enjoying the moment each time,” he says. 16 | July + August 2012

clockwise from top left: gilbert J. serrato; lane johnson (2); courtesy of Matthew scott

! t u O

Slackline equipment is inexpensive, but finding a good location and installing a line safely takes practice. Welsh recommends joining a group of experienced slackliners to learn those skills. His meetup group gets together at various locations, including Monta Loma Park in Mountain View and on the Stanford campus in Palo Alto. To join them, visit their web page at www.meetup.com/Bay-Area-Slacklining.

Disc Golf Matthew Scott had to be talked into his first game of disc golf. With a background in snowboarding and other high-speed sports, Scott wasn’t impressed by a game that consists of walking around a course and chucking Frisbees into chain baskets mounted on poles. But after playing once, he was hooked. “Disc golf has been my ticket to the world,” Scott says. In the 11 years since his first game, he has gone on to compete internationally and recently placed first at a disc golf event in New Zealand. There are over 3,000 disc golf courses in the United States and 14 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Much like regular golf, courses vary in complexity and size, ranging from short courses like the 9-hole at San Jose’s Hellyer Park to the 27-hole mega-course at DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz. The exercise in disc golf comes from walking the course (an 18-hole course might require a four-mile walk), as well as using eye-hand coordination and flexibility for an accurate Frisbee throw. A round of disc golf can be played solo or with friends and usually takes one to two hours. Most courses are free to

Slacklining Meetup group organizer James Welsh adds a little juggling to his balancing act.

SUP Yoga Instructor Adam Sewell demonstrates the royal pigeon pose on a stand-up paddleboard.

play, and the only equipment needed are special disc golf Frisbees that run between $8 and $20. You can play with just one, but most serious players own a quiver of discs. To get started, Scott recommends getting a Frisbee and learning how to throw it. “Visualize your line,” he says, “and practice getting it to land where you want it to go.” For more information, check out the website of the Professional Disc Golf Association (www.pdga.com) or the San Francisco Disc Golf Club (www.sfdiscgolf.org).

Outdoor Salsa Dancing The salty sea breeze near the Santa Cruz Wharf carries the jumpy, rhythmic strains of salsa music from a dance party on the deck behind Ideal Bar and Grill. The dancers—young and old, beginners and experts—are smiling, spinning, shaking their hips, and having a good time. Salsa By The Sea has been happening every Sunday since 2002. The event draws 60 to 100 people on warm summer weekends, but even in the cooler winter months, 30 or more committed locals keep the event hopping. Trace Farley, a co-organizer of the event, says, “We have a very friendly crowd.” The group doesn’t offer dance classes, but there’s no need to feel like an awkward beginner, Farley says. “People will help you. People will ask you to dance. It isn’t about how good you are. It is about how much fun you are having.” What about calorie expenditure? “When you are really going after it, salsa dancing is great exercise,” Farley says. The free event is held on // continued on page 24 EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 17

FromYuck to

The students line up behind one of three counters: Burger Zone, Energy Zone, or Pizza, which is by far the most crowded. Jim LaTorre, the school’s energetic vice principal, calls out, “Orange chicken!” and “Walk, please!” The lines move quickly. Within 12 minutes, most of the students have purchased their lunches and are eating outside in the sunshine. “On rainy days, it’s a lot more crowded in here,” says Lora Dill, a food service employee. Fisher is just one of the over 9,000 California public schools serving millions of hot lunches every day. More than 31 million U.S. children participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), with close to 20 million receiving a free or reduced-fee lunch. Approved by the federal government in 1946, the NSLP “makes it possible for all school children in the United States to receive a nutritious lunch every school day,” according to the Food Research and Action Center in Washington, D.C. Although federal guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) specify the types and amounts of protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and grains that a school lunch must contain, too often the food served to school-aged children is far from nutritious. According to Michael K. Stone’s “Rethinking

Chef Jamie Smith (in white) and kitchen staff member Kim Kauss (in blue) get ready to prepare a healthy, appetizing, and inexpensive school lunch. Opposite: Branciforte Middle School student Geneva Schlafly with one of Smith’s creations: barbecued chicken, fresh coleslaw, and locally grown strawberries. 18 | July + August 2012

