On April 29, the Los Altos Complete Streets Commission proclaimed May as “Bike Month,” kicking off a series of events to promote and celebrate cycling in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. Thousands of cyclists pass through our communities each month, enjoying Santa Clara County’s roads and trails. Hundreds of children and teenagers cycle to our schools every day, while recreational cyclists travel north and south along Foothill Expressway and east and west to and from the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. What is it about Los Altos and Los Altos Hills that makes cycling so popular? Perhaps it's our flat streets and bike-friendly routes for commuting, our challenging foothills for recreation, or our near-perfect weather! And once people start cycling, they discover a sense of joy and freedom in the experience. Students quickly learn that one of the fastest–and most fun–ways to get to class is on two wheels. Students at Springer and Santa Rita have now also experienced the joys of riding in a “bike bus” (see sidebar). To share the joy, the City of Los Altos and the Town of Los Altos Hills, together with coalition of community partners, is highlighting a number of events to encourage folks to saddle up and ride during Bike Month: Bike Buses are Coming to Town Springer’s March 6 WoW! Day featured an organized bike bus—the first coordinated bike commute of its kind at the school. It drew 40 participants, with five adults supporting the ride and dozens of students enjoying the journey to school together. The result? Happy kids and a full bike rack! The bike bus returned for Springer’s April 3 and 24 WoW! Days, building even more momentum. And Springer isn’t the only school benefiting. Avid bike commuter and Earth advocate Terry Barton helped spark and organize a bike bus at Santa Rita, as well. Terry worked on a route for the school’s late March WoW! Day focusing on the north side of El Camino. When they arrived at school, bike bus participants were greeted with a bike skills course, lively music, and fun giveaways. Interested in starting a WoW! program or organizing a bike bus at your school? Email us at info@greentownlosaltos.org. May 6 and all month | Bike to school May 6th is National Bike & Roll to School Day 2026, which invites participants to celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. Many schools are celebrating biking to school with Walk or Wheel (WoW!) encouragement days. WoW! is a project of GreenTown Los Altos, which works with school PTA leads to encourage greener alternatives to the single family car, such as biking, walking, and carpooling, for school commutes. Local school WoW! Days during Bike Month include: May 1 - Covington, Loyola, and Springer Elementary May 6 - Gardner Bullis Elementary May 7 - Bullis Charter School North and South; and May 29 - Oak Avenue Elementary. May 9 | Ride to run The Los Altos Hills Pathways Run/Walk is a great excuse to get on your bike and try out some hills. Go early and run (1st race starts at 9am) or go later and spectate. May 15 | Bike to dinner Downtown Los Altos Bike ‘n Dine is back for the fourth year in a row, from 5-8pm! Bring your bike, friends, and family, and join us for a fun-filled evening of biking, dining, and community-building at the Veteran’s Community Plaza on the corner of State and Main Streets! There will be music, activities for children, and a “bike valet” to safely park your bike while you explore the vibrant downtown area on foot. We'll also share event swag including exclusive dining discounts and offers from downtown restaurants. May 23 | High School Student Bike Tour of Stanford Get to know bike and train routes to Stanford and learn more about university life and programs from local students. For more information on these and other events that promote and celebrate cycling during Bike Month, visit bikelosaltos.com and bikelosaltos.org. Bike Month is organized by a coalition including the City of Los Altos, the Town of Los Altos Hills, GreenTown Los Altos, Safe Routes to Downtown Los Altos, Los Altos Village Association, and the Anne Wojcicki Foundation.

