We are exactly one week away from the 1st Annual Long Beach Green Festival May 9th in the East Arts district of Long Beach (around 1st and Linden) and we really want our booth to represent Urban Paradise and our vision of a green Long Beach. So far we still need more volunteers to sit at the booth during the day.

Volunteers will: Explain Urban Paradise and our mission to public, answer questions, pass out flyers, sign people up on the e-mail/volunteer list, and take donations. ( Our hopes are to get 2 volunteers per shift)

Time slots open:
8:30am-12pm (setup)
4pm-7pm (2)
7pm-10pm (cleanup)

Time slots filled:
Thomas 12pm-3pm
Heidi 2pm-4pm
Diana 7pm-10pm (cleanup)

We want to decorate the table with succulents and native plants so if you have any potted plants we can borrow for the day bring them tomorrow or the morning of the event. thanks!

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The Green Festival is still looking for people to make signs. Contact Ana at merrybluesart@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you have a sign or materials they can use.
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Hope to see you all next Saturday at the Green Festival (9am-10pm) or tomorrow at the meeting! Have a great rest of your weekend :)

Come garden this Sunday!

URBAN PARADISE

Next Meeting Sunday, April 19

3pm @ Ocean and Pacific (in front of our plot)

-We will be gardening and planting...making our garden look beautiful
-Talking and brainstorming artistic ideas/projects we can incorporate into our existing garden
-Discussing our role in the Green Festival and future projects we want to start
COME JOIN US!!!

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Urban Paradise presents at the Art Theater Monday, April 27... after the 5pm and 8pm showing of "FUEL". This movie will be playing all week at the Art Theater on 4th street between Cherry and Junipero. It is an environmentally conscious movie so we have been asked to present our organization to the audience! Come show your support by coming to the movie and sticking around to hear Elliot and Rachel talk about the goals and vision of Urban Paradise. We are also looking for someone interested in sitting at the table taking down volunteer's names and handing out flyers. Let us know at oururbanparadise@gmail.com! Check out FUEL at http://thefuelfilm.com/

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Urban Paradise will have a booth at the Long Beach Green Festival Saturday, May 9th 9am-10pm. We will need of lots volunteers to help run the booth so let us know if you can swing by for an hour or 2 to come help out and spread the word. This Sunday we will come up with some fun things to have at the booth that will share Urban Paradise's vision so e-mail us or come by Sunday if you have any ideas!
A little about the Green Festival...To bring together local green groups, celebrate the environment and encourage ecological awareness in the public through commerce, government, community organizations and the arts. For more info or for participation forms, go to http://www.greenLB.org.

No meeting Sunday + Green Festival

Hey All!
Just letting you all know there is no meeting this upcoming Sunday April, 5 for Urban Paradise. Elliot and I are both unable to make it but we are still busy bees putting together a portfolio for the city and can't wait to discuss the direction of Urban Paradise at the next meeting. We're on our way to having an amazing logo and feel the time is right to see the bigger vision of Urban Paradise. I'll let you know when the next meeting is.

And now...down below you will see the latest and greatest news about Long Beach's first annual Green Festival May 9th! Everything is still in the works and Elliot (the director) is in need of lots of creative minds and help. See you when we return!
-Rachel
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The Green Long Beach festival is coming up May 9th! There has been a lot of buzz and many questions about the Long Beach Green Festival. I am happy to announce that website with all of the participation forms and links to access more information is now available online.Check out the Green Festival website at

http://longbeachgreenfestival.org

Let's Open our Park!

Next Meeting this Sunday, March 22

3pm @ Ocean and Pacific (in front of our plot)

Hello Everyone!
Happy Spring! It's Elliot and Rachel here...co-directors of Long Beach community organization Urban Paradise. I know you haven't heard from us in a while so we're here to give you a couple updates on the project. The garden plot on Ocean and Pacific is looking beautiful; flowers are starting to bloom and the garden is really taking shape. I just went up and explored the rooftop gardens and was amazed to see that it was completely green! It's all filled with weeds and other spring time plants that have sprouted up in the past couple weeks. Even though it's not our water-wise vision of the garden it's still pretty impressive to see nature doing it's thing without any help from human hands.
We've been laying low the past two months as far as community meetings to focus on the political side of things. Things are getting a bit sticky and it's obvious that the city doesn't want to budge in terms of re-opening the rooftop park after 15 years of neglect. Here is the catch though. Urban Paradise was informed at the very start of this project that the person that bequeathed the land to the city of Long Beach wrote a deed requesting that the space always remain a public park. This is why we believe they always leave one gate open to the park even though it is supposed to be closed. In addition, the rooftop park is currently being maintained with public funds (tree trimming, etc.) but we still have no access. If we can find this deed in writing (which we are working on right now) it may very well be that this park belongs to the public and should be open to us and should have been open to us for the last 15 years. It is our time as the Long Beach community to claim this park as ours so that this amazing place can be utilized!
We are so close to re-opening this rooftop park as an Urban Paradise for and by the community of Long Beach...We just need some help from YOU! Come join us at our next meeting to help out.