Lunchtime,” a recent publication from the Center for Ecoliteracy, most school lunches are “nondescript, greasy and calorie-heavy, [and packaged] in pre-processed, heat-and-serve units shipped from thousands of miles away.” That’s partly because federally subsidized food, known as “commodities,” is essentially free to public schools, and cost-cutting is key with school lunches. With its enormous purchasing power, the USDA can obtain huge quantities of food from farmers for a much lower price than any school can. More than half of these commodities go to processing companies, which churn out pizza toppings, sausage patties, bologna, chicken nuggets, fruit pops, and other processed items. This processing often reduces the nutritional quality of the food by adding salt, sugar, and fat. From a distribution standpoint, processing makes sense. “Schools get a certain amount of money to buy food,” says Laura Stec, chef and author of Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming. “It’s easier to ship frozen ground beef than fresh apples.” Stec was recently involved in trying to create a local food product line for the National School Lunch Program. She worked together with a small local producer, Pescadero Foods. Stec says, “We made chili and several different soups, including a vegetarian option.” But to be competitive, the meal had to cost no more than 90 cents per serving. “That 90 cents includes the soup or chili, the bowl, spoon, a grain, and milk,” she says. The only way to achieve this extremely low price is “to buy from the commodities market,” which effectively rules out small, local food producers. At Fisher Middle School, food services manager Lupe Peña manages to purchase most food from non-USDA providers. “Only about 10 percent of our food comes from commodities,” she says. Food such as cheeses, sliced meats, and some fruits such as pears, apples, kiwi, and oranges, all which travel well, are purchased from the USDA. However, “there is no guarantee // continued on page 26

Artist Credit

It’s lunchtime at Fisher Middle School in Los Gatos, and the cafeteria is in full swing. Nearly 500 students—about half of the school’s enrollment—get in line, select food and pay for it, find a place to sit, eat lunch, and hang out with their friends. It all takes place in a harried 35 minutes.

Yum! Making school lunches better

by Erica Goss

photographs by lane johnson

Cherry Bomb

0 Humans are born with the capacity to create beauty through creativity. We also have the ability to affect environmental change through small steps. Meet five Bay Area artists who have combined those two skills to make inspiring, eco-friendly art.

ECO ART By Ashley Johnson

20 | July + August 2012

Two San Jose woodworkers have taken the eco-friendly activity of bicycling a step further by making bicycles out of “urban wood”—wood from trees that have been felled by landscaping or utility companies, or knocked down during big storms. “Urban wood, although it’s new wood, hasn’t had a life other than as a tree yet,” says woodworker and bike builder William Holloway. “Most urban wood ends up as mulch or in the landfill.” Holloway and his friend Mauro Hernandez began building beach cruisers out of urban wood in their Masterworks Wood and Design shop one day when business was slow. Although Holloway had previous experience working with wood, Hernandez did not. Before meeting Holloway, Hernandez says, “I had never picked up a hammer. I didn’t know the difference between a chisel and a mallet,” he said. Each wooden bike is made by hand, without the aid of any machinery, and takes about 85 hours to complete. So far, the pair have made 10 bikes in seven different styles. Their first bike was coined “The Defender” because few people believed they could make a bike from wood. The bike Hernandez built for himself, named “The Interceptor,” is a tribute to his favorite football team, the Raiders. The pirate-themed bike has a pirate skull with crossed sabers in the center frame and a skull gearshift. Some of the bikes also utilize recycled wood, including a pile of grape stakes found alongside the road by Holloway.

lane johnson

wood / metal / glass / paper / plastic

New Life for Wood

Tin Woman Harriete Estel Berman has been working with recycled materials, particularly tin, since 1981. “When I first started, it was really embarrassing to work with recycled materials,” she says. “I was taking something that somebody would throw away and I was using that as my raw material. That was a really radical concept at the time.” Berman’s decision to use recycled materials was in line with her life’s credo of consuming less and reusing more. Berman uses the colors, patterns, and images printed on tin cans to send a message about ideas that matter to her, such as overconsumption. “All of this work is essentially about how we create an identity for ourselves in our consumer society by what we buy and why we buy it,” Berman says. Berman’s work includes a series of 200 teacups made of recycled tin, which function as a commentary on our consumer society. She also makes recycled tin jewelry, with a prevailing motif being the UPC code. The media’s portrayal of women is another theme that Berman explores through her art. “One topic that I address is how women are used to sell products,” she says. Berman has created mirrors and vanity seats bearing messages like “Make me over,” “Botox my wrinkles,” and “Masque my imperfections.”

