New Sustainable San Ramon and Danville Groups to Host "Greening Your Home" Workshop

Whether it's to save money or save the environment, it can't hurt to make your home more sustainable.

That's why two local nonprofits -- Sustainable San Ramon and Sustainable Danville -- have teamed up to host a workshop on how to "green up" your home. Titled "Greening Your Home on a Budget," the free workshop, led by accredited green building expert and architect Nelda Braver, will take place at 7 p.m. on June 16 at the San Ramon Library, 100 Montgomery St.

The event also serves as the offical launch of the new Sustainable San Ramon organization.

Launch of Sustainable San Ramon

Sustainable San Ramon is still in the early stages of development, but its founders have already talked with city officials, businesses and residents to discuss ways they can collaborate on projects that promote sustainability in the city.

"Honestly, I feel like I should have done more a long time ago," said Anne Cavazos, 47, one of three founders of the San Ramon group. "But I'm doing what I can now."

Part of what she's doing by helping start up the fledgling Sustainable San Ramon is encouraging people with a passion for sustainable living to share their talent and vision with others in the community, said Cavazos, herself a certified green building expert and professional geologist who's made a career out of cleaning up environmental waste.

With enough interest and participation, Cavazos envisions hosting workshops and lectures on a regular basis. And if a member has an idea for a community service project – whether it's a community garden or a class on recycling – Cavazos wants her group to give them the platform to accomplish that.

"I want anyone who's passionate about sustainability to join us," Cavazos said. "Whether it's landscaping, local agriculture, green building – we're looking for people interested in any facet of sustainability."

And whatever that member's idea, that's what Sustainable San Ramon will pursue, she said. As a new group, she continued, all it needs it a little direction.

Sustainable San Ramon, like the newly formed Sustainable Danville, will try to obtain a tax-exempt nonprofit status through a more established grassroots group called Sustainable Contra Costa, a county-wide version of Sustainable San Ramon.

"Hopefully this event will garner some interest in what we're doing," Cavazos said. "And from there, we'll see where it goes."

At a glance
Learn more about Sustainable San Ramon at www.sustainablesanramon.org, or add the group on Facebook.

The editor of San Ramon Patch lives in San Ramon and is active in the community. She is a member of the new Sustainable San Ramon.