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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

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

About Us Mission 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 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, Woodland Library Garden 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 Clean Air, Electrification 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 Schools WoW!, Zero Waste 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.

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

WHY EAT GREEN? Eating Green BACKGROUND When it comes to plant-based diets, what’s not to like? It’s good for our planet, good for our health and good for the animals! GreenTown Los Altos is here to support YOU and local restaurants in transitioning to more plant-based meals! Here’s why. Healthy Planet = Healthy People Plant-based eating is good for the planet A plant-based diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – Raising animals for human consumption is a major cause of climate change, generating 18 percent of all GHGs globally. Eating green saves freshwater resources – Nearly 30 percent of freshwater is used for animal agriculture and animal agriculture is a large source of pollution of waterways, coastal areas and coral reefs. Plant-based eating results in more sustainable land use – Three-quarters of all agricultural land is used for animal agriculture. Increased land use for animal agriculture is a key factor in deforestation leading to species extinction and biodiversity loss. Seventy percent of previous forested land in the Amazon is now pasture and feed-crops cover a large part of the remainder. Healthy Bodies = Happy Bodies Eating green is good for your health A low-fat, plant-based diet, combined with regular exercise and a healthy overall lifestyle, can prevent, delay and even reverse heart disease and other cardiovascular events. Plant-based diets have been shown to control and reverse Type II diabetes. Large healthcare organizations, like Kaiser Permanente now advise all of their 17,000+ physicians to recommend a plant-based diet to all their patients. Happy Animals = Happy Planet Plant-based diets are compassionate Plant-based eating reduces animal death and enables animals to live out their full lives. For every person in the world, more than 10 animals are slaughtered each year. Animals are slaughtered at a fraction of their lifespan. Chickens naturally live for 10 years, but when bred for meat, they are typically killed at 6 weeks. Pigs, which live for 15 years, are typically killed at 6 months. Plant-based eating spares animal suffering. The vast majority of chickens, cows and pigs are raised on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to maximize efficiency and profitability in living conditions that are not humane. Animals are denied their basic instincts, like roaming, nesting, and nurturing their young. Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents want to eat more plants More than two-thirds of omnivores surveyed in Los Altos/Hills want to eat more plant-based foods. Nearly half of the omnivores surveyed are not happy with the number of plant-based options at local restaurants. This number jumps to two-third when vegans and vegetarians are included. Barriers to residents adopting more plant-based foods at home include a lack of recipes and concerns about nutrition. That’s where we come in. References Livestock’s long shadow (UN FAO 2006) The water footprint of poultry, pork and beef: A comparative study in different countries and production systems Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity Center for Biological Diversity Physicans Committee for Responsible Medicine on Heart Disease Physicans Committee for Responsible Medicine on Heart Disease A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets Greenpeace “Less Is More” goal UN FAO statistics RESOURCES Greenpeace Less is More Campaign Food Revolution Network One Meal a Day for the Planet Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Veghead, etc. VegNews Email Us For inquiries about the "Eating Green" program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

Eating Green Why Eat Green? BACKGROUND When it comes to plant-based diets, what’s not to like? It’s good for our planet, good for our health and good for the animals! GreenTown Los Altos is here to support YOU and local restaurants in transitioning to more plant-based meals! Here’s why. Healthy Planet = Healthy People Plant-based eating is good for the planet A plant-based diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – Raising animals for human consumption is a major cause of climate change, generating 18 percent of all GHGs globally. Eating green saves freshwater resources – Nearly 30 percent of freshwater is used for animal agriculture and animal agriculture is a large source of pollution of waterways, coastal areas and coral reefs. Plant-based eating results in more sustainable land use – Three-quarters of all agricultural land is used for animal agriculture. Increased land use for animal agriculture is a key factor in deforestation leading to species extinction and biodiversity loss. Seventy percent of previous forested land in the Amazon is now pasture and feed-crops cover a large part of the remainder. Healthy Bodies = Happy Bodies Eating green is good for your health A low-fat, plant-based diet, combined with regular exercise and a healthy overall lifestyle, can prevent, delay and even reverse heart disease and other cardiovascular events. Plant-based diets have been shown to control and reverse Type II diabetes. Large healthcare organizations, like Kaiser Permanente now advise all of their 17,000+ physicians to recommend a plant-based diet to all their patients. Happy Animals = Happy Planet Plant-based diets are compassionate Plant-based eating reduces animal death and enables animals to live out their full lives. For every person in the world, more than 10 animals are slaughtered each year. Animals are slaughtered at a fraction of their lifespan. Chickens naturally live for 10 years, but when bred for meat, they are typically killed at 6 weeks. Pigs, which live for 15 years, are typically killed at 6 months. Plant-based eating spares animal suffering. The vast majority of chickens, cows and pigs are raised on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to maximize efficiency and profitability in living conditions that are not humane. Animals are denied their basic instincts, like roaming, nesting, and nurturing their young. Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents want to eat more plants More than two-thirds of omnivores surveyed in Los Altos/Hills want to eat more plant-based foods. Nearly half of the omnivores surveyed are not happy with the number of plant-based options at local restaurants. This number jumps to two-third when vegans and vegetarians are included. Barriers to residents adopting more plant-based foods at home include a lack of recipes and concerns about nutrition. That’s where we come in. References Livestock’s long shadow (UN FAO 2006) The water footprint of poultry, pork and beef: A comparative study in different countries and production systems Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity Center for Biological Diversity Physicans Committee for Responsible Medicine on Heart Disease Physicans Committee for Responsible Medicine on Heart Disease A low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized clinical trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets Greenpeace “Less Is More” goal UN FAO statistics Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies! Please enjoy these vegan chocolate chip cookies! The recipe was developed by the 2023 GreenTown summer interns. A local baker, Daphne Ross baked and donated these delectable treats for GreenTown's Annual Fundraiser. A big thanks to her - please learn more about Daphne here: www.snack-dragon.com RESOURCES Greenpeace Less is More Campaign Food Revolution Network One Meal a Day for the Planet Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Veghead, etc. VegNews Email Us For inquiries about the "Eating Green" program contact us at: info@greentownlosaltos.org

