| This Week Olympic Peninsula Mindfulness Virtual Book Club – Mon, Nov 29th & Dec. 6th *Online* Their November book was published this year: Three Simple Lines- a Writers Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku by Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the Bones. Natalie will talk about her new book and take Q & A’s on Monday, November 29th to discuss her pilgrimage to Japan- her immersion into the human and natural landscapes of the birthplace of haiku. They will convene once more on Monday, December 6th to share our own exploration of haiku, our favorite haiku and discuss the impact of Natalie’s book. More information. Time: 7pm | Location: Zoom [Note: you can see a prettier version of these announcements here.] Climate on Tap: “What Happened in Glasgow?” – Wed, Dec 1st Join guest speakers Jessica Plumb (award winning filmmaker, “Return of the River”) and Rachel Cardone (international water issues researcher at Stanford) who attended COP26. They observed firsthand all the nations of the world convening in Glasgow, Scotland to agree on policies and plans to ensure for a sustainable future for this planet. Come hear the outcomes and plan what we can do to join in the good work. Open to Climate on Tap only in the open air Pavilion with socially-distanced tables. Vaccinations and ID required. Food and beverages available including hot cider! Overhead heaters make it cozy! Co-sponsored by Local 20/20 Climate Action, Jefferson County Public Health, and FinnRiver Cidery. This is not a lecture series, but a discussion format with a focus on action taking. For further information email Laura Tucker or call 360-379-4491. Time: 7-8:30pm | Location: FinnRiver Cidery Forest Bathing Walks at Fort Worden – Wed, Dec 1st *New* Walk – Sit – Walk: As you enter the ‘cathedral’ of the park’s spaces you can walk comfortably and safely far apart without masks, or as you choose. Their walk follows paths linking the woods and meadows in the park. Several times they will pause, listen to a nature poem, and sit in silence at the Memory Vault in silence, or with a bit of guided mindfulness meditation led by Ellen Falconer, mindfulness teacher. Please wear clothing which will keep you warm and dry, as you may be sitting or standing about in wet, chilly, invigorating weather. For more information call 360-316-6544 or visit their website. Time: 9 AM – 10:30 AM | Location: Fort Worden State Park, meet in front of the Nora Porter Commons Building, 210 Battery Way Community circle for common ground organized by Economics for Peace Institute – Weds Dec 1, 8, 15 Starting on Wednesdays in December, locals will form two primary discussion groups: Lunch circle : 11am to 1pm Supper circle: 4pm to 6pm Debrief/Analysis: 1:30pm to 3:30pm (optional) Economics for Peace Institute, a 501c3 nonprofit, works globally through education, research and economic development to build peace, foster sustainability, and restore the Earth’s natural systems. The Institute’s work is measured by local people for its social benefits, its economic fairness and its ability to preserve ecosystems for future generations. The Institute promotes participatory research and participatory ecotourism. The Institute advances locally-derived, place-based indicators of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. Learn more or contact them: econ4peace.org, 360-390-5253, salishsea@econ4peace.org Time: 11am – 1pm or 4-6pm | Location: Chimacum Grange King Tides and Sea Level Rise Talk – Fri Dec 3rd *Online* Learn about the natural conditions that create king tides, projected sea level rise for Port Townsend, the Washington King Tide Program, and local efforts to monitor these events and document total water levels. A demonstration on how to use the MyCoast app for contributing your observations on king tides will also be provided. Speakers will include Bridget Trosin, Washington Sea Grant’s Coastal Policy Specialist, and Dave Wilkinson, a marine weather instructor. Dave also serves on the joint City of Port Townsend / Jefferson County Climate Action Committee and volunteers for the Local 20/20 Climate Action Group. Co-presented by PTMSC and the Jefferson Co. Marine Resources Committee. The presentation is free. Time: 6-7 pm | Location: Online. Register. |