• We are still looking for a logo for Urban Paradise so bring anything you've got this Sunday or e-mail it to us!
• Are you or someone you know a graphic designer? We are looking for anyone that can help us put a portfolio together for the city council and make it look nice :)
• We also need a new flyer! Come out this Sunday or e-mail us if you are interested in creating a new flyer for Urban Paradise.
• Secretary needed to take notes at meetings :) It would help us out a lot.

We miss seeing you all...Stay cool Long Beach

Peace and Love, Elliot and Rachel

Meeting postponed until Monday

Hello,
Well isn't this rain just wonderful? Yes it's not as nice as the usual 70 degree California weather but now all of our baby plants on the plot can have some water.

Sunday Meeting postponed for Monday, February 9th, 6:00-7:30pm
@ Viento y' Agua on 4th and Termino

URBAN PARADISE update: Elliot and I realized that it's back to the organizing and planning for Urban Paradise. Over the past couple of months we have been more than blessed to have the community actively involved in working on the plot and the growth of Urban Paradise and we are realizing that our next step is to finally present to the city. This will take putting together a power point presentation, putting a final packet together we can leave with Suja Lowenthal and her staff, and preparing a presentation for her. Although Elliot and I will be diverting some of our focus from the community to presenting to the city, the presence of Urban Paradise volunteers and its growth is more important than ever. We encourage all of you to come to this next meeting to discuss the future of Urban Paradise and share ideas on how we can make this a reality.

See you Monday!
-Rachel

Time to Plan and Organize...

Hello!
We had an amazing meeting last Sunday so many thanks to all that came out to help on the plot. We hand crafted some cute signs to identify the different areas of the plot, added more California native plants, and lined the back wall with tree twigs to bring a more natural feel. Try and drive/bike/walk by when you can to see all the new additions (or I'll be putting up a photo soon). On Monday and Tuesday of thise week we mett with Matt Lyons head of the Long Beach Water Department(LBWD), one of the LBWD's landscapers, a representative of the Surfrider Foundation, and the REA (redevelepment..) of Long Beach. All of the meetings were very very successful. Urban Paradise got Matt Lyons' full support and a very strong interest in the project from the Surfrider Foundation. The REA is also very enthusiastic about the project. Although we have made these connections we keep hearing the same thing. We cannot move forward or use these connections until we have the approval from the city for the rooftop. So this is now our main focus; Presenting to the city of Long Beach and Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal so Urban Paradise can gain access to the Main Library rooftop gardens.

Let's discuss our next plan of action...
This Sunday Meeting Febrary 1st
3pm in front of the plot on Ocean and Pacific

Urban Paradise Logo Competition:
If you haven't noticed Urban Paradise lacks a logo so lets design one! Everyone is welcome to submit a logo and is not limited to just one. Bring your design to the Sunday meeting!
Logo requirements:
Must say Urban Paradise
any plants incorporated must be California Native

Signs and Logos for Urban Paradise

Hey everyone,
Let's make some signs for our plot and an Urban Paradise logo!
Our meeting with the Long Beach water department and Surfrider foundation is this upcoming Monday..ah! Come work on the plot with us this Sunday painting signs and planting more California native plants to show them our vision of an Urban Paradise in Long Beach . Just make sure you wear some clothes you don't mind getting dirty or paint on.

This Sunday Meeting January 25
3pm in front of the plot on Ocean and Pacific
Keep an eye out for these items to bring on Sunday:

• Recycled wood (any size or shape and we can pick and choose from there)
• Stakes, nails, and hammers
• Paint (any color) or sealant
• Paintbrushes

Urban Paradise Logo Competition:
Design will be chosen February 1st at the Sunday meeting.
If you haven't noticed Urban Paradise lacks a logo so lets design one!
Everyone is welcome to submit a logo and is not limited to just one.
Logo requirements:

• Must say Urban Paradise
• any plants incorporated must be California Native

**Also! If you went on the field trip to the Beach two weeks ago please send us your pictures from that day or any other pictures you would like to go on the blog.
**Spread the word :) tell at least one person this week about Urban Paradise and share the blog oururbanparadise.blogspot.com
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**Landscape Classes - Long Beach Water Department
Choosing the Best Plants for You
~ April 25th ~ May 23rd~
Location: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way
Parking: Park in the structure and the cost is $6, but admission to the aquarium after the class is FREE!

