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

KJ Janowski, Los Altos Our home We purchased our four-bedroom, three-bath house near downtown Los Altos in 1994 and renovated and added on to it in 2000 and 2005. It now comprises 2750 square feet of conditioned space. During our 2005 renovation, we upgraded the master electric panel to 200 amps. So, we had plenty of capacity for all our electrification efforts. As of January 2025, our home and our motor vehicles are fully electric. Our main motivation for removing fossil fuels from our transportation and our home was environmental. Methane gas can trap 80 times  as much heat in the atmosphere as do carbon dioxide emissions. So, combusting “natural” (i.e. methane) gas in our home meant we were contributing unnecessarily to global warming. And since we were getting 100% clean electricity from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, none of the electricity that we would substitute would be coming from burning fossil fuels. We also had concerns about the health and safety impacts of burning gas for cooking and other uses. The start of the journey The first gas appliance that we replaced with electric was our clothes dryer in May 2008 after an appliance failure. I had a duct cleaning service over once and was alarmed when the service technician showed me the flames in the back of the gas dryer! This did not seem safe to me! Electrifying our rides In 2017, we got our first fully electric vehicle, a Chevrolet Bolt EV, and installed a 30 amp ChargePoint charger. Then in 2022, we replaced our gasoline-powered car with a Chevrolet Bolt EUV. Our ChargePoint charger synchronizes with our electric rate schedule and ensures that we charge during off-peak hours. (Of course, if we ever really needed to charge during peak hours, it is easy to override that.) Given our miles driven and the kWh/mile of each of our cars, we estimate that the cost of EV charging in 2024 (under our E-TOU-C rate plan) was about $1800. The switch to clean and responsive induction cooking Induction Cooktop In May 2021, we began taking additional steps to electrify our home, replacing our Thermador gas cooktop. We splurged and got a 36” Wolf induction cooktop and replaced the downdraft ventilation system. Cost: $5,696 (of which $2,417 was the new ventilation system) Rebates: BayREN rebate of $250 Tax credits: none We love this cooktop because it is more responsive than gas, heats up very quickly, is much easier to clean and safer than cooking over flames. We never smell gas in the house. Since the cooktop is on an island in our kitchen, the sleek, smooth induction cooktop surface essentially expands our counter space. So, for example, we can use it to serve dishes buffet style.  Comfortable, clean heat pump HVAC Heat Pump HVAC In June 2022, we replaced our gas furnace with a heat pump HVAC system. We were able to use the existing ducts without modification or additional cost. The air handler for the heat pump fit in the attic crawl space where the gas furnace had been. The heat pump component of the system was installed on the west side of our home, where the solar inverter and master electric panel were already installed. Since a heat pump HVAC basically runs forwards and backwards, whole home air conditioning was automatically a part of the installation. We installed a 5-ton Mitsubishi with a MERV 16 whole house filtering system. Cost: $19,533 Rebates: $3,000 TECH rebate Tax credit: $500 We have found that the HVAC system heats our home much more evenly than the gas furnace. The gas furnace would come on and make some noise and blow warm air through the ducts. Then the house would cool down and the heat would kick on again. In winter the house stays much more consistently comfortable than with the gas furnace. As the climate continues to warm, we appreciate the comfort of whole house A/C during high heat events. (Previously we only had A/C in two bedrooms.)  We also wanted the whole house filtration system so that we can have clean indoor air in the event of wildfire smoke. The last gasp of gas - heat pump water heating Heat Pump Water Heater In January 2025, our final gas appliance was replaced when our gas water heater gave out. We replaced our 50 gallon gas water heater with a 66 gallon State ProLine XE heat pump water heater. We included a thermal mixer on the system. This means that the water can be heated to a higher temperature and then mixed with cold water, essentially expanding the delivered capacity of the water heater. Cost: $5,758 Rebate: SVCE $2,000 Anticipated tax credit: 30% of $5,758 or $1,727 In July 2025, we had our gas meter removed and will be receiving a $500 rebate from Silicon Valley Clean Energy. Our electric bill In 2012, before we embarked on our electrification journey, we installed a relatively small rooftop solar system (2.96 kW). This was done as a prepaid lease for a total of $10,733. Since this was a lease, the system is actually owned by Sunrun. We are on a Net Energy Metering (NEM 1.0) rate schedule, which is no longer available. If we were to expand our rooftop solar, we would likely have to remove the existing system and install a new system as well as switch to the latest, less favorable NEM rate schedule. In 2024, the system generated a total of 3260 kWh. We have been on a time-of-use rate plan since 1994. We have had several different electric rate plans since then. In recent years we transitioned from E6 time-of-use to E-TOU-C and, as of August 2025, we are on the E-ELEC rate . The biggest single consumers of electricity are our vehicles. Given the annual mileage of our two cars and the average miles/kWh (4.1-4.5), we estimate an annual cost (under E-TOU-C rates) to be about $1800/year. This cost will be reduced significantly with the new E-ELEC rate, since the off-peak price/kWh will be 22-26% lower than under E-TOU-C. Winter peak rates under E-ELEC, when we might be heating the house, will be 23% lower under the new E-ELEC rates. Annual electricity cost in 2019: $745.62 Annual gas cost in 2019: $883.94 Annual electricity cost in 2024 (all electric except water heater): $3,624 (usage from the grid: 8440 kWh) Annual gas cost in 2024 (water heater was the only gas appliance): $334 We feel good about not combusting fossil fuels in our home or transportation. Increased comfort and safety are bonus effects! We look forward to the expected reductions in our electric bill under the new E-ELEC rate plan. If we were planning to be in our home for another decade or two, we might consider replacing our undersized rooftop solar system with a larger one and exploring battery storage. Date Appliance Cost Rebate Tax Credit Net Cost May 2021 Wolf 36” Induction Cooktop and new downdraft ventilation system $5,696 $250 $0 $5,446 June 2022 Mitsubishi heat pump HVAC 5-ton $19,533 $3,000 $500 $16,033 January 2025 State ProLine XE 66 gal. heat pump water heater $5,758 $2,000 $1,727 $2,031 Gas meter removal $500 -$500 Totals $30.987 $5,750 $2,227 $23,010

