Energy Tips!
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. the new coordinator for the Claremont Energy Challenge, if you'd like to get emails about how to save energy and help Claremont make it to the final round of the competition for the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize.
Program Contractor for Claremont Energy Challenge Sought!
We are looking for an independent contractor to help us implement our commitments to the Claremont Energy Challenge, our proposal for winning the Georgetown University Energy Prize (see below). If you are a passionate advocate for energy efficiiency, please apply! Click here for details of the position.
The application period ends Friday, March 11, 2016.
Earth Day tours at the Bernard Field Station
The community is invited to sign up for one of the tours: bird-watching, wildflower walk, family tour, night tour. Space is limited! Pre-register on the Field Station website.
Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible items to SC, so if you are going to buy from Amazon anyway, go to www.smile.amazon.com, sign in or create an account, and choose "Sustainable Claremont" as the charity. (Of course, we are delighted to get direct donations from our members--just use the "Donate" button above.)
Help SC win the Cool California Challenge!
The Cool California Challenge is on again but ends this month! It's easy to do--go to the Energy Upgrade site to sign up and get more info. Help SC and get a better idea of where your energy dollars are going. You can see more info on the city page.
Changes to the SC Board
SC officers are chosen after the Annual Meeting in October: Our new Chair is Steve Sabicer, who has rejoined the Board; Richard Haskell has agreed to serve as Vice Chair; Katie Gerecke will contiue as Secretary; and John Heitkemper has been elected to the Board and will serve as Treasurer. Thanks to them all! New at large Board members are Sorrel Stielstra and Kristin Miller. Susan Schenk is returning to the Board and will be the Garden Club representative.
Annual Meeting: Energize Claremont!
Join Sustainable Claremont as we celebrate our past year's many accomplishments and look forward to another year of sustainability! There will be booths featuring local green businesses and organizations, refreshments, and a green awards presentation! For more info, check the flyer or contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Low-Water Landscape Expo
Want a Claremont-friendly garden? Want to eliminate your lawn? Keep your trees? Come to a FREE landscaping expo!
- Meet contractors ready to give information and estimates!
- Hear from experts about turf removal, landscape design, water-efficient irrigation, maintenance, and more!
- Learn about the new drought restrictions!
- Live music, kids’ activities, and a food truck!
Sunday, October 4th, from 11am to 3pm at the Sustainability Resource Center -- in the Lenz Building at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave. See you there!
➤ Service Providers and Nonprofits: you can use this form to reserve a spot.
Check out this flyer to see the schedule of events and a list of useful resources!
New Sustainability Coordinator Sought!
Application period closed.
Sustainable Claremont is seeking a part-time employee (with the potential to become full-time) to work 20-25 hours per week at an hourly rate between $15-$19. The employee shall have a keen interest in sustainability and will staff the Sustainability Resource Center office and support the activities of the organization. Desired capabilities include organizational skills, ability to interact effectively with the public, a background or demonstrated interest related to sustainability, media and computer skills, a creative perspective, and a ‘Can-Do’ attitude. For more information or to apply, use the website contact form.
Claremont Colleges Ranked Highly!
The Claremont Colleges are all on the Forbes list of America's Top Colleges! Pomona ranked #1, CMC #18, HMC #57 Scripps #80, and Pitzer #109. Colorado State, Green Mountain, and Colby State ranked highest on BestColleges.com's list of Greenest Universities,. Although none of the 5Cs made that list this year, all are working hard to become more sustainable --we hope they are included soon!
Low-Water Landscape Expo
Want a Claremont-friendly garden? Want to eliminate your lawn? Keep your trees? Come to a FREE landscaping expo!
- Meet contractors ready to give information and estimates!
- Hear from experts about turf removal, landscape design, water-efficient irrigation, maintenance, and more!
- Learn about the new drought restrictions!
- Live music, kids’ activities, and a food truck!
Sunday, June 14th, from 11am to 3pm at the Sustainability Resource Center -- in the Lenz Building at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave. See you there!
➤ Service Providers: you can use this form to reserve a spot.
Claremont exceeds mandated water reduction
Claremont has considerably exceeded the mandated 32% reduction in water use--Kudos to everyone who has helped.
