The Insect Crisis:

Why It Matters and What You Can Do About It

Originally presented: 

THURSDAY, March 23, 2023  1:00 pm  
Civics & Conservation Public Program

Program Chair…..Bridget Mazzini

Click to view Webinar recording

Dr. Paul da Silva, entomologist, education advocate, and Marin environmental education leader, explains the global insect crisis. A rapid decline in insect numbers and diversity over the last 30 years presents a serious ecological crisis worldwide. Scientists estimate that 40% of insect species are at risk for extinction over the next few decades threatening a crucial foundation of our global food web.  Learn to make friends with insects and take simple but meaningful actions to support biodiversity and protect these crucial critters. 

“If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed 10,000 years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.” E.O Wilson 

The Commonweal Garden – Nature & Healing

THURSDAY, January 26, 2023  1:00 pm  Webinar
Cultural Arts Garden Public Program

Program Chair…..Carol Banquer

Click to the webinar recording on YouTube

Anna O’Malley, an Integrative Family and Community Medicine physician, is the founder and director of Natura Institute. She stewards Commonweal Garden, a magical valley on the mesa in Bolinas, where she has developed a healing center. There, individuals come together in community to focus on nourishing body, mind and spirit. She teaches us that ecological awareness, profound respect for life, and connection to the source of well-being guide us toward healing and wholeness. She will speak about how deep appreciation of the wisdom of Nature underlies optimal nutrition, health, and well-being.

Click to learn more about the Commonweal Garden

Book Passage’s Annual Holiday Book Fair

Cultural Arts Literary Public Program

Program Chair…..Dinna Eisenhart

Click to To View Webinar Recording

Book Passage will offer a donation to the Outdoor Art Club for purchases made on December 1st or 2nd in the San Francisco or Corte Madera stores and online. Purchasers should say they are from the Outdoor Art Club (OAC) and should write OAC in the comments field for online purchases.

When Elaine Petrocelli opened a tiny bookstore 40 years ago, she envisioned a place that would bring the world of books to customers of all ages. Today there are Book Passage stores in Corte Madera and the San Francisco Ferry Building.  Elaine will highlight new literature and suggest books for holiday gift-giving at this popular annual event.

Click here for a list of the books Elaine will be discussing.

The November 8th Ballot Propositions

THURSDAY, October 6, 2022  1:00 PM  Webinar
Civics & Conservation Public Program

Program Chair…..Suzan Sweet

Click to View recording on YouTube

As a non-partisan organization, The League of Women Voters, will be presenting with Lynn Dooley moderating, an unbiased look at the propositions on the November ballot.  You will hear each Proposition’s Title, Question, Current Situation, Proposal, Fiscal Effect, What Supporters Say/List of Supporters, What Opponents Say/List of Opponents, and what a “Yes” vote means and what a “No” vote means.

Link to a list of the propositions covered

Click here for a listing of Non-partisan Websites

Hidden Consequences:

The Broader Impacts of Incarceration for Families

THURSDAY, September 15, 2022  1:00 PM  Webinar
Civics & Conservation Public Program

Program Chair…..Karen Jernstedt

Click here to view Webinar Recording

Erin McCauley, Ph.D. M. Ed., Assistant Professor of Sociology, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, will share her work on the consequences of incarceration on families. She focuses on the intergenerational implications of having an incarcerated parent for children and young adults. A Q&A session will follow.

PEACEBUILDING ON THE FRONTLINES – SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND

THURSDAY, MAY 5TH,  2022 – 1 PM 

We are honored and excited to host speakers from the World’s Largest Peace Building Organization, Search for Common Ground (Search). VP of Human Resources, Jacqueline Oburu, interviews Judy Kimamo, Country Director, Search for Common Ground, Kenya

Creativity and ingenuity have always been hallmarks of the Search for Common Ground approach. In just one of many innovative initiatives, Judy Kimamo helped to restore Kenya’s economy when she led her team in a breakthrough project to stop extremists from sneaking into Kenya. (Responding to the extremist threat, the government had banned nighttime fishing, thus tanking the coastal economy.) Posing as fishermen, Kimamo’s team successfully arranged digital identity cards for fellow fishermen, convincing the government to lift the nighttime fishing ban and restore economic balance! Join us to learn how Search’s five values: Collaboration, Audacity,Tenacity, Empathy and Results are keys to their amazing mission and work. We guarantee you’ll be inspired.

