Arts & Events

May 4 and May 5 are the in person Bringing Back the Natives Garden tours from 10 am – 5 pm. There are sixty gardens big and small open to the public over the weekend. The tour is free (donations are welcome). You must register to receive the garden tour addresses. https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/2024-tour-registration

While you are waiting for the email from Kathy Kramer with the tour addresses, start checking out the garden descriptions and photos listed on the 2024 in-person tour webpage.
• BAYSIDE CITY LOCATIONS (number of gardens): Alameda (1), Albany (3), Berkeley (10), Castro Valley (5), El Cerrito (2), Hayward (4), Kensington (1), Oakland (8), Piedmont (1), Pinole (2), Richmond (3), San Leandro (2), San Pablo (1)
• INLAND CITY LOCATIONS (number of gardens): Antioch (1), Clayton (1), Concord (1), Danville (1), Lafayette (1), Livermore (5), Martinez (2), Moraga (1), Pleasant Hill (1), San Ramon (3) Walnut Creek (1)

How to make your windows bird safe is on the Saturday Garden Tour at Keith Johnson’s and Erin Diehm’s house in Berkeley. Their display includes multiple samples of window film and inexpensive DIY projects. (44% of bird glass collisions occur on 1,2, & 3 story buildings)

Most of us have heard by now that if we don’t have milkweed, we don’t have Monarch butterflies. There is so much more to native plants. Native plants are easier to care for, bring joy with butterflies and hummingbirds and full of beauty.

If native plants haven’t been on your priority list please watch the Douglas Tallamy YouTube video with Tallamy giving us the “why” little bites out of plant leaves from caterpillars is reason to celebrate, not a reason to take a trip to by pesticide poisons. Caterpillars are the perfect baby bird food. Even Hummingbird babies need bugs to grow and fledge. https://youtu.be/ft7tWw470sY?si=PpujMALov3q9_hVP

Calscape, the native plants resource, is filled with thousands of choices which makes going on the in person tour the perfect way to start. https://calscape.org

Tour Instructions: If you are someone who takes your dog everywhere, note dogs are not allowed in the gardens. The tour planners and volunteers request, please leave your dog at home. -more-

This month I have six mystery/thriller novels to recommend and one to avoid. There wasn’t a sure-fire winner in April, as there was in March with Tana French’s The Hunter. This month’s novels shared a common flaw: their endings were convoluted. -more-

Worth Noting:

Nice weather is here, before you go out and make all kinds of gardening mistakes check out the resources on Bringing Back the Native Garden Tour including the YouTube channel with Douglas Tallamy on why to use native plants, Erin Diehm on how to make your windows bird safe and garden tour videos, https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net Then go to Calscape restore nature one garden at a time to choose plants and find nurseries that specialize in native plants. http://calscape.org

Note bolded meetings:

• Monday:
  • At 9 am the Budget and Finance Committee meets in the hybrid format on the FY 2025-2026 budget. There will be an audio recording (NOT video) of the meeting.
  • At 6:30 pm the Youth Commission meets in person.
• Tuesday:
  • At 11 am the Solano BID meets in person.
  • At 4:30 pm (hybrid format) the Police Accountability Board presents the 2021-2023 report to City Council.
  • At 6 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format with items 25-PICKUPS/loading drop-off zones, 26-prioritizing referrals (see table at https://tinyurl.com/bdnnrfvu ), 27-reimagining public safety, 28-implementing AB 1033 selling ADUs separately
• Wednesday:
  • At 1:30 pm the Commission on Aging meets in person with a presentation by ACTC on the San Pablo Corridor Plan,
  • At 2 pm FITES meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 6:30 pm the HWCAC meets in person in a fully equipped room for hybrid meetings.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on Labor meets in person on Fair Work Week Ordinance.
  • At 7 pm the Commission on the Status of Women meets in person.
• Thursday:
  • At 10 am the Health, Life Enrichment, Equity & Community meets in the hybrid format with NOX on the agenda.
  • At 5:30 pm the Zero Waste Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:15 pm the Transportation and Infrastructure Commission meets in person on bicycle blvds.
  • At 6:30 pm the Community Health Commission meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the Design Review Committee meets in person.
  • At 6:30 pm the FCPC/OGC meet in person in the Cypress Room fully equipped for hybrid meetings.
• Saturday: At 9 am is shoreline cleanup.

