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Home: Welcome Meet the 2026 Summer Interns! Working on understading the "Food waste pyramid" and "Battery recyclcing" Lear More Make your next part Eco-Friendly! Borrow a reusable party-pack More Info UPCOMING EVENTS No events at the moment LATEST NEWS & ARTICLES Latest Newsletter Subscribe My Accidental Dive Into Laundry‑to‑Landscape Graywater Glenda Chang Introducing Our 2026 Summer Interns! suresh56 Bike Month Brings the Community Together on Two Wheels! Margie Suozzo GreenTown Los Altos’ LASD WoW! Survey Analysis - Fall 2025 Margie Suozzo Green Gardeners - Use Electric Leaf Blowers! Linda Ziff Electrification Journey KJ Janowski Follow us on Instagram @greentownlosaltos Load more CONNECT WITH US Subscribe to our Newsletter SEARCH THE SITE

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

Conservation Creek Cleanup 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 CONTACT US For inquiries about Creek Cleanup program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

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

WHAT WE DO OUR PROGRAM AREAS Clean Transportation . Conservation . Clean Air . Zero Waste . Eating Green We engage the community around these objectives through specific projects, education, and advocacy. Read more below. CLEAN TRANSPORTATION Transportation is the largest source of local carbon emissions. Our objective is to encourage our community to make conscious choices about how we commute and travel - Choosing walking or biking first, eliminating single car drives and if driving at all - Go Electric! We strive to encourage and enable these options through various activities and events that we hope you'll enjoy. Learn More... CONSERVATION Sustainable use of our land and water is essential to our collective well-being. GreenTown supports urban development that encourages clean parks and open spaces, higher density development, and community hubs that promote friendly social interactions. We support policies that encourage wise use of our water resources and better management of storm water run-off. Learn More... CLEAN AIR Our clean air efforts are focused on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that trap heat and cause diseases like respiratory illnesses as a result. We target local level actions to minimize their global effect for both residences & businesses. We hope you'll find out more to do your part! Learn More... EATING GREEN When it comes to plant-based eating, what’s not to love? It’s good for our planet, good for our health and good for the animals! Our Eating Green team is here to support you and local restaurants in transitioning to more plant-based meals through education, recipes, and community! Learn More... ZERO WASTE Reducing waste in our community is WAY more than recycling! The original 3 R’s of sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…have evolved to include: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Refill, Repair, Repurpose, Regift, Recycle, Repeat. We seek to support our residents, schools and businesses in their efforts to reduce waste, especially single-use plastic, and we advocate for local and state policies that reduce plastic use and pollution and reduce contamination of our landfills, lands and waterways due to toxic waste materials. Learn More...

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.

ZERO WASTE WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP OUR MISSION Inspire our community to learn more about the health and environmental impacts of unsustainable practices such as using plastic for items that can be made from more earth-friendly materials such glass, metal, wood and natural fibers Provide practical solutions for reducing waste to our residents, schools, and businesses Facilitate proper recycling when no other option is available to reuse items Educate families on the health and environmental effects from chemically-derived materials in packaging, furniture, clothing, toys, etc. and suggest ways to minimize such harms Share resources so we all can become better stewards of local natural resources Advocate for local and state policies and legislation that help us meet our goal of moving toward zero waste living THE PROBLEM About two thirds of all the plastic ever produced has been released into the environment and remains there as: ocean debris, micro- or nanoparticles in air and agricultural soils, microfibers in water supplies, or microparticles in human bodies There are affordable, reasonable changes we can make as individuals, families, and as a community that will improve our environment and reduce our health risks from the chemicals we are exposed to from plastic The majority of plastic waste (and essentially all single-use plastic) cannot be recycled, despite the “chasing arrows” imprint on the bottom In 2020, California became the first US state to enact a recycled content requirement for plastic beverage container! The first benchmark is to reach 15% recycled content by 2022, on the way to a 50% requirement by 2030 HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED Take Action with the 7 Rs! Zero Waste Brochure Reducing and reusing can reduce greenhouse gasses. Together, our individual steps in waste reduction make a big difference Download Brochure A Zero Waste Story How are WE ever going to DO THIS? by Anne Marie Bonneau Learn More Join the Zero Waste team! If you are passionate about eliminating single use plastics, reducing packaging or reducing waste in the community please join us! Email Us Borrow a Party Pack! Your next party can be ECO-FRIENDLY Zero-waste parties are gaining in popularity. Why not borrow the items you need (to serve up to 40) instead of buying single-use throwaways? Learn More Ocean Plastics: What Goes Around Comes Around; Now In A Better Way Learn More Plastic Free July Go plastic-free this month! Join Us during the month of July and beyond to eliminate single-use plastics from your life and your community. Learn More The Story of Plastic A Story of Injustice. Plastic pollution is truly an environmental injustice impacting all of us—some more than others... Learn More

CLEAN AIR WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP OUR MISSION We advocate for alternatives to using methane (natural gas) in and around your home. The Ambassador program helps you transition to electric appliances in your home. THE PROBLEM CO2 emissions from our homes is a big percentage of the total emissions pie. Using a gas leaf blower pollutes as bad as driving a big truck without any smog devices. Methane gas is hazardous to your health HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED Learn More or Get Involved ... If you would like to learn how you can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in you home or business or would like to help in the efforts, please contact us! Email Us Don't Blow It! Gas-powered leaf blowers are illegal in over 170 cities across the country because they are highly polluting, unhealthy and noisy. What can you do about it? Learn More Electrifying Your Home Make the switch to clean energy in your home. Lean More Why I Cook With Induction! Hear why this chef cooks almost exclusively with induction these days - and why they won't be going back to gas in the home! Watch the Video Switch to Electric '23 Incentives Learn about tax credits, rebates and other incentives to help households switch out their fossil-fueled appliances to electric appliances Download PDF Reach Codes in Los Altos Electric homes save money, your health and the environment. Learn about why this is important and how the city is addressing it! Learn More

Building Community for Electrification Code Red Series March 18, 12 - 1 PM via Zoom Register Here Home: Welcome LATEST NEWS & ARTICLES GreenTown Blog | Subscribe to Newsletter My Accidental Dive Into Laundry‑to‑Landscape Graywater Glenda Chang Jun 22 Introducing Our 2026 Summer Interns! suresh56 Jun 22 Bike Month Brings the Community Together on Two Wheels! Margie Suozzo May 5 GreenTown Los Altos’ LASD WoW! Survey Analysis - Fall 2025 Margie Suozzo Apr 2 Green Gardeners - Use Electric Leaf Blowers! Linda Ziff Jan 29 Electrification Journey KJ Janowski Sep 12, 2025 UPCOMING EVENTS Event Calendar No events at the moment CONNECT WITH US SEARCH THE SITE

Conservation Stormwater RunOff 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. This handbook was developed by highschool student Aanya Dhruv and sought the help of with the city engineers to get it up to the Los Altos housing codes. She is also the founder of ejgrassroots.org that is focused on environmental justice and leveraging science to solve environmental issues. RESOURCES Email Us For inquiries about the SchoolWoW! program contact us at: info@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