NB 102 Build A Straw Bale House

This popular course will give you both the knowledge and practice you need to tackle your own straw bale construction project. The instructor, a leading expert in straw bale construction and a building inspector, will teach you the latest innovations in this constantly evolving building technique. Students will help build a small load-bearing structure, including foundation and roofing.

Speaker: Allen Martin, Certified Green Builder

Saturday 2 thru Sunday 3 June 2012, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Price: $250. Discounts and fees may apply. Sponsored by: Solar Living Institute

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Solar Living Institute and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

Check-in and course briefing will be at City Hall, Room 115. This hands-on workshop will develop a community demonstration native garden while teaching you how to design and create your own CA Native landscape. Find out how you can qualify for a lawn replacement rebate program. Bring gardening gloves to learn by hands-on experience.

Instructor: Sherri Osaka

Free. Sponsor: Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: BAWSCA and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class will discuss permeable surfaces and their water conserving benefits. Find out how to design and install pathways and patios using decomposed granite, gravel, flagstone and pavers.

Instructor: Vic Thomas

Free. Sponsor: Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: BAWSCA and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class will demonstrate how to design a sustainable, low-maintenance, and water-conserving garden. Find out how to incorporate CA native plants into your garden.

Instructor: Alrie Middlebrook

Free. Sponsor: Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: BAWSCA and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

The annual Garden Tour will open gates to gardens located in geographic clusters in Marin County. You will find orchards, chickens and bees, greywater installations by local experts, and drought tolerant replacements for water thirsty lawns. The host gardeners include permaculturists, native plant enthusiasts, do-it-yourselfers and landscape professionals.

Price: $10 for guidebook. Sponsored by Bay-Friendly Landscaping and Gardening Coalition

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Bay-Friendly and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

Meetings of Passive House California are held on the 4th Sunday of every month except when holidays conflict (this month is Memorial Day.) The topic of this month's presentation will be Moisture Management and the WUFI Modeling Tool.

Speaker: Lowell Moulton

Pyramid Brewery Conference Room (upstairs), 901 Gilman Street, Berkeley, CA 94710

Price: $10 includes a beer or beverage. Sponsored by Passive House California.

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Passive House California and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

EcoTuesday is a unique, structured monthly networking event for business leaders and community members interested in sustainability, held concurrently in cities across the country. This month, Christine Hertzog will present on the Smart Grid. Everyone will have the opportunity to introduce themselves during the Intro Circle.

Speaker: Christine Hertzog, author of the Smart Grid Dictionary

Acterra Conference Room, Peninsula Conservation Center Building, 3921 E. Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303

Price: $10. Discounts and fees may apply. Sponsored by: Silicon Valley EcoTuesday.

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: EcoTuesday and its sponsors are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

Going Green without Going Broke: What every homeowner should know about going green on a budget

At this event, six pros will offer homeowners and renters helpful advice including energy-saving tricks, surprising myth busters, rebates, and two programs that offer free insulation and free kitchen appliances. They’ll discuss indoor air quality and allergies, tankless water heaters, radiant heat systems, remodeling for energy efficiency, lead exposure in vintage homes, energy- efficiency mortgages and solar electric options.

Free. Sponsored by City of Burlingame, multiple co-sponsors..

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: City of Burlingame, co-sponsors and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class will cover the efficiency, environmental and safety changes for residential storage water heaters and the design and operation of tankless, heat pump, and condensing water heaters. We will attempt to predict where water heating technology will be in ten years.

Speaker: Bill Hoover, A. O. Smith Corporate Technology Center

Free, but please register. Sponsored by PG&E

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: PG&E and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This program will examine recent progress with LEDs as they relate to the development of lighting fixtures and their application to lighting design. LEDs are fundamentally a point source and, as such, will not work for all lighting applications. We will explore the best uses for LEDs and what the future might hold. Bring your own lunch to enjoy.

Speaker: Randy Borden, registered architect

Free. Sponsored by AIA EB.

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: AIA and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

A festival to educate, inspire and spread sustainable living and self-sufficiency skills. Live music, workshops in Solar Ovens, DIY green cleaning, Water Catchment, Composting, Urban Gardening in the Bay Area, Winemaking, Beekeeping and more.

