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

DON'T BLOW IT! Clean Air No FAQs yet This category doesn't have any FAQs at the moment. Check back later or explore other categories. RESOURCES "Don't Blow It!" Flyer Letter to Landscape Provider: English - Spanish 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 Email Us For inquiries about the "Don't Blow it!" program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

REUSABLE PARTY PACKS Zero Waste Make Your Next Party ECO-FRIENDLY! Zero-waste parties are gaining in popularity. Why not borrow the items you need (to serve up to 40 guests) instead of buying single-use throwaways? Reusable Party Packs Available to Borrow from GreenTown Los Altos GreenTown Los Altos has put together two Party Packs (each serving 20 people) for loan to local residents who want their parties to be eco-friendly. Each Party Pack contains 20 reusable plates, bowls, flatware, and cups by Preserve brand (100% recycled plastic, BPA- and melamine-free, and dishwasher safe) plus 20 cotton easy-to-launder napkins. Borrow one or both Party Packs! Party Pack items will be clean and ready to use when you pick them up, and we just ask that you return them clean and ready for the next borrower. Help our community reduce single-use unrecyclable plastic that is littering our landscapes and polluting our oceans. For more information, please email us at partypack@greentownlosaltos.org or use the form in the link under resources (to the right) to request to borrow a Party Pack. Available to Borrow! Please fill out the form to request to borrow a Party Pack REQUEST FORM or Email partypack@greentownlosaltos.org CONTACT US Email Us For inquiries about other Zero Waste projects, please contact us at: waste@greentownlosaltos.org

Events UPCOMING 500 Trees - Library Talk Register Come learn about our 500 Tree campaign. Why are we doing this? How can you get a Tree? Presented by Gary Hedden 500 Trees - Library Talk Register Come learn about our 500 Tree campaign. Why are we doing this? How can you get a Tree? Presented by Gary Hedden CALENDAR

STORMWATER RUNOFF Conservation BACKGROUND Runoff is rain that falls onto hardscape such as the asphalt and concrete of driveways, walkways, and streets. These impervious surfaces in our urban environment prevent stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground. Following 3 years of GreenTown advocacy, in November 2018 the Los Altos City Council voted to adopt eco-friendly solutions to capture dirty street runoff. The Shoulder Paving Policy, which applies to all new residential construction and major remodels, embraces permeable materials in the City Right of Way. Organic materials allow rain to sink into the ground, where toxins are captured and decompose. These “green streets” keep polluted water out of our waterways. The abundance of natural frontage in Los Altos, streets without curbs and gutters, offer tremendous opportunity to maximize stormwater capture. THE PROBLEM Believe it or not, the single largest source of pollution in the San Francisco Bay is stormwater runoff. Runoff flows through the system of curbs and gutters to storm drains that empty directly into our watershed. Along the way, beautiful rain transforms into a pollutant. Stormwater runoff picks up oil, grease and metals from cars, chemicals that leech from asphalt, fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides from our landscape, and pet waste laden with bacteria and viruses. These pollutants pose health risks to humans, wildlife, and plants. HOW YOU CAN HELP Minimize Hardscape. Maximize Greenscape. Be a part of the solution to stormwater pollution! Capturing rain where it falls helps to keep our waterways clean and healthy. Rain water is easily captured in rain gardens, vegetated swales, catch basins, dry creeks and other greenscapes. The water is purified as it gradually percolates through the soil and recharges our aquifers. To learn more watch the videos in the resources section: “Capture Rain Where It Falls” Permeable Surfaces Handbook The "Permeable Surfaces Handbook" is a comprehensive, innovative guide designed to educate readers on easy installation of permeable surfaces, aligning with the Los Altos city code for permeable surfaces for sidewalks, walkways, patios, driveways and/or uncovered parking lots. It provides practical advice on installation and maintenance, aiming to help both DIY enthusiasts and professionals implement these eco-friendly solutions. The handbook was developed by high school student Aanya Dhruv. She worked with city engineers and iterated the guide to get it up to Los Altos housing codes. Aanya leads the ejgrassroots.org initiative that is focused on environmental justice and leveraging science to solve environmental issues. RESOURCES Download the "Permeable Surfaces Handbook " Learn about the storm water runoff and how you can help manage it - watch the videos bleow: Email Us For inquiries about stromwater run-off contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