In Fall 2025, over several weeks in October and November, Los Altos School District (LASD) surveyed students about their journey to school using a method developed by GreenTown Los Altos. Classroom teachers conducted a hand-count in which students raised their hands when they heard the transport method that they used that morning (e.g., walk, bike, car, carpool, other). For example, teachers asked: “By a show of hands, when you left your house this morning, how many of you walked to school?" The table below outlines the percent of students who used alternative modes for their school commute, e.g., walk or wheel (WoW!) to school. Modes that qualify for WoW! include walking, biking, scootering, skateboarding, roller blading, or carpooling with students from another family. One caveat with the data is that some days in which students were surveyed coincided with WoW! Days in which students were explicitly encouraged to walk or bike to school. These are indicated with an * or ** in the table below. GreenTown's WoW! program provides support to parent leads at each school. The data from LASD surveys helps GreenTown direct program resources by revealing which schools are effectively promoting alternative transportation and which could use additional support. Table: School Commute: Percentage WoW! vs. Single-Family Car School WoW!  (All Modes) Single-Family Car Loyola* 69.3% 30.7% Gardner Bullis* 60.7% 39.3% Santa Rita ** 58.0% 42.0% Springer** 49.5% 50.5% Almond** 41.1% 58.9% Oak* 39.1% 60.9% Covington 31.3% 68.7% Blach 66.8% 33.2% Egan 56.7% 43.3 * or ** Indicates that the school had a Fall WoW! encouragement event. **Indicates that a majority of classrooms were surveyed on the school's Fall WoW! Day. To learn more about the findings, please click on the PDF below. Please contact Margie Suozzo, GreenTown Los Altos WoW! Lead for questions and comments. info@greentownlosaltos.org .

The GreenTown Green Gardeners list is here thanks to the contributions of GreenTown community members. This list was created in response to multiple requests from people who were seeking a recommended gardener who use electric leaf blowers . These gardeners obey the Los Altos ban on gas leaf blowers. We encourage you to discuss the details with the gardeners for further information in you decision process. If you know a gardener who would like to be on this list, have them contact lindaz@greentownlosaltos.org and submit 2 references. To learn more about why Gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in over 170 cities across the country and why they are highly polluting, unhealthy, and noisy, visit the GreenTown Don't Blow-It webpage . Green Gardners' List (in no particular order) Andres Hernandez (650) 518-2306 Ernesto Martinez Gardening Care Service ernestogardens@gmail.com AZ Gardening and Landscaping (408) 413-8447 Jaime’s Gardening and Landscaping Jaime Perez (408) 375-8525 4238 Rosenbaum Ave, San Jose 95136 Barriga’s Expert Gardening Arturo Barriga (408) 661-5306 Arturo barriga 022811@gmail.com Curtis Horticulture Stephanie Curtis info@curtishort.com curtishort.com Mario Gaspar 669-238-8870 mgaspar@christemmahorticulture.com Juan Cervantes (650) 390-7310

Past Programs CLIMATE CHANGE Encouraged the City to sign the US Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. Recommended the City complete baseline inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. WASTE Saved the City >$200,000 in consulting fees by providing in-depth research and analysis for waste contract. Educated Environmental Commission and City Council about waste collection issues, including importance of food waste and compostables collection WoW! This is a great place to tell people more about your business. WATTS This is a great place to tell people more about your business, and the services you offer. Want to make this content your own? It's easy. WATER This is a great place to tell people more about your business, and the services you offer. Want to make this content your own? It's easy.

