Environment

Volunteers gather this weekend to clean up Oakland

All over town on Saturday, volunteers will head out to community gardens, dog parks, senior centers and schools to spend the day trying to improve Oakland. The Throwdown for the Town is an event organized by The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a community organizing nonprofit. More than 200 volunteers are signed up to work at one of the 25 service projects that will include working in community and school gardens, restoring vacant parking lots and helping out in…

Phat Beets farmers’ market starts up monthly bazaar

On Saturday, Phat Beets Produce introduced a flea market component to its weekly farmers’ market in North Oakland. By bringing in over 10 different vendors offering cooking demos, artisans showcasing different crafts and neighbors selling household items, Zach Matthews, one of the co-organizers for Phat Beets, said the flea market concept is geared toward getting more people to participate in the weekly farmers’ market.

Judge denies restraining order to halt zoo expansion

An Alameda County Superior Court judge today denied the request to issue a temporary restraining order to halt the Oakland Zoo’s expansion project. The request, filed jointly by Friends of Knowland Park and the California Native Plants Society (CNPS), called for a three-week suspension of the zoo’s project, which the groups say will damage the natural habitat for endangered native species living in the city-owned Knowland Park.

At planning meeting, Oaklanders debate over urban animal husbandry

More than 300 people packed the North Oakland Senior Center on Thursday evening to discuss the future of urban agriculture in Oakland. The forum, organized by Oakland’s planning and zoning division, is the city’s latest effort to gain public input on updating its urban farming regulations.