left: lane johnson (2); right: Jim della (top); courtesy of the artist

Consuming Conversation, Conversation E

The Ride Home, 2011

glass houses Mary Bayard White, an artist and art educator at The Crucible, a nonprofit arts education center in West Oakland, began working with recycled glass in 1969. “I was really interested in making drinking containers—glasses that would show the beauty and the wonder of water,” she says. White re-melted unwanted glass collected from factories on the East Coast and transformed it into tableware. She wanted her art to be objects that people could touch and use rather than just look at. Over the years, her art has taken the concept of using recycled materials to another level. Her work includes a series of glass houses made out of recycled window glass and scrap steel, which function as lighting fixtures. She says these pieces serve to remind us that human construction and “man-made” items are part of a larger force, that of nature. “We’re an integral part of a much larger world. We have a choice in our lives of controlling nature or living in relationship [with it]. We’re part of a cycle that includes the natural environment, the manmade environment, and other creatures in the world,” White says. White has also created a series of solar-powered birdbaths for a nonprofit environmental organization based in New Mexico. The birdbath installations help people visualize how they can provide fresh water spaces for wild birds in an urban environment. The baths are made out of recycled glass and have solar power pumps that run when the sun is out. Through her art, White hopes to convey the message of using less virgin materials. “It’s a goal to think about how to use what we have… which helps bring about some kind of harmony with nature.” EUCALYPTUSMAGAZINE.COM | 21

Contemplation

Painting with Paper Fifteen years ago, Lori Krein gathered a bunch of leftover paper from her home—wrapping paper, tissue paper, and scrap paper—and stuck it in a blender. She took the pulp and dried it on screens in the sun. After taking a collage class in Santa Cruz, she figured out what she could do with that recycled paper pulp. “Once I took that class, I was hooked on using paper as my medium,” Krein says. Krein’s collages are made only with paper, unlike traditional collages, which utilize pictures from magazines and other mediums. “I call it painting with paper,” she says. Having never gone to art school, Krein says that paper is a very forgiving medium that allows her to express herself artistically without requiring technical skills. “With paper, you can tear it or cut it and it’s more about the texture of the paper and the color than it is about trying to draw something,” she says. Making art with recycled and sustainable paper aligns with Krein’s lifestyle. “I am very conscientious about the earth. I shop exclusively at thrift stores for my clothes, and yard sales or flea markets for just about everything,” she says. “I think it’s better for the environment to buy something that’s not brand new.” 22 | July + August 2012

Artists Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang’s story is a love story. They met in 1999 and went on their first date at Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. As they walked along the sand, each of them began picking up pieces of plastic. Surprised at the coincidence, they looked at each other and asked, “Are you going to keep that?” They discovered that they both shared a history of collecting plastic and turning it into art. Not long after, the two artists were invited to participate in a show about environmental art. They went through their beach plastic collections and found that the most common pieces were caps from juice lids and water bottles. They took the caps and began forming concentric circles. “We decided we were going to make them into something. One thing led to another and we made them into a big trophy fish as a reminder of our days at Kehoe Beach,” Richard says. On an average day, the couple collects 70 to 80 pounds of plastic. They rinse out the sand and sort it by color and then by object. “Part of the fun is in the finding,” Judith says. “When we’re out at the beach, we have this really great competitive spirit about who can find the best thing on that particular day.” “Every single piece of plastic was once owned by someone— maybe it was their shampoo bottle or their comb or whatever,” Judith says. “So we feel a real personal intimacy with every piece of plastic that we pick up and we’re curious about its origins, what it might once have been.” One of the couple’s most intriguing finds was a plastic Pinocchio, less than an inch high, which was eroded and sea-worn. Richard cites the irony of finding a plastic fairy-tale character that represents the evils of lying. He says that our society is being told lies about plastic. “Plastic is not cheap and that’s the lie,” he says. “It’s very expensive to our health, and it’s very expensive to manufacture and to get rid of it.”

