Welcome to Monitor Notes, a weekly roundup of news items, event announcements, and updates on past Bay Area Monitor articles.
Recall Resources
The California Recall Election is this Tuesday, September 14. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by that date to be counted. Visit the League of Women Voters of California’s website for resources that provide information on how to register and ways in which you can vote. Voter’s Edge also has excellent information, including nonpartisan information on each of the candidates, registration, and polling availability. Did you know that California allows same-day registration? Even if you missed the registration deadline, you can register up to and on Election Day by visiting any polling location in your county.
Trail Challenge
Outdoorsy residents of the Bay Area might be feeling a little lost with the closure of the National Forests. Fortunately, regional parks and open space have remained open, so it might be a good fall for exploring the local area. The East Bay Regional Parks District is offering the 2021 Trail Challenge. A list of trails can be found here, or you can download the Trail Challenge guidebook (PDF). To complete the challenge and claim your commemorative pin, simply log 5 trails or 26.2 miles of distance by December 1.
EV Equity
Join Acterra this evening (Wednesday, 4:30-5:30pm) for their fall lecture series. This week’s speaker is Vanessa Morelan, the Western States Program Manager for EVNoire. Morelan will discuss her work to bring diversity, equity and inclusion into electric vehicles and e-mobility programs across the West. Register here for the free online event.
For more information about e-mobility and equity in electric vehicles, read the Monitor’s transportation expert and former Notes writer Cecily O’Conner’s recent article on an e-bike lending library in Oakland.
Estuary Summit
The San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s State of the Estuary Summit is coming up this October 1. The usually multi-day event will talk place virtually on one day only, so expect a packed schedule full of speakers from diverse backgrounds bringing compelling stories and discoveries about the Estuary. The first speaker scheduled is Lil Milagro Henriquez, recipient of the 2021 Advancing Climate Equity fellowship and founder of Mycelium Youth Network, an organization preparing youth for climate change.
Hidden Heroes
September 30 marks the Hidden Heroes of the Greenbelt benefit. Join the Greenbelt Alliance for the free, virtual event as they showcase three short films dedicated to the work done by the winners of this year’s Hidden Heroes of the Greenbelt awards. The winners are Adria Arko, recognized for fostering nature-based climate adaptation, Warren Logan, for planning for resilience, and Michelle Whitman, for promoting abundant climate-SMART (sustainable, mixed, affordable, resilient, transit-oriented) housing.
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