To view a YouTube video to understand the mission of SFCG: Click 

To View webinar on YouTube: Click Here

Carol Banquer, Cultural Arts Event Chair

DEMENTIA OR ALZHEIMERS? ADVICE/SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS

THURSDAY, APRIL 7TH, 2022 – 1 PM 

Gene Girimonte and Shelley Dombroski from The Alzheimer’s Association will give an overview of the distinction between Alzheimer’s and Dementia.  They will present the latest treatments and medical facts.  Along with this presentation, Gene and Shelley will discuss effective communication strategies and will address hands-on care, best practices and resources for CareGivers.  Their talk will conclude with a Q&A session.

Program Chair:  Joanne Zavlaris

Click here to View on YouTube

108 BELOVED OBJECTS

A Special Solo Performance by Jeff Greenwald, Author/Journalist/Ethical Traveler

THURSDAY, MARCH 31ST, 2022 – 1 PM 

“What do a pink elephant, a Cuban beer bottle, and a Krishna statue have in common? All are among the 108 Beloved Objects featured in author/journalist Jeff Greenwald’s new one-man show. With COVID-19 squashing his travel assignments, Jeff decided to take an inward journey – around his Oakland flat. He picked out 108 objects, all of which evoked personal passages, and made a decision: He would part with the items but hold onto their stories …” https://themarsh.org/.

Jeff is the author of eight books, including Shopping for Buddhas and The Size of the World. He co-authored The Nine Gifts with Christine Marie Mason, and Out of Nothing with Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey. He is the executive director of the non-profit Ethical Traveler, a global alliance dedicated to creating positive global change through travel. Jeff is a Member Emeritus of the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto, a faculty member of the Book Passage Travel Writers’ Conference, and a sworn enemy of fascism in all its forms, foreign or domestic.

Lynn Fabian Lasner, Cultural Arts Event Chair

Click to view on YouTube https://youtu.be/Wyg0VB86_b8

“COOL” IN POSTWAR AMERICA

Speaker: Mick Chantler, MA

Thursday, March 10th, 2022

The word “cool” once held a powerful emotional charge. Unlike its current use, a synonym for “nice,” cool once had radical political and social implications. The concept arose after WWII in Europe and America when many people were groping for a new vision for the future, protesting racism, sexual repression, and social conformity. “Cool” people in the ’40s and ’50s were fed up with bourgeois mediocrity and searched for new ways to express their rebellious independence. Cool came to permeate music, film, literature, and philosophy. Mick Chantler, MA will take us on a deep dive into the concept’s development and show how it has impacted the “post-cool” world.

CLICK TO VIEW ON YouTube: https://youtu.be/jIRwW6-fzjc

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DANCE AND MENTAL WELL-BEING

THURSDAY, March 3rd, 2022 – 1 PM

Speaker: Ben Needham-Wood, former Smuin Ballet Dancer, educator, choreographer

Sherri Yoshizu and Pamela Cooper, Cultural Arts Event Chairs

CLICK TO VIEW RECORDING ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtu.be/hEyrgjtEt6M

THE WORK OF THE CANAL ALLIANCE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH, 2022 – 1 PM

Speaker: Sara Matson, Development Director, San Rafael’s Canal Alliance

Program Chair: Dinna Eisenhart

CLICK TO VIEW RECORDING ON YOUTUBE:  The Work of Canal Alliance – YouTube

WILDLIFE IN MARIN: FRIEND AND FOE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27TH, 2022 – 1 PM

The Bay Area is teeming with wildlife – playful squirrels, lovely birds, and those not so welcome – rats, skunks, raccoons and coyotes.  How do we deal with the “problems” these animals may present when them we meet on the trail or in our backyards? That’s where Alison Hermance, Director of Communications at WildCare comes in.  With her 18 years of experience at WildCare in San Rafael, Alison will share facts and anecdotes to teach us how to make peace with our wild neighbors.  She’ll help us learn how to keep some animals at bay and how to accept others into our space.  We’ll also learn how animals are cared for at WildCare and what to do if we find an ill or injured animal.