Native Plants for Public Space - Sustainable Landscape Design Seminar
February 12, 2009 (thursday)
At the Metropolitan Water District Headquarters

By invite only. On February 12th, 2009, the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, with sponsorship from the Metropolitan Water District, will host a landscape design seminar for professionals in Southern California. To contribute to landscape architect, designer, and project manager familiarity with the nuances of native landscapes, we have developed a one-day program that provides a comprehensive overview of current best design, build, and management practices.
Click here to visit the website and view the schedule of speakers.
Registration is now available online.
Space is limited and early registration is highly suggested.

First Annual Long Beach Green Fest
May 9^th 2009- …call Elliot Gonzalez for more information 562-786-3874…more info to come.

Field trip this Sunday!

Hi Folks!
We had a very successful Urban Paradise meeting last Sunday thanks to everyone that showed up. Lots of exciting ideas were flying across the circle and the project seems to be taking off in a great direction. As you'll see in the notes below we have a meeting with the LB water department to move towards a positive relationship with the city.

This Sunday Meeting January 11^th
Field trip, picnic, and working on the Plot!

12pm-Meet at the plot on Ocean and Pacific. At 12:15 we'll be carpooling to a beach in San Pedro (right below the Donald Trump Golf Course). We'll be collecting rocks for our plot and checking out the Native Plant restoration project they have there.

2:00pm-Carry our heavy load up the cliff and enjoy a vegetarian potluck picnic overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

2:30pm-Leave San Pedro and head over to the plot to start gardening at 3pm

3:00-5pm-Meet at the plot on Ocean and Pacific to do some gardening, maintenance, and rock designs!

What to bring:
-Something vegetarian to share for a picnic pot luck
- Gardening gloves if you don't wanna get your hands dirty
-A rock you may have you want to add to the garden!

Please RSVP if you need a ride to San Pedro, can offer seats in your car, or have any questions. If you plan on leaving your car downtown, probably best to park in the civic center parking structure on the other side of the Library. If you can't make it to the field trip but still want to come help at 3pm at the plot no problem...see you there!

Events this Weekend...Mark your Calendar!
Sat. January 10, 8:30am-12- Free Residential Landscape Classes at the Long Beach water department. They would like for anyone planning to attend to pre-register through their office: 562-570-2300 (thanks Ty!)
Sat. January 10, 12-2pm- Estuary Explorations at the Colorado Lagoon. Come help salvage native salt marsh plants!
May 9^th 2009- First Annual Long Beach Green Fest…call Elliot Gonzalez for more information 562-786-3874…more info to come.

Meeting Notes for January 4, 2009

URBAN PARADISE
community project 2009
Long Beach, CA

Minutes from meeting January 4, 2009 @ 3pm
Present: Rachel Bennish, Elliot Gonzalez, Heidi Nye, Ty Teissere, Marcy Sandoval, Jerry Schaefer, Eric Zahn, Diana Parmeter, Monique, Brian Bello

Small Picture: Make our first plot beautiful and complete to present to the Long Beach water department and Surfrider Foundation on January 26, 2009.

• A partnership with the Long Beach water department
• grants to fund our project
• A portfolio to present to the city

Big Picture: Use entire rooftop garden on top of the library as a community garden, art, music, and education center. Start planting rooftop garden by November 2009!

• Create timeline
• Partnership with other environmental community groups in Long Beach
• Connect with community

Check Out...
KCRW's Le Show with Harry Shearer January 4, 2009. Heidi Nye recommended this segment because of the biannual art festival going on in New Orleans. Inspiration that even while New Orleans is getting back on its feet it can put something amazing like this on.

Seedsavors.org Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners. this link shows you that we can get some California Poppy from them in the future :)

E-mail Mayor Bob Foster and Councilman Suja Lowenthal! Jerry wrote Bob Foster an e-mail suggesting he save the library and turn the rooftop into a community gathering place for the arts, music, etc. E-mails like this can really show the council/city that this is something we want and are willing to work hard for! thanks Jerry!