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary and how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts and converting YouTube to a transcript.

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Check for email from Karen Klatt for MHSA Advisory Committee meeting

BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

Worth Noting:

Busy week, City Council returns from recess on May 7, 2024. The council agendas for May 7 and May 14, plus the Agenda Committee draft Council agenda for the May 21 council meeting make this Activist’s Calendar very long (sorry)

• Sunday, May 5: From 10 am – 5 pm is the inland cities Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour.
• Monday, May 6:
  • At 2:30 pm the Civic Arts Commission Grants Subcommittee meets online.
  • At 3 pm the City Council meets in the hybrid format in closed session to evaluate the City Manager.
  • At 7 pm the Peace and Justice commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
• Tuesday, May 7:
  • At 2:30 pm the Agenda Committee meets in the hybrid format.
  • The Council meets in the hybrid format starting at 4 pm to swear in Cecilia Lunaparra for District 7.
  • At 4:15 pm is the Council public hearing on the allocation of federal funds.
  • At 6 pm is the Council regular meeting.
• Wednesday, May 8:
  • At 9 am the Budget and Finance Committee meets in the hybrid format with 7 department budget presentations for FY 2025.
  • At 5 pm the Commission on Disability meets in the hybrid format for commissioners and in person only for the public. (The zoom link is not shared with the public.)
  • At 6:30 pm the Police Accountability Board (PAB) meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
• Thursday, May 9:
  • At 9 am the Budget and Finance Committee meets in the hybrid format with 6 department budget presentations for FY 2025.
  • From 4 – 6pm there is a community safety meeting at San Pablo Park.
  • At 7 pm the Zoning Adjustment Board meets in the hybrid format.
  • At 1 pm WETA meets in the hybrid format with an amendment to the WETA Berkeley MOU as agenda item 9.
• Saturday, May 11: From 10 am – 12 pm the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council meets online.

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice and city recreational activities at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

At the bottom of the calendar are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary and how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts and converting YouTube to a transcript.



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-

Worth Noting:

May 4 and May 5 are the free in person Bringing Back the Natives Garden tours from 10 am – 5 pm. Visit gardens planned around butterflies, hummingbirds, and caterpillars (baby bird food). Previewing the gardens online before going out is highly recommended. Saturday East Bay bayside cities list 42 gardens open to the public (all are private gardens except (1) the pollinator pathway). Sunday - Inland cities list 18 gardens (all are private except (1) the John Muir Historic site).

• You must REGISTER to receive the garden tour addresses (email will arrive from Kathy Kramer with subject line Garden Tour addresses, maps and tickets) https://www.bringingbackthenatives.net/view-gardens
• How to make your windows bird safe is on the Saturday Berkeley Garden Tour at Keith Johnson’s and Erin Diehm’s house. Their display includes multiple samples of window film and inexpensive DIY projects.
• The YouTube channel with webinars and videos of prior Bringing Back the Native Garden Tours is at: https://www.youtube.com/c/BringingBacktheNativesGardenTour
• Douglas Tallamy gives the “why” of seeing little bites out of plant leaves is reason to celebrate and not take a trip to by pesticide poisons. Even Hummingbird babies need insects to grow and fledge. https://youtu.be/ft7tWw470sY?si=PpujMALov3q9_hVP
• Calscape is the California Native Plant resource https://calscape.org

This is the 20th year of the annual garden tours. Several tour stops include all electric green homes.

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