Price: $20. Time donation for admission available. Sponsored by Hayes Valley Farm and Bay Area Community Exchange Timebank

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Hayes Valley Farm and Bay Area Community Exchange Timebank is not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class will cover the efficiency, environmental, and safety changes for residential storage water heaters and the design and operation of tankless, heat pump, and condensing water heaters. We will attempt to predict where water heating technology will be in ten years.

Speaker: Bill Hoover, A. O. Smith Corporate Technology Center

Free, but please register. Sponsored by PG&E

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: PG&E and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

Power to the People's annual event helps bring solar electricity to schools and health clinics in rural Central America. Enjoy local food and sustainable wine and beer, take something home from the silent auction, bid on a piece of locally made green art, learn about Power to the People's work in Nicaragua and meet other people interested in renewable energy.

Price: $40. Discounts and fees may apply. Sponsored by Power to the People.

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Power to the People is not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

San Francisco's Union Street Eco-Urban Festival

The Union Street Festival includes a two block eco-zone for green exhibitors, businesses and educational displays. The east entrance of the Festival, (beginning at Gough) will feature arts and crafts created with recycled and sustainable materials and eco-friendly exhibits. Gourmet food booths, two stages of live entertainment and bistro style cafes.

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 June 2012, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Gough and Union to Steiner and Union, San Francisco CA 94123

Free. Multiple corporate sponsors.

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Union Street Festival and the sponsors are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

Located on the edge of Chinatown at Sixth Street, this new high-density development by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects will provide 70 apartments for low income seniors. The innovativedesign features rainscreen cladding, high performance insulation, vegetated wall panels, a garden courtyard, filtered ventilation and solar water/photovoltaic panels. The project is expected to achieve a Platinum level under the LEED for Homes Midrise Pilot Program as well as GreenPoints, Energy Star and Bay Friendly certification.

Free. Sponsored by AIA EB.

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: AIA and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class is designed to educate interested persons about residential solar energy (photovoltaics or PV, solar pool heating and solar hot water). It will include discussion of plastic vs. metal solar panels, sizing, costs, etc. and touch upon system operation and maintenance issues such as solar panel cleaning, monitoring and longevity of components.

Speaker: Craig Rush, Horizon Energy Systems

Free. Sponsored by Horizon Energy Systems

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Horizon Energy Systems and the instructors are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class is designed to educate interested persons about residential solar energy (photovoltaics or PV, solar pool heating and solar hot water). It will include discussion of plastic vs. metal solar panels, sizing, costs, etc. and touch upon system operation and maintenance issues such as solar panel cleaning, monitoring and longevity of components.

Speaker: Kurt Newick, Horizon Energy Systems

Free. Sponsored by Horizon Energy Systems

Visit here for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Horizon Energy Systems and the instructors are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This workshop offers tips on managing your lawn for water efficiency and the benefits of using CA natives as an alternative to your thirsty lawn.

Instructor: Deva Luna

Free. Sponsor: Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: BAWSCA and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

Spring 2012 Architecture/Landscape Architecture Lecture Series "Terra Nova"

Ten Eyck Landscape Architects collaborate with clients and other design disciplines to create exterior environments that connect the urban dweller with nature. Participants in this presentation will be able to discuss how the physical context of the region as well as social, political and cultural context influence the process and approach of the designer. Participants will gain understanding of the interrelationships between architecture and landscape architecture.

Speaker: Christine Ten Eyck, Landscape Architect

Free. Sponsor: Stanford University Architect/Planning Office

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Stanford University and the speaker are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

A day-long event of workshops, expert panel discussions and an exposition. The goal of the WEST Summit is to catalyze a change in action towards long-term resiliency in Silicon Valley through the distributed management of our water and energy supply. We will explore the true costs of current and future climate impacts and the business opportunities that await those who address these challenges successfully.

Price: $200. Discounts and fees may apply. Sponsored by Sustainable Silicon Valley, multiple corporate sponsors.

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: Sustainable Silicon Valley and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.

This class will discuss the safest ways to manage ants, snails, slugs and other pests and disease in your summer garden. Find out about lesser-known beneficial insects that are an integral part in keeping a balance in your yard. Integrated Pest Management can be safer for kids, pets, and the environment.

Speaker: Teresa Lavell, IPM Advocates intern

Free, registration is required. Sponsored by City of Palo Alto Watershed Protection and Our Water, Our World.

Visit sponsor for more information or to register. Click through to sponsor for instructions.

Note: City of Palo Alto and the speakers are not affiliated with Green Making. This announcement is a courtesy for our members.