Unaccountable Proclivities

left: lane johnson (2); right: eli lang (top); Judith and Richard Lang (bottom)

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outdoor exercise continued from page 17 Sundays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter. On July 29, Salsa By the Sea is holding a 10-year Anniversary Party from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with four different DJs and dance performances by local dancers.

Rowing A Santa Cruz Rowing Club crew cuts through the waters of Santa Cruz Harbor.

Sewell has taught classes with participants who have neither practiced yoga nor paddled before. “Not only did they stay on the board, but they had a blast.” Classes typically cost $14 to $20, or about the same as a traditional yoga class. SUP yoga classes are offered at Breathe Yoga in Los Gatos (www.breathelosgatos.com) and Equinox Palo Alto (www.equinox.com/clubs/PaloAlto). For Sewell’s classes, look for Adam Sewell Paddleboard Yoga on Facebook.

Rowing Early in the morning, Highway 17 commuters are treated to a view of long rowing shells cutting through the silky mist rising off Lexington Reservoir’s cool water. These Los Gatos Rowing Club members are getting an intensely aerobic workout that also develops muscular strength and endurance, improves flexibility, and burns calories. Many rowers are attracted to the sport because it is low-impact and non-weight bearing. The Los Gatos Rowing Club welcomes new members, even those who have never rowed before. Beginner classes in sweep rowing (one oar per rower) and sculling (two oars per rower) are offered throughout the year. The $275 class fee includes a three-month membership with access to the facility and boats (www.lgrc.org). Just down the hill, the Santa Cruz Rowing Club operates out of Santa Cruz Harbor in Monterey Bay. Kirsten Liske, a club member, says that open-water rowing in the bay offers the benefit of some surprising wildlife sightings. “A peak experience for me was being able to row out during the two weeks that the humpbacks were off our coast. [We watched] them surface with their soft whale breaths yards away from our boats. It was truly magical,” she says. The Santa Cruz Rowing Club offers beginner classes and low-cost boat rentals for its members. Annual membership is $100; classes cost $60 per person (www.scrowing.org).

SUP Yoga During shivasana, the final pose in most yoga classes, the student lays flat on his or her back, eyes closed, relaxing deeply. Now imagine shivasana while floating on a paddleboard in Vasona Lake in Los Gatos. The water rocks you, the sun warms your face, and birds sing in the distance. Stand-up paddleboard or SUP yoga combines two popular pastimes: yoga and paddleboarding. Bay Area instructor Adam Sewell says the sport is growing fast. “I have colleagues who teach in Aruba,” he says, “and I'm looking to take it to Europe this year.” Prior yoga experience is helpful but not a requirement. “It's challenging, but once you get the hang of being on the board, it’s a natural progression from [doing yoga] on the mat,” Sewell says. 24 | July + August 2012

Looking for a rowing partner? Not sure how to find other disc golfers near you? Want to go hiking, backpacking, bike riding, or do outdoor yoga with other like-minded people? Find companions and/or events for just about any sport on the website Meetup.com, an online networking community that facilitates offline social interaction. Santa Cruz rower Kirsten Liske is a Meetup regular. She recommends searching Meetup.com for local groups who are doing the type of exercise you are interested in. Each group description should explain the level of effort required, or allow you to contact the organizer for more details. If you are nervous about meeting new people this way, bring a friend to your first event. But even if you go on your own, Liske says, it’s likely you will make new friends quickly.

courtesy santa cruz rowing club

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school lunches continued from page 18

