By Jennifer Hallstrom

With the New Year here it is a great time to think back at the last 12 months and the goals and efforts personally made to be a bit more eco-friendly. It is also a wonderful time to set new goals for this year to be even better.

In the fall, the EcoMetro Guide crew took part in the Ecology Center’s Climate Change Action Project group in Berkeley. More...

The climate in the Bay Area makes this an excellent place to be a