Program Chair:  Mary Herr

View Webinar recording : Click Here

FINDING ART IN THE OCEAN

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2OTH, 2022 – 1 PM

Josie Iselin is a fine art photographer and book author passionate about the natural world around her. Josie is intent on looking closely at the objects of our world and asking how we can learn both about and from them. Her newest book, The Curious World of Seaweed, takes a deep dive into the ocean universe of marine algae, creating a nexus where art and science converge. She holds a BA in Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard and an MFA from San Francisco State University. Her writing and art focused on seaweed, kelp and sea otter, put her on the forefront of ocean activism, collaborating with scientists and groups working to preserve the kelp forests of our Pacific Coast. Through art, design and research, Iselin will delight you with her gorgeous seaweed imagery.

Kathy King, Cultural Arts Event Chair

CLICK TO VIEW WEBINAR RECORDING: Finding Art in the Ocean – YouTube

The Power of Murals and Mosaics in Public Places

Wednesday, December 15th – 1pm

Across the United States, South America and in Paris, Greta McLain’s murals/mosaics use the power of visual language to activate and bond the voices of diverse communities. (President Obama has even Tweeted and posted McLain’s powerful murals on Instagram!) By designing public spaces to enrich positive energy and celebrate the people, histories, challenges and richness that exist in surrounding communities, McLain’s murals strive to express the narrative of the neighborhood from the point of view of the people who live there.

McLain Bennett, Cultural Arts Event Chair

Click to View Recording

DROUGHT/FIRE: PARCHED BUT PREPARED

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH – 1 PM

Fred Hilliard is the first Division Chief/Fire Marshal in the District to oversee all areas related to fire prevention and community risk reduction.  He will speak about critical alerts and warnings, what we can do at home and in our neighborhoods, communication and refuge areas. Carrie Pollard, Water Efficiency Manager at Marin Water, will then provide an update on the drought situation.  2020 was the second-driest year in 90 years.  In response to our low water supply, Marin Water District’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution declaring initial water conservation actions. Hear about what happens going forward and what you can do to help.

Program Chair:  Jill Sampson

Click to View Webinar Recording on YouTube

STATE OF THE CITY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH – 1 PM

We hope to see you next Thursday, October 7, at 1 PM for the Club’s annual “State of the City” presentation with Mayor John McCauley and City Manager Alan Piombo. As we work to put the COViD-19 pandemic in our rear view mirror, how is the City getting back to “normal” and making progress on other critically important issues? Mayor McCauley and Mr. Piombo will discuss affordable housing, traffic congestion, wildfire preparedness and emergency evacuations, facility and roadway upgrades, and ongoing initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion in Mill Valley.

They will also discuss how the past year impacted the City’s financial health, the challenges on the horizon, and how the City plans to address them. A Q&A session will follow

Program Chair:  Suzan Sweet

CLICK TO REGISTER: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GSrLhJ30RuODxr5aGwMxHw

THE LATEST AND GREATEST NEWS FROM THE DISTANT UNIVERSE

MAY 13, 2021 @ 1PM

Dr. J. Xavier Prochaska, professor of Galactic and Stellar Studies at UC Santa Cruz, studies galaxies and fleeting phenomena known as transient sources using the light from stars and quasars to examine matter that reveals itself in silhouette.  He will talk about this powerful approach to astronomical observation and the latest exciting discoveries in astrophysics.  Be ready for some surprises.

THE STATE OF THE COUNTY

MAY 6, 2021 @ 1PM

Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters will give an update on Marin County news and issues and talk about her agenda as a supervisor, which includes safety, evacuation planning, improving communications at the city, county, and state level, and addressing the recurrent flooding of surface streets in Southern Marin.

LOCAL BUSINESS HEROES

APRIL 22, 2021 @ 1PM

When the state ordered all businesses to close their doors in March, these pragmatic and visionary Mill Valley business owners pivoted quickly to serve their customers and support their neighbors in a time of crisis. Join Susan Griffin Black from EO Products, Ryan Canepa from Mill Valley Market, and Peter Schumacher of Bungalow 44, Buckeye Roadhouse, and Playa as they recall their innovative responses to this once-in-a-lifetime emergency.

FIGHTING FOR HOUSING IN AMERICA

APRIL 15, 2021 @ 1PM

Is it possible to balance availability, affordability, and return on real estate investment? Conor Dougherty, New York Times reporter and author of Golden Gates, will share real-life stories about people struggling to find affordable housing in San Francisco’s sky-high rental market and offer innovative solutions to the economic and political problems that have caused our housing crisis.