The following restrictions remain in efftect: No watering between 9 am and 5pm. Even-numbered houses can water M and Th; odd-numbered houses can water T and F. Watering is limited to 15 min in a day for each set of sprinklers. No restrictions on length of time if using drip irrigation or a hand-held hose with a shut-off valve.
Please note that our municipal code requires citizens to water their street trees. For some info on how to do this while reduciing overall water usage, see the watering guides posted on this site.
For up-to-date information on many aspects of water reduction go to the State Water Resources Control Board's Water Conservation Portal.
Caring for Trees in the Drought
Save Water or Save Trees? We can do both! A new Tree Coalition has produced a flyer with information about how to make sure we remain a City of Trees while we reduce our water use. More info on the Garden Club pages here and on the Tree Action Group website. Questions can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or you can phone the Sustainability Resource Center (see left).
Current Landscape Water Regulations
Claremont residents will need to comply with special water-use restrictions to help the City reach its mandatory 32% reduction in water use.
The current restrictions include: no watering between 9am and 5pm; odd-numbered houses can water on T and F; even-numbered houses can water on M and Th; each set of automatic sprinklers can only run for 15 minutes in a day; the 15 minute limit does not apply to drip irrigation or hand-watering with a shut-off nozzle.
More information can be found in the City's staff report.
Sustainability Resource Center Officially Opens!
Our new Sustainability Resource Center is now open Tuesday through Friday, from 9 am to 1pm, in the Lenz Building at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave. Stop by and meet Alexis Reyes, our sustainability coordinator. The phone is (909) 625-8767 ext 238.
The 2015 Claremont Garden Club Tour
The Garden Club tour, "Claremont Eclectic: A Tour of Six Local Gardens" was a great success --many thanks to all who helped. A good time was had by all and we hope to see you next year.
The 2016 Claremont Garden Club Tour
The 2015 Garden Tour was a great success! If you'd like to suggest a garden for next year's tour, please email your suggestion to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Urban Farm in Claremont
Temple Beth Israel has converted lawn into an urban farm managed by UnCommon Good. This will provide jobs for unemployed farmers, along with produce for their families and for the public to buy at UnCommon Good's headquarters behind the Methodist Church. You can order a weekly box of sustainably-grown produce at www.uncommon good.
Sustainable Claremont's Food Waste Challenge
The goal in Claremont's Sustainable City Plan is 70% waste diversion by 2015. We're close, but we should do more. One thing we can improve is the amount of food waste going to landfills. Residents and restaurants can have a huge impact, but we need your help! Read The Food Waste Challenge to get involved.
New Book on Urban Protected Areas
Dr. Ted Trzyna of Claremont's InterEnvironment Institute has published a new book "Urban Protected Areas" which profiles natural areas near urban centers located all around the world. Included is the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park. This PDF has more information.
Featured Article from Interfaith Sustainability Council: Fair Trade News
Fair Trade ensures that every product is economically, socially, and environmentally responsible. A couple of years ago Claremont became the first "Fair Trade Town" in Southern California. Now Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church has become one of the first "Fair Trade Congregations" in the nation.2013 Sustainability Report Card
The Sustainability Report Card tracks progress in key areas concerning Claremont's sustainability. Overall, Claremont continued progress on 85% of the areas tracked, but we still have some areas to work on, namely water and energy. Read the full report (PDF, 2.7MB) to see how Claremont performed in 2013.
SC Presents at Harvey Mudd's Engineers for a Sustainable World Conference
Sustainable Claremont presented at Harvey Mudd’s ESW Conference. The topic was "Sustainability Initiatives in Claremont", with a focus on "Leveraging the Power of Schools". Check out the full powerpoint presentation (7.9MB).
Individual Control Leads to Lower Energy Use
A "Plugwise" study by Carnegie Mellon University found that employees who monitored their energy use, and could control when specific devices turned on and off, cut their energy consumption by nearly 40%. This mirrors results from the recent Cool California Challenge where Claremont residents gained significant energy savings simply by monitoring their energy use, comparing it to that of their neighbors, then taking action to reduce consumption in their homes. The Providence Journal has an article with more details on the study and its results.
What is Claremont's Water Future?
Click here to see some thoughts on that.