Today, more than ever, you can’t believe every headline you read. Almost as absurd as the idea of heat pumps causing pregnancy are the online claims from special interest groups about the prices of these appliances. Despite their deception, the truth is that installing a heat pump can cost you about the same as its gas alternative while providing a less toxic home and saving you hundreds of dollars a year in operational costs. There are numerous rebates available, some of which expire at the end of this year due to policy changes in Washington . We encourage you to explore your options now and act before you miss out on the best rebates. The rebate landscape varies depending upon which rebate allocations are used up or not, as well as city by city. If you are in Mountain View or Palo Alto, for example, you can get additional rebates for certain appliances, like heat pump water heaters, up to an additional $2,000! Almost all the rebates are ‘stackable’, meaning you can add them all up for even better savings. Certain income-qualifying households get even more rebates, literally making the new electric appliance and related electrical improvements free. Of course, there are outlier circumstances, like if the house configuration does not allow the change to certain electric appliances until technology evolves. A current pro-gas campaign will try to scare you by grabbing onto these outliers and using numbers for full home electrification rather than a simple heat pump installation. They claim most households will have to pay $50,000 to $100,000 to upgrade to a heat pump. Those are simply not defensible claims. In most cases, the math with the rebates makes great sense to act today, even if your gas appliance is not at end of life. All electric homes are the future, and the rebates are here now. Given the changing rebate landscape, we recommend you consult a contractor who manages the rebate process for you. The best places to see the qualifying rebates and find these contractors are: The Switch Is On  - incentives in California and a list of qualified contractors. Silicon Valley Clean Energy  – They have a ‘help desk’ you can call/email/chat with to help direct you in addition to a rich online description of rebates they offer. You can also reference the contractors that GreenTown vetted who exhibited at our Living Electric Fair in May in Los Altos. Federal Tax Credit : Save even more with a  30% tax credit , but only throug h December 2025 . Here's what you need to know .

DON'T BLOW IT! Clean Air ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. RESOURCES Green Gardeners List is Here! "Don't Blow It!" Flyer Letter to Landscape Provider: English - Spanish CORE Program How does a Gas Leaf Blower compare to a Gas Powered Vehicle ? Other Resources: Emissions Are Significant Edmunds Emissions Study NPR Comments More Pollution Than Cars Alternatives to Gas Leaf Blowers Rakes and Brooms Bad for the Environment Bad For Your Health More on Health Also Bad For Your Health Bad For Children Bad For Your Pets Leave the Leaves Santa Monica bans all leaf blowers 4-minute video Palo Alto Online Opinion Regulations Hideous Gas Leaf Blowers For inquiries about the "Don't Blow it!" program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

Conservation Creek Cleanup ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. RESOURCES National River Cleanup Day Community Kids Cleaned the Creek National River Cleanup Day Recap Another Successful Creek Cleanup CONTACT US For inquiries about Creek Cleanup program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