PRISON TO EMPLOYMENT CONNECTION

CARING FOR OUR OCEANS

MARCH 25, 2021 @ 1PM

The Marine Mammal Center is a world leader in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue, veterinary science, and education.  Adam Ratner, Associate Director of Conservation Education at the Center, will describe how the Center rescues, treats, and rehabilitates sick and injured animals in its state-of-the-art veterinary facility, then returns them to their natural habitat.

THE LIVING WALLS

MARCH 18, 2021 @ 1PM

David Brenner of Habitat Horticulture has designed stunning living garden walls for MOMA, Salesforce, and other San Francisco businesses and organizations. Learn how you can make this unique, vertical planting option work in your own home or garden.

YOU CAN GARDEN FOR LIFE!

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?  A LOOK AT UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATING ART

FEBRUARY 25, 2021 @ 1PM

Julie Charles of SF MOMA will join us for a fun and interactive look at different ways of seeing the art of our time, and address the genesis of conceptual art in an easy-to-understand way.

CREATING THE RELATIONSHIPS YOU WANT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER

FEBRUARY 18, 2021 @ 1PM

Licensed marriage and family therapist Gail Weiner has helped individuals, couples, and families improve their relationship skills for over three decades, with particular expertise in guiding mid-life women to successful dating and helping couples connect more deeply. She will share clinical research, inspirational stories, and practical steps for living your most authentic, connected life with the people you care about most.

ONE OF THE “BIG GUNS” FIGHTING CORONAVIRUS

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 @ 1PM

Mill Valley resident Dr. Melanie Ott, M.D., Ph.D., is the Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco.  She was recently recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of ten top Bay Area scientists collaborating in the race to stop the novel coronavirus.  Dr. Ott will discuss the work she and her colleagues are doing to develop one drug to treat multiple viruses, including new and emerging viruses.

RITUAL AND RESILIENCE DURING COVID-19

JANUARY 28, 2021 @ 1PM

Death is closer than ever, while the pandemic limits traditional expressions of community and ceremony.  Katy Butler will share how homegrown rituals, including virtual ones, can help us honor our losses and build resilience in this time of separation.  Using examples from her book, The Art of Dying Well, and her recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, she will help us rediscover meaning and strengthen confidence.  She will also facilitate a sample candle lighting ceremony to enhance our sense of community and sacred connection.  Please bring a candle to light during the webinar.

GROW WHAT YOU LOVE

JANUARY 21, 2021 @ 1PM

Emily Murphy, an organic gardener, author, and blogger who has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, is an expert in garden-to-table gardening. Using her easy-to-follow tips, both novices and experienced gardeners can grow organic vegetables and herbs in a way that seamlessly integrates into modern lifestyles, and serve homegrown produce at their tables all year round.

THE MANY FACES OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

JANUARY 14, 2021 @ 1PM

While most Americans consider Abraham Lincoln one of our nation’s greatest heroes, some ridicule him as a country bumpkin or decry him as a dictator.  And while most historians see the “Great Emancipator” as a champion of freedom for African Americans, some view him as a racist and hypocrite.  Mick Chantler (M.A. History), an instructor of early American studies for over forty years, will explain how these kaleidoscopic images of Lincoln evolved and discuss which are valid.

BOOK PASSAGE HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR

DECEMBER 3, 2020 @ 1PM

Elaine Petrocelli, co-founder of Book Passage, will highlight new literature and suggest books for holiday gift-giving at this popular annual event.

COVID-19 IN MARIN

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 @ 1PM

Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s Public Health Officer, has been on the front lines throughout the COVID-19 crisis. He will talk about what Marin is doing to mitigate the virus’s impact, the status of antibody testing, and progress in vaccine development. A victim of COVID himself, he will also focus on the lessons we can learn from the pandemic and how we can prepare for future outbreaks.

100 YEARS STRONG

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 @ 1PM

League of Women Voters Board member Nancy Bell will give a presentation on the women’s suffrage movement, focusing on the women who dedicated their lives to the long and often dangerous struggle that began in Seneca Falls in 1848 and culminated in the final vote in the Tennessee legislature that ratified the Nineteenth Amendment one hundred years ago this year.