Pollinator Gardens Conservation NATURE IS CALLING! Want to encourage song birds and butterflies? Plant a pollinator garden with California native plants! Small pollinator gardens scattered throughout the city will form a healthy connection for the insects and birds that will help them thrive. NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDEN PROGRAM Pick out a small sunny location on your property, about 100sf, or a circle about 11ft. in diameter, and we will suggest some plants that will look attractive and as a group will provide color that spans the entire blooming season. We offer two levels of support: Premium Full Service: We consult with the homeowner, present our suggested plants, purchase the plants and mulch, and with the help of volunteers, plant everything. The homeowner will water the plants and weed as necessary. Cost: $250 Do it Yourself: We consult with the homeowner, present our suggested plants, purchase the plants and mulch, but the homeowner plants everything and waters the plants and weeds as needed. Cost: $175 These prices cover most but not all of our costs. We will start planting in January and will cap the Premium Full Service at ten (10) recipients for this first year. If you are interested please sign up using the form on this page. RESEARCH GreenTown's 2025 Summer interns, Luke Byrne, Huck Twerdahl and Sahana Srinivasan laid the groundwork for the pollinator gardens with their research in Sustainable Landscapes in Los Altos. They were mentored by Gary Hedden, Madhuri Davidson & KJ Janowski. Below are links to their presentation & Video Thank you for your interest in Pollinator Gardens but we are now fully booked and registration is closed for this planting season. FIRST NAME* LAST NAME* E-MAIL* ADDRESS PLEASE CHOOSE A LEVEL OF SUPPORT* Do it Yourself The Premium Service level is sold out for the season. Please check back with us in the Spring of 2026 for updates. Additional comments Submit RESOURCES Summer Intern Project Presentation Intern Presentation Video

RECYCLE WATER: GRAYWATER Conservation BACKGROUND Graywater is lightly used water from clothes washers, showers, bathtub, and bathroom sinks. Although it contains some soap and detergents, it’s a safe water supply for most landscapes. A graywater system can save water, money and time. Learn about the types of graywater systems and if a graywater system is right for you. Attend a 4-part virtual graywater workshop and check out the rebates here. THE PROBLEM With demand for water exceeding the supply in California, we need to look for additional sources of water. Greywater in one solution. Greywater is gently used water from your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs and washing machines. Although it contains some soap and detergents, it’s a safe water supply for most landscapes. A greywater system can save water, money and time. HOW YOU CAN HELP Learn about installing a graywater system at home by referring to the resources on the right! RESOURCES The Water-Wise Home Create An Oasis with Greywater Greywater Action Graywater & Water-saving resources at Valley Water For inquiries about Graywater program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

Delicious Vegan Cookie Eating Green Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies! Please enjoy these vegan chocolate chip cookies! The recipe was developed by GreenTown's 2023 summer interns. They also developed many other recipes and have compiled a cookbook to get you stared on your "Eating Green" journey. Look for the cookbook soon... Many thanks to local baker Daphne Ross for baking and donating these delectable treats for our Annual Fundraiser. You can learn more about Daphne here: www.snack-dragon.com Recipe INGREDIENTS 1 cup all purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp oat milk/ milk of choice 2 tbsp vegan butter 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup chocolate chip INSTRUCTIONS Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, then add all wet ingredients If needed, add an additional tablespoon of milk Fold in chocolate chips Cover and place in fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes Line a sheet pan with parchment paper Form balls with approximately 2 tbsp of dough, and place at least 3 inches apart on the sheet pan Place pan back into fridge for additional 30 minutes, while waiting, preheat oven to 325° Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan half way through to ensure even baking Once out of the oven, leave untouched for 15 minutes then enjoy! Notes: We found that Miyokos cultured butter had the best results RESOURCES 2023 Summer Interns For inquiries about the "Eating Green" program or to share yoiur thoughts and recipes, contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

500 TREES Conservation BACKGROUND Trees help you, our city and the planet. They look attractive, their shade will keep your home cooler in the summer and trees sequester carbon while producing oxygen. Trees can play a pivotal role in the response to climate change and you can make a difference. GreenTown's 500Trees program reaches its Goal! GreenTown Los Altos is happy to report that we planted tree #500 in December 2024 and the last tree, #538, in April 2025. We celebrated meeting our goal of 500 trees on Arbor Day, April 2025. Below are pictures of volunteers helping us along the journey! 500 Trees Planted! RESOURCES Tree List Resilient Trees

Contact Us We'd Love to hear thoughts! Send Suggestions | Comments | Questions info@greentownlosaltos.org P.O. Box 539, Los Altos, CA 94023-0539 650 - 383 - 7540 ANNUAL REPORTS Open 2024-25 Annual Report Open 2023-24 Annual Report Open 2022-23 Annual Report Open 2021-22 Annual Report Open 2020-21 Annual Report Reports