Mission About Us OUR MISSION To protect and enhance the environment of Los Altos & Los Altos Hills through community engagement, education, and advocacy while contributing to and leveraging regional and global environmental efforts. OUR VALUES Leaving the environment a better place for the next generation Policy and decision-making based on data and scientific research Inclusion and partnership, and conducting our activities in a fair, ethical (and, when appropriate, fun) manner Education, mentorship and the inclusion of youth as much as possible in our activities Honesty and respect when presenting fact-based research and educating our community OUR BELIEFS A clean and healthy environment is vital to the health of our communities. Human activities impact the natural environment and contribute to climate change and pollution that directly affects human health Individual, community and governmental actions can mitigate the negative environmental impacts of human activities We can arrest human caused climate change and environmental degradation by individual, community and legislative action GreenTown is a project of the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation’s Local Impact Collective Team OUR TEAM Suresh Venkatraman President, Board Suresh’s daughters’ engagement in environmental causes were a major influence to join GreenTown. Youth all over the world are asking us, the current stewards, to do everything we can to reverse our effect on the planet’s environments and climate. Actions by individuals, communities, and governments must all come together to accomplish this monumental but achievable task. Suresh is passionate that we become acutely conscious of our consumption – from energy to products, from how they are manufactured, packaged to how they are disposed of – and make decisions and take actions to minimize our footprint. Connie Miller Vice President, Board Clean Air Lead As a Bay Area native and Los Altos resident who has spent her entire life enjoying the abundance of nature our region offers, Connie sees the urgent need to act boldly to create a sustainable and thriving environment for our children. All actions start with one person and grow into a collective wave of change. Connie believes Los Altos and Los Altos Hills are perfectly poised, with their educated residents, affluence and regional influence, to be the leaders of change and leave a lasting positive legacy for our planet. Through GreenTown Los Altos programs, education and policy influence, Connie hopes to be a resource for and inspire positive environmental change in others. Don Weiden Treasurer Don’s career as a civil/environmental engineer and his personal enjoyment in wilderness camping since grade school have led to his interest in minimizing the impacts of our engineered and human activities on the natural environment. He became interested in GreenTown Los Altos when investigating residential solar panels for his home and is now a proponent of converting vehicles and equipment from using fossil fuels to clean electrical energy. Gary Hedden Past President, Board Member Conservation Lead Gary joined GreenTown in 2011 and now leads the effort to protect our natural resources. That means planting trees, cleaning creeks and advocating for sound conservation policies. He still likes to bike, and leads the Historic Homes Bike Ride, the Native Garden Bike Tour, the Hardy Jones Memorial Bike Ride, and the Summer & Winter Solstice night bike rides. Glenda Chang Board Member Water Lead, Eating Green Lead Glenda is a long-time reef and ocean conservation advocate, and pursues the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Change for a healthier planet can start at home, by young and old alike. As such, she is eager to learn, collaborate, and engage together as a community. Her interests include SCUBA diving, technological innovation, disaster relief, island nations and their people, discovering the outdoors, photography, and being foodies with her family. One of her recent projects is providing clean water to an indigenous mountain tribe. Laura Teksler Board Member Laura first became involved with GreenTown as the Almond parent lead for the Walk or Wheel (WoW) program over a decade ago. She is a life-long environmentalist and lover of the outdoors who has dedicated her paid and volunteer careers to sustainability efforts. Recently through her work on the Los Altos Environmental Commission and Acterra she has become an advocate for home electrification. Madhuri Davidson Board Member Madhuri has been a volunteer in many of GreenTown's conservation projects. Recently, she has taken on a pivotal role, working alongside Jana to maintain, update, and clean up our membership database. Madhuri is a Living Classroom Docent at Springer Elementary where her two children are students. She is also working with GreenTown and the City to revive the WoW program and Safe Routes to School education program at Springer Elementary! Cary Anderson Eating Green Lead Cary enjoys an active lifestyle as a retired CPA and as CFO in private equity and commercial real estate industries. Cary currently volunteers for the YMCA basketball programs, the LAHS Mentor/Tutor program and, recently, a vegan farm / animal sanctuary. Cary enjoys learning how things work, being hands-on and has a strange attraction to performing manual labor ("brawn over brains"). As the Eating- Green lead, he aims to have fun challenging himself and encouraging others to better understand how our food choices impact all forms of life. Kim Jelfs Adopt-A-Highway Lead Past Board Member, Kim first became involved with GreenTown through our "Skip the Straw' campaign and hasn't looked back! She loved our hands-on, "can do" approach and immediately felt at home. A former H.R. Manager, she has volunteered in schools and local communities and is passionate about waste reduction, eliminating single-use plastics, and living sustainably. When not growing food in her garden, you can find Kim hiking local trails and traveling. Kris Jensen Consulting Director, Development Kris is our quintessential perfect match. The living embodiment of an advocate, starting at age 13 by penning a note to Pres. Reagan protesting removing the White House’s solar panels. He lives sustainably, is a certified permaculture designer, gardens, cooks and does woodwork when he’s not guiding our community efforts. Michele Gerstel Marketing Lead Michele admits joining the GreenTown team was a no brainer. Why? Who wouldn’t want to be a part of a team of passionate, brilliant residents working to improve our community’s future? Marketing its programs are just plain fun. Not to mention rewarding. Enough to keep anyone smiling. Jana Schlanker Organization Lead Jana is our organizational go to. Her smiling face makes it easy to make any request and know it will be readily handled. From managing our growing database, organizing volunteers and coordinating events, she has an eye for details that we enjoy having on board.