EATING GREEN WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP OUR MISSION Reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and other negative environmental impacts of animal agriculture Educate residents about the benefits of plant-based foods Encourage residents’ transition to plant-based eating Support local restaurants in shift to more plant-based menu items THE PROBLEM Plant-based eating is good for the planet: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves freshwater resources and results in more sustainable land-use Eating green is good for your health: Can prevent, delay and even reverse heart disease, control and reverse Type II diabetes Plant-based diets are compassionate: Spares animal suffering, reduces animal death and and enables animals to live out their full lives HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED Join the Eating Green team! If you are passionate about promoting Eating Green or would like to learn more about how we can help with the transition to a plant-based diet, please let us know! Email Us Why Eat Green? Learn the facts and benefits of transitioning to a plant-based diet. It is good for the environment, good for your health and compassionate towards animals. Learn More The Plant-Based Family A guide to feeding your family that’s good for them and good for the planet, too! Learn More

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 - 468 - 0903 ANNUAL REPORTS Reports 2024-25 Annual Report 2023-24 Annual Report 2022-23 Annual Report 2021-22 Annual Report

SCHOOLS Walk or Wheel (WoW) Clean Transportation BACKGROUND The Walk or Wheel! (WoW!) Program encourages biking, walking and carpooling to school. We've been working with schools since 2009. WoW!ing to school means fewer single passenger car trips, cleaner air, lower carbon emissions and more fun! With kids back in school, we're ready to help ramp up WoW! activity. Will you be our next champion? GreenTown provides support to school volunteers to work with students to embrace, educate and empower them to think “Walk or Wheel!” . BENEFITS Positively impacts kids’ well-being Reduces vehicle miles, pollution and carbon emissions Boosts kids’ confidence and fosters bonding with peers Encourages a healthy, fit lifestyle Reduces local school traffic, improving kids’ safety BICYCLE SAFETY EDUCATION The City of Los Altos is working to build a more sustainable bicycle and pedestrian safety education program in local schools. Visit Los Altos' Safe Routes to School page for more information. Options for good bike safety education include: School Assemblies for Elementary Schools Hands-on Bike Rodeos for 3rd and 4th Graders Drive that Bike Classes for Junior High Raising Safe Cyclists for all Parents Bicycle Safety Brochure for Parents & Students STUDENT TRAVEL MODES GreenTown also works with the Los Altos and Cupertino School Districts and Bullis Charter School to survey Los Altos/Hills’ student travel modes two to three times during the year. Findings include: More students WoW! to school in upper grades: approx. 40% of 6th graders; more than 60% of 7th and 8th graders. Junior High top the charts: approx. 65% of Blach and 45% of Egan students WoW! to school. Elementary Schools with greater WoW! student populations have high parent involvement and active WoW! programs. Fewer students WoW! to/from elementary schools with attendance areas on the other side of a major thoroughfare (e.g., Foothill or El Camino). Blach Intermediate consistently has the highest WoW! rates. WALKING SCHOOL BUS A Walking School Bus is a great way to encourage a healthy and environmentally friendly way of getting to school. This type of program is perfect for younger children who need supervision. It can be easily organized by parents and take place once a week, a couple times a week, or even everyday! Steps for Starting Simple: Families in the same neighborhood decide to walk together to and from school. A route is designed and tested by adults for safety. Don’t forget to record how much time the entire route takes. Refer to the list of maps above to determine the best route for your walking school bus. The group decides how often to walk together. Consistent walking school buses are often the most successful. Create a phone list to ensure that all children have emergency contact numbers. Let the Walking School Bus begin! Get Started with this planning guide! BICYCLE TRAIN Similar to the Walking School Bus concept, a Bicycle Train is a group of neighbors that ride their bikes together to and from school. This program involves more planning and training since children must understand bicycle safety and how to ride on a road. Basic Considerations: Bicycle trains are best suited for older elementary children. We recommend that you start out by providing your children with a basic understanding of the rules of the road and bicycle safety. Practice as a group and have several parents on hand to help demonstrate. Every child must wear a bicycle helmet. Check to make sure that your child’s bicycle is working properly and is an appropriate size. More adult supervision is needed than for Walking School Buses. Consider having one adult for every three to six children. See Bicycling to School Together: A Bike Train Planning Guide for an example of steps to implementing a bicycle train in your neighborhood. We Need You! GreenTown is looking for a new WoW Project Lead! The role provides support to school leads in promoting alternative forms of transportation to school, including biking, walking and carpooling. Please contact us at volunteer@greentownlosaltos.org if you are interested in joining us RESOURCES Los Altos City Safe Routes to School maps Recommended Los Altos City Bike Map Santa Clara County Safe Routes to School resources Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety for Parents and Youth booklet Walk and Bike to School Day Toolkit Email Us For inquiries about the SchoolWoW! program contact us at: bike@greentownlosaltos.org