| Upcoming Events Forest Bathing Walks at Fort Worden – Wednesdays in December *New* Walk – Sit – Walk: As you enter the ‘cathedral’ of the park’s spaces you can walk comfortably and safely far apart without masks, or as you choose. Their walk follows paths linking the woods and meadows in the park. Several times they will pause, listen to a nature poem, and sit in silence at the Memory Vault in silence, or with a bit of guided mindfulness meditation led by Ellen Falconer, mindfulness teacher. Please wear clothing which will keep you warm and dry, as you may be sitting or standing about in wet, chilly, invigorating weather. For more information call 360-316-6544 or visit their website. Time: 9 AM – 10:30 AM | Location: Fort Worden State Park, meet in front of the Nora Porter Commons Building, 210 Battery Way Climate Action Outreach Meeting – Thurs, Dec 9th *New* *Online* Want to help educate the community on what we all can do related to reducing our carbon footprint? Attend our monthly meeting to learn more about what is currently planned, and add your ideas to the mix! Meetings are generally on the second Thursday of the month, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. For the online meeting information, contact cag@l2020.org. Time: 3-5pm | Location: Zoom Local 20/20 Council Meeting – Wed, Dec 15th *New* *Online* The monthly Local 20/20 Steering Council meeting is open to all and welcomes those interested in active involvement in Local 20/20 leadership. Newcomers are always welcome. If you’d like a virtual orientation, please email Marlow at marlow@l2020.org. For online meeting information, contact us at info@l2020.org. Note: meetings Oct – Dec 2021 are from 3-6 pm to allow for strategic planning along with the regular meeting. Time: 3-6pm | Location: Zoom |
| Recurring Events COVID-19 Update – Mondays *Online* The Weekly COVID-19 update with Jefferson County Public Health Officer, Dr. Allison Berry. To watch live or recorded videos of the entire 9:00 AM Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting, including the 9:45 AM COVID-19 update, go to the website for videos of meetings. You can choose “Streaming Live” or, if viewing later, “Recorded.” You can also listen live to Dr. Berry on KPTZ or later in the KPTZ archives. For more information, you can go here. Climate on Tap – First Wednesdays Climate on Tap is back – in person in FinnRiver’s cozy Pavilion! Each Climate on Tap is held on the first Wednesday of the month from 7-8:30 pm. Co-sponsored by Local 20/20 Climate Action, Jefferson County Public Health, and FinnRiver Cidery. This is not a lecture series, but a book club/discussion format. For further information email Laura Tucker or call 360-379-4491. Port Townsend Farmer’s Market – Saturdays Find the market’s Facebook page here. The Farmers Market welcomes all people to come and enjoy the bounty, textures, and colors of locally grown and produced foods and arts. If you’ve never been to the market before, stop by the ‘Market Info booth’ by the entrance, to get any questions answered and learn more about our Food Access programs. They accept cash, credit cards, SNAP/EBT funds, as well as Senior Farmers Market and WIC Vouchers. They are happy to show you around. Time: 10 am – 2 pm (Only 3 more markets in 2021!) | Location: Lawrence and Tyler St, Uptown Port Townsend |
| Community Notices Editor announcement: Historically, we have not accepted “sales-related” submissions to this newsletter. We are reevaluating this position, and will now accept submissions related to vending and sales that are related to our mission on a trial basis for addition to this Community Notices section. Please refer to the bottom of this newsletter for how to submit an announcement. Port Townsend StyroCyclers Styrofoam Recycling *New* The volunteer Port Townsend StyroCyclers group is recycling expanded polystyrene, commonly known as styrofoam, from East Jefferson County residents and businesses. Because of the huge volume processed by their Kent-based recycler, the StyroCyclers can only accept pieces that are white, rigid, clean, and dry, with all tape, labels, paper cardboard, and packing peanuts removed. The styrofoam is packed and stored at Fort Worden in Port Townsend, then delivered to Kent once per month thanks to OlyCap and Northwest Harvest food bank trucks. At the Kent facility, a densifier machine uses heat and pressure to convert the styrofoam into a toothpaste-like consistency that cools into heavy, glassy blocks, which are then sold to manufacturers of products such as picture frames, construction details, and surfboard blanks. The densified product is in high demand because it is less expensive than virgin plastic. The StyroCyclers accept styrofoam by appointment only. Donors will be given an appointment for a community collection event or individual drop-off or pick-up. Message them at any time at PTStyroCyclers@gmail.com or through their Facebook page. Jefferson Land Trust shares their 2020-21 Report to Our Community Each year, they report on the ways the support of their donors, partners, and friends made a tangible impact on local land conservation and restoration in Jefferson County. In this year’s Report, they recap the year’s major projects, outline the vision for the Chimacum Ridge Community Forest, highlight partners and volunteers, and much more. View a PDF of the 2020-21 Report to Our Community. Printed copies are also available in their office in Uptown Port Townsend. To request one to be mailed to