“I need to be aware of how affordable the food is,” Smith says. “My customers (i.e., students) and their parents count on these meals. I have to keep them healthy and inexpensive.” Like many schools across the country, several of the 13 schools in the Santa Cruz City Schools District do not have the funds to own and operate a full cafeteria kitchen. Schools without kitchens usually can serve only pre-processed, frozen food that can be easily reheated, such as poultry patties and nuggets. “Most of the schools have a re-therm oven,” or an oven only suited for heating food, says Smith. “So we make the food in our central kitchen, cool it, package it in serving containers, and then drive it by truck to the other schools.” One of Smith’s most popular lunches is a Chinese entrée, packed into the same white takeout boxes that a restaurant might use. “It’s more fun for the kids to get the food in an appropriate package,” he says. But just like at Fisher Middle School, pizza is by far the Santa Cruz students’ favorite dish. Smith does what he can to make it healthy by giving it a cornmeal and whole-wheat crust, and using low-fat and low-sodium cheese and turkey pepperoni. “This is not a glamorous job, and we work hard,” says Smith. “However, I know we’re making a positive impact on families.”

lane johnson

that we’ll get what we ask for, or in the quantities we need,” she says. “All our bread and milk are locally sourced,” Peña says. “For example, our milk comes from Berkeley Farms.” Fisher’s kitchen serves only whole grains, and its very popular pepperoni pizza is made with a whole-wheat crust. “We always have something organic and a vegetarian dish.” Peña is planning an expansion of the salad bar. On Wednesdays, students will have a choice of baked potatoes with toppings, pasta, and a make-it-yourself sandwich area in addition to the regular salad bar. At Santa Cruz City Schools, Food Services Manager Jamie Smith has also found creative ways to work around the processed lunch problem. Additionally, he labors to make healthy food appealing to kids. The school salad bar, for example, is “a taco salad bar. I want to make a menu with food that kids will eat, not one that looks good on paper,” Smith says. Smith, who publishes his menus a year in advance at the school district’s lunch website, www.surfcitycafe.com, has implemented many progressive changes during his nearly three years as Food Services Manager. “The website is part of my effort to re-brand our lunch program,” Smith says. “I started out slowly—eliminating soft drinks and fast food—then went for less obvious things, such as vegetarian options, local produce, and no beef.” The school district uses low-fat chicken and turkey in place of beef in all of its dishes. In addition to lunch, Santa Cruz City Schools provide breakfast for their students. “We started baking at breakfast,” Smith says. “Right away, the kids noticed the wonderful smell of fresh bread that spread throughout the campus.” Ninety percent of the students who buy lunch at Santa Cruz City Schools qualify for the free or reduced meal plan (FRMP). To make ends meet, Smith accepts a lot of food from the USDA commodities program, such as beans, lentils, brown rice, canned tomato products, and unprocessed chicken and turkey.

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The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 60 million Americans hold barbecues on the Fourth of July. All that grilling releases some 225,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and burns the equivalent of 2,300 acres of forest. If you limit your outdoor cooking impact with these tips, you can have your “Q” and eat it, too. BY ann marie brown

fork etiquette When buying disposable plates and silverware, make sure they are compostable. Don’t forget to clean them off before throwing them in the compost bin. Meat grease and other non-veggie food matter will not compost.

group think

For parties, don’t buy individual-sized drinks, even those in recyclable glass bottles. Instead, get a keg of beer from your local brewery or fill big pitchers with water, homemade lemonade, and iced tea. Give guests cups inscribed with their names so they’ll use just one for the whole party.

propane power

Use propane, not briquettes. Propane burns much cleaner than either wood or charcoal. Using briquettes to cook a standard hamburger results in 105 times more carbon monoxide than using propane, and it gives off volatile organic compounds.

ban the bugs To discourage unwanted guests at your next cookout, search your yard for mosquito breeding grounds. Eliminate any standing water and clean out rain gutters. To treat serious skeeter problems and benefit local wildlife, install a bat house or plant clusters of rosemary, basil, citronella, or garlic.

solar cooking In the heat of summer, turn off your kitchen oven and try out a backyard solar oven. Costing nothing to operate and requiring no fuel except sunlight, these low-tech devices are typically made of glass, metal, or metalized film. Buy one or make your own (www.solarcookers.org).

SOURCES: www.nature.org, www.treehugger.com, www.sierraclub.org

tidbits

/summer grilling

Green Tips

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When you’re done grilling, use natural products such as SoyClean organic grill cleaner to cut the crud and keep your next barbecue chemical-free.

Listen to Eucalyptus Magazine’s daily green tips on the radio at MIX 106.5 and 94.5 KBAY.

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