Category: Green

Rivertown Revival is proud to partner with Green Mary Event Waste Diversion to ensure that our pristeen McNear Peninsula is kept litter-free.  To support our goals of Zero Waste, all food and beverage will be served in compostable serviceware.  No bottled water will be sold at the festival- instead, multiple water stations will be available for Revivalists to fill their own canteens, unbreakable bottles, and cups.

You’ll see Green Mary’s crew all around helping to sort out our recyclables from our compostables- please do your part to help them out!  We’re looking for Green Team members to volunteer for this important and integral part of Rivertown Revival.

Daily Acts and Petaluma-based Rivertown Revival launch a branch of the successful 350 Home and Garden Challenge: Rivertown Gardens

Daily Acts and Rivertown Revival announce Rivertown Gardens, a call to action. Transform your lawn into a water-saving and food-producing garden, and fly a Rivertown Revival nautical flag to signify your love of our River. In honor of Petaluma’s 154th year, Daily Acts and Rivertown Revival invite Petaluma residents to produce 154 water-wise, edible Petaluma “Rivertown Gardens.” Register your garden as part of the 350 Home and Garden Challenge by May 13th online, and join thousands of other Sonoma County residents growing food, saving water, conserving energy, and building community!

Rivertown Gardens is an invitation to the Petaluma community to link your home garden actions to the wellbeing of our watershed. Take on any number of actions and register them online so we can see the impact of all of us working collectively for the health of our river and community. Here are some of the many ways to get involved in the Challenge: install a greywater system; create a rain garden; divert your downspouts; grow your own organic food; and/or transform your thirsty lawn into an edible ecosystem. Each one of these simple actions increases the health of our watershed by reducing toxins, reducing demand on city water resources, and increasing mindfulness about where our water comes from and where it goes when it leaves our property.

“I was thrilled when Erin Axelrod, programs manager for Daily Acts, approached us about this partnership. One of Rivertown Revival’s primary goals is to build community projects that reflect our town’s wonderful culture and spirit. What better way than to partner with Daily Acts’ 350 Home and Garden Challenge?” says Kelin Backman, event director for Rivertown Revival. “We are celebrating our heritage while taking a stand for our future.”

In addition to water- and energy-saving projects taking place all across Sonoma County May 12-13, Petaluma-featured 350 Home and Garden Challenge projects will include:

• A Rivertown Garden at the David Yearsley River Heritage Center
• A 4,000 square foot lawn transformation at the Petaluma Valley Health Center that will become a model educational food garden, saving tens of thousands of gallons of water annually.

More information about Rivertown Gardens visit Daily Acts’ 350 Home and Garden Challenge

The official press release:

For release 4/22/2011

The Rivertown Revival Lays Groundwork for Greenest Event in Petaluma History
Petaluma, CA (April 22, 2011) The organizing committee for Petaluma’s Rivertown Revival met with team members and vendors this week to outline the goals and strategy to make this large festival the greenest event in Petaluma History.

“BYOC (buy or bring your own cup) only begins to illustrate our commitment to limiting the environmental footprint of this event,” states Kelin Backman, chief organizer and proprietor of Clementine Eco-Events.  “We are targeting every aspect, from an aggressive landfill-diversion program to solar powered generators, always keeping the impact to the peninsula and the environment at the top of our thoughts”

With over 6,000 people expected to attend, the organizing team knows that education, pre-event press, and ample informational signage on the greening elements will be the best hope for overall compliance by the event-goers.

“We’re hoping to get the word out about our water stations,” Backman continued, “we’re encouraging people to purchase low cost reusable bottles or pints to fill.”  The organizers plan for multiple water-filling stations set throughout the 10-acre venue, and will be selling stainless steel bottles and pint cups, all created by sponsors Lagunitas Brewing Company and Heritage Salvage of Petaluma.

Attendees are encouraged to walk, carpool, or bike to the festival, and will be able to take advantage of a convenient and cost-free bicycle valet provided by the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition.

Once inside, they will notice the large solar panels brought in to power the stage and vendor booths, the compost and recycle bins, and the eco-friendly serviceware provided by the food vendors. Each vendor has been vetted by Green event expert, Green Mary, and is committed to mirror the Revival’s goals in waste and energy reduction .

Mary Munat, known as Green Mary, is working with the organizers on water stations, waste diversion, and all policies and procedures for the sustainability of the event. Together, the team has even negotiated with a local waste manager to process all plant-based disposable cups at the event into compost in the days following the Revival.

“Typically ‘compostable’ cups end up in landfills since they are not recyclable, or are hauled to Solano County which is the closest processor of these earth-ware disposables” emphasizes Kelin Backman.  “We are over-the-moon excited that we can turn these cups into compost right here in Sonoma County- and keep them out of landfill, or worse, our river”.

Captain Dave Yearsley, Executive Director of Friends of the Petaluma River, the festival’s benefitting organization, has a special interest in the festival waste reduction plan.  “Each year when we’ve organized a River Cleanup Day, we’ve hauled away countless plastic bags and hundreds of Styrofoam cups and fast-food containers from the banks of our River” Captain Yearsley declared. “We at the Friends of the River are taking an active role with Clementine Eco-Events and our food vendors to make sure that the only things seen on our banks are wildlife, native grasses and River aficionados.”

The Rivertown Revival is a fundraising event to benefit Friends of the Petaluma River who, in partnership with the City of Petaluma, are developing The River Heritage Center as a nature education resource for the community.

The weekend-long event kicks off with a fundraising bash on Friday night (hosted by The Handcar Regatta). Saturday’s Revival is an all-day festival, which includes art boat races and floating art barges, local music, artisan crafts, food and drink and over 40 fabulous local vendors. The focus on Petaluma continues Sunday with open farm tours offered to the participants.

To learn more about the Rivertown Revival, visit www.rivertownrevival.com

To learn more about Green Mary, visit www.green-mary.com/

To learn more about the Friends of the Petaluma River, visit www.friendsofthepetalumariver.org/

About Clementine Eco Events

Clementine plans eco-fabulous events that are mindful of environment, community and budget. We structure our services around the triple bottom line principle: economy, ecology, and community impact. We offer realistic options that lessen environmental footprint and are cutting edge in the green collar economy. A Clementine event is never trashy.
Press Contact: Laura Bell Way laurabellway@gmail.com