you, email info@saveland.org with your mailing address. Economics for Peace Institute announces new website for community building *New* Economics for Peace Institute, a 501c3 nonprofit, works globally through education, research and economic development to build peace, foster sustainability, and restore the Earth’s natural systems. The Institute’s work is measured by local people for its social benefits, its economic fairness and its ability to preserve ecosystems for future generations. The Institute promotes participatory research and participatory ecotourism. The Institute advances locally-derived, place-based indicators of community well-being and ecosystem stewardship. Visit their new website: econ4peace.org. Biochar for Growing Food Olympic Carbon Fund is giving away free biochar to food producers. Farms, market gardens and shared gardens are eligible for a free cubic yard of biochar from Olympic Biochar, and up to three more yards at half price ($75). Home gardeners are eligible for the Bucket List — up to fifteen gallons of free biochar for every Bucket Share event that happens (one coming soon). Make your soil more fertile and more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Learn more and sign up at www.olympiccarbonfund.info Jefferson Land Trust Discovering the Forest Program Series *Online* Forest ecosystems are characterized by fascinating relationships between wildlife, plants, trees, water, and air. Add human use and economies into the mix, and the dynamics at play become even more complex. Join them as they set out to explore these interconnections and ask, how does a community forest thrive for the good of all? In Discovering the Forest, all will come together as a community to deepen shared understanding of forests and what a community forest can be. That understanding will be used to shape the vision of the amazing opportunity there is for community involvement at Valley View Forest and Chimacum Ridge Forest. Fall Sessions are in progress now (video recordings available). Winter and Spring sessions upcoming. Learn more and sign up. Friends of Fort Flagler Virtual Program Series As the winter approaches, Friends of Fort Flagler will be offering free virtual programs October through April. Their goal is to offer one program a month. If you have attended a program in the past, you will be automatically invited to the events. If you are not receiving their program invitations and would like to be added to the mailing list, please send an email to:fortflaglerfriends@gmail.com. |
| Community Resources New informational Electric Vehicle web tools for Jefferson County Jefferson County’s 2018 Greenhouse Gas Inventory indicates that transportation accounts for 66% of our greenhouse gas emissions. This might be your best excuse yet for buying the most responsive (fast), fun vehicle you’ve ever had! Our community has a new set of web tools that can help you in your EV research: https://jeffersoncan.org/electric-vehicles/ Local 20/20’s COVID-19 Resources Online Local 20/20’s COVID-19 resource page is a central location for community-wide information relating to COVID-19, updated frequently. Includes Reliable Information Sources, Vaccine info, Food Sources, Community Covid-19 Resource pages, Giving and Getting Assistance, Community Events Online, Community Face Mask Program, and information web posts related to COVID-19. Look in the red box at the top of the page for all the newest information. Master Gardeners Q&A Have a question about a plant/insect/composting/landscape issue? Master Gardener volunteers are here to help. You can fill out our online intake form and a Master Gardener will get back to you via email. Just Soup on Tuesdays Every Tuesday at 11:30 – 1:30, Just Soup provides free, hot soup lunches at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St, on the Tyler St. bus line (by the Bell Tower). Enter the rear church parking lot on Franklin, and whether you are on foot, bike, or car, you will be in line for curbside pickup, with masks, gloves, and safe distancing protocols in place. Pick up a lunch for yourself or your neighbor in need. No questions asked. Many partners and supporters have come together to feed Port Townsend one bowl at a time. This information also appears on Local 20/20’s COVID-19 Resources Meals Page. Time: Tuesdays, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Location: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St. Emergency Text Alerts from Jefferson County Sign up to receive Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management’s emergency alerts by text on your mobile phone and/or by email. NIXLE messages provide crucial information in an emergency & are sent directly to your text-enabled device and/or email. The sign up web page also has information about other alert and warning systems, including the tsunami warning system and the WSDOT alert