MAKING MAGIC FROM BROADWAY TO BERKELEY

NOVEMBER 5, 2020 @ 1PM

Johanna Pfaelzer, former Artistic Director of New York Stage and Film and current Artistic Director of Berkeley Repertory Theater, will talk about her life and work in American musical theater, and how one woman’s creative vision helped shape some of America’s best loved shows, including Hadestown, Hamilton, The Humans, and Green Day’s American Idiot.

NICOTEEN:  CURBING THE YOUTH NICOTINE VAPING EPIDEMIC

OCTOBER 1, 2020 @ 1PM

The use of e-cigarettes has increased a staggering 900% in recent years, and many of these new users are teens. Dr. Jodi Prochaska, a Stanford University professor of medicine who directs Stanford’s masters’ program in Community Health and Prevention Research and is an expert on nicotine addiction, will talk about the harms of nicotine vaping to young people, local measures being taken to address the teen vaping epidemic, and treatment options.

A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UNPREDICTABLE TIMES

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 @ 1PM

John Rothmann, host of the nightly John Rothmann Show on KGO 810AM and a frequent lecturer on U.S. politics and the presidency, will speak about the upcoming presidential election. Mr. Rothmann is a veteran of numerous political campaigns on the national, state, and local level, including Richard Nixon’s in 1968, and owns one of the finest private collections of American political history texts and biographies in the world.

EVOLUTION OF A ZEN MASTER

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 @ 1PM

Sensei/Buddhist priest Kathie Fischer will speak about what her decades in residency at Green Gulch and Tassajara taught her about leadership, group dynamics, self-awareness, and the power of meditation, lessons that give her a unique perspective on our challenging times.

ELECTRIC BIKES ON TRAILS?

MARCH 5, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

The Mount Tam watershed is one of Marin’s most valuable resources, and our uses of it are limited in order to protect it. Hiking, biking, and horseback riding are permitted with some constraints, but what about electric bikes? Crystal Yezman, Facilities and Watershed Manager for the Marin Municipal Water District, will discuss the district’s evaluation process regarding this additional recreational activity on the mountain.

THE HONEY BUS: A MEMOIR OF LIFE LESSONS LEARNED

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Fifth generation beekeeper, Meredith May, will speak about her new book.  Growing up in a turbulent household, when she was five years old, she was taken in by her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in an old military bus in Carmel Valley.  She “found refuge in the magical world of these industriouspollinators” she calls “a benevolent society and a good role model for humans.”  Honey tasting will be included.

MARIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING – THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?

FEBRUARY 6, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Panelists from the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, the Mill Valley Planning Department, and the Marin County Community Development Agency will discuss priorities and opportunities for affordable housing in Marin, and identify common values on this important subject.

TALKING ABOUT TRASH

JANUARY 30, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Confused about what goes where in your four curbside trash cans? Jennifer Selvig of Marin Sanitary Service and Jim Iavarone of Mill Valley Refuse will present a program on the current state of trash in Marin County. Learn about dual recycling, what can and can no longer be recycled, the growing focus on composting, evolving state laws and regulations, and how you can adapt your product usage and recycling for maximum environmental impact. Small kitchen composting buckets will be available at the event.

THE BOLD DRY GARDEN:  LESSONS FROM THE RUTH BANCROFT GARDEN

JANUARY 16, 2020 @ 1:00 PM

Award-winning writer Johanna Silver will talk about her book, The Bold Dry Garden: Lessons from the Ruth Bancroft Garden. Ms. Silver had unparalleled access to the life and garden of Ruth Bancroft, the West’s dry gardening pioneer, who died in 2017 at the age of 109. Working with photographer Marion Brenner, Ruth’s horticulturalist, and Ruth’s family and friends, she weaves an intimate, compelling story of the life and work of this fearless plant collector.

BOOK PASSAGE HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR

DECEMBER 5, 2019 @ 1:00 PM

Elaine Petrocelli, co-founder of Book Passage, will highlight new literature and suggest books for holiday gift-giving. Books will be on sale at the event.

IRISES IN A NEW LIGHT

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 @ 1:00PM

British landscape architect Heidi Howcroft will give an illustrated talk about a flower she used to think of as an old fashioned diva, until she visited gardens in Switzerland and southern Germany. Working with photographer Christa Brand, she captured images of this delicate bloom in exquisite plant combinations that open up exciting new ways to use irises in the garden.

GET FIRED UP ABOUT FIRE PREVENTION IN MILL VALLEY!