GET INVOLVED Internships for Students Application 2026 Summer Internships is now open! Apply Here MEET OUR 2025 Summer Interns MEET OUR 2024 Summer Interns MEET OUR 2023 Summer Interns MEET OUR 2022 Summer Interns MEET OUR 2021 Summer Interns MEET OUR 2020 Summer Interns Email Us internship@greentownlosaltos.org Email Us info@greentownlosaltos.org Volunteer Opportunities Abound... There are lots of opportunities to volunteer with GreenTown Los Altos, whether you just want to contribute to a single project, work with us for a few hours on a single day, or make a longer term commitment. Below are some of our current volunteer openings. To volunteer, email us. Email Us volunteer@greentownlosaltos.org Email Us info@greentownlosaltos.org JOIN US WE ARE LOOKING FOR ... Volunteer-Intern Openings VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Schools WoW Program Coordinator GreenTown is looking for a new WoW! Project Lead! The Project Lead provides support to school leads in promoting alternative forms of transportation to school, including biking, walking and carpooling. These modes reduce greenhouse gases and toxic air emissions and help reduce traffic congestion around our schools. Plus, it’s a healthy and fun way for kids to bookend their school day! Check out our webpage at: https://www.greentownlosaltos.org/schoolswow The GreenTown WoW! Project Lead: Helps School WoW! Leads with Program Planning Encourages and Supports Bike/Ped Safety Instruction Provides Marketing Support Conducts Data Analysis and Supports Program Evaluation Please see here for a more detailed description Volunteer Development Leader Actively recruit volunteers from our local community to get involved in GreenTown’s projects and events. Mentor volunteers, and organize a Volunteer Appreciation event. EMAIL us if you are interested. Bike/Walk Events Biking you thing? Help organize community bike tours of historical sites, native landscapes, Hardy Jones artistic metal sculptures, and summer & winter solstice rides. Coordinate GreenTown’s Bike Valet service at community events. EMAIL us if you are interested. Help Plant Trees! Our 500 Trees project continues to plant trees throughout our local community. Help us plant trees! The hardest part is digging the hole. Someone with a truck would be helpful too. EMAIL us if you are interested. Researcher/Writer Love the written word? Research and write articles for our blog and for local news outlets to spread the word about green happenings in our community. EMAIL us if you are interested. Marketing Events Outreach and Social Media & Blog Poster Great at networking? Post events on local media datebooks and email schools and other organizations to promote GreenTown projects and events. Post to our Facebook page and Twitter account. Edit articles and post to the GreenTown blog and Los Altos Patch blog. EMAIL us if you are interested Photographer/Videographer Great with a camera? Like video editing? Take photos and videos at GreenTown events. Edit videos and upload to GreenTown’s YouTube channel. EMAIL us if you are interested. STUDENT INTERNSHIPS 2026 Summer Internships application is now open! For 2025, we are offering four paid internships in two project areas. Each internship is for 10 hours/week for 6 weeks at $18.20/hour. Promoting Responsible Use of the Batteries That Power Our Lives (2 Interns) Understanding the food waste pyramid (2 Interns) See this document for additional details. The internships are open to: Students attending the MVLA schools OR residents of Los Altos or Los Altos Hills attending other schools. 1: Promoting Responsible Use of the Batteries That Power Our Lives Mentors: Clari Nolet & Stan Scardino (Rotary Los Altos) and Laura Teksler (GreenTown Los Altos) Description: Our world is full of electronics and many of these devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries. But what happens to that hazardous battery when your electric toothbrush dies? Hopefully it is properly recycled through a program like Rotary Climate Action Committee’s Lithium-Ion recycling program. In this internship you will help promote this program to local residents by creating short-form videos and other media content demonstrating what items can be recycled through the program and what happens to the batteries when they are properly disposed of and the dangers when they are not. 2: Understanding the food waste pyramid (2 interns) Mentor: Madhuri Davidson, Glenda Chang, Margie Suozzo (GreenTown Los Altos) Description: Food waste is a big contributor to climate change. When food ends up in landfills, it creates powerful greenhouse gases like methane. If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world. This internship provides an opportunity to learn why food waste matters and how communities can reduce it. You’ll work with real data from local waste haulers; research solutions used in other cities and organizations, and explore how composting can cut emissions. By the end, you’ll build skills in research, data analysis, and communication, and share your findings with the GreenTown board and the community.

CREEK CLEANUP Conservation BACKGROUND In 2011 GreenTown officially “adopted” the Permanente Diversion Channel through the Santa Clara Valley Water District (currently Valley Water). The channel runs from Heritage Oaks Park at Portland and Miramonte to Stevens Creek at Highway 85. Look for the sign at the corner of Portland and Miramonte declaring this a GreenTown “baby”. Our commitment? To organize and gather volunteers for biannual creek cleanup events in coordination with Valley Water. Ours is one of 50 sites countywide that participate in National River Cleanup Day, the third Saturday in May, and National Coastal Cleanup Day, the third Saturday in September. THE PROBLEM People are the main source of litter in our waterways. Litter from streets goes into our creeks and flows into San Francisco Bay and then into the ocean. 80% of the trash on beaches starts in inland areas. HOW YOU CAN HELP GreenTown encourages volunteers of all ages to help support a healthy environment in our local creek through these educational and fun-filled experiences. Activities include education about watersheds and water pollution, removing debris from the creek bed and the creek banks, and sorting and weighing all that was removed. GreenTown reports back to Valley Water and the results are spectacular! You can check out the countywide numbers at cleanacreek.org, where you also can register to volunteer for the next cleanup event. RESOURCES National River Cleanup Day Community Kids Cleaned the Creek National River Cleanup Day Recap Another Successful Creek Cleanup For inquiries about the "Don't Blow it!" program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org