system. NPREP: Prepared Neighborhoods Prepare for emergencies with your neighbors by joining or starting an NPREP neighborhood. There are currently over 100 NPREP neighborhoods organizing here in Jefferson County. Learn if you live in an NPREP trained neighborhood. Learn about NPREP. A Tool for Neighborhood Organization Nextdoor is a private social network for YOUR neighborhood. Use this link to join one of 59 Nextdoor Neighborhoods in Jefferson County. Currently there are 13,915 subscribers, with many new members joining each day. Email Pete Hubbard with questions or comments. Calling Local Photographers Local 20/20 Weekly Announcements invites local photographers to submit images that capture the character of our community and its natural setting. For the opening photo of each weekly email (which is also posted to our website), we seek local color, horizontal (“landscape”) orientation, and jpeg format. Please no children, pets or recognizable faces. Kindly send to events@l2020.org. Please include your name in the jpeg filename. We are an all-volunteer non-profit, so compensation for your talent and generosity is a photo credit and our profound thanks. |
| Resilience Readings Do you have readings, podcasts or videos to share that are aligned with our Local 20/20 mission? Please submit them here. Green Your Black Friday with These Tips Local 20/20’s most recent column in the Port Townsend Leader offers a variety of options for greening your holiday giving. Ideas include handmade items, offering to do a chore for someone, regifting something you own, and more. And of course, shopping locally and giving recycled gifts help reduce the impact on our planet too. See more ideas in the column. Anticipated Meteorological “Bomb” Documented by King Tide Team The Local 20/20 King Tide team documented the tides and water levels on 10/25/21, during a rapidly developing low pressure system, referred to a meteorological “bomb”. The event was selected based on the predicted storm surge and strong winds during a time of moderately high tide. Since the winds had largely subsided and the remaining waves were in the 1′ range, the wave runup appeared to be only about 0.1′. With that in mind, this event was a good chance to compare the storm surge forecast to the difference between predicted and observed water levels at the tide gauge. In this case, the surge forecast was very good! See the post linked above for photos of the event and the full analysis. Local 20/20 Leader Column on Electric Vehicles and New Web Tools The October Local 20/20 Leader Column highlighted some of the many reasons to consider buying an electric car. It discussed how far they can go on a charge, compares costs, and notes rebates available. Also described are the wide range of electric vehicles available now – not just passenger cars, but SUVs, motorcycles, and pickup trucks! And it mentions the new web tools where you can learn more about Electric Vehicles at https://jeffersoncan.org/electric-vehicles/. New IPCC Report on Climate Here is an excerpt from climate.gov about the new climate report released a few weeks ago. “….the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the Physical Science Basis report from Working Group 1, a major part of their sixth Assessment Report. This report includes the most up-to-date understanding of the climate system and climate change, providing the best scientific evidence in order to understand the past, present, and future changes to our planet from global warming. The conclusions are clear: climate change is already affecting nearly every part of the planet, and human activities are unequivocally the cause. The report, co-authored by 234 scientists from around the world, finds that we are now around 2.0°F (1.1°C) warmer than in 1850-1900, warming at a rate without precedent in at least 2000 years, possibly longer. This report confirms that the climate-driven changes occurring around the world are widespread, rapid, and intensifying. Our influence on the climate is making extreme weather and climate events—like heat waves, heavy rain, and droughts—more frequent and severe, putting more people, property, and natural resources in harm’s way. Unless there is a rapid and large-scale reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to a 2.7°F (1.5°C) threshold will be beyond reach. Scientists warn that the more humans drive Earth’s average temperature above this threshold, the more frequent and severe extreme weather and climate events will become.” Read the full article here. Local 20/20 NPREP Featured in Resilience.org Learn how the Local 20/20 Neighborhood Prep effort got started in this article from resilience.org, based on interviews with Deborah Stinson and Judy Alexander. Interestingly, it all started with Hurricane Katrina! And the preparedness continues today: learn more at Local 20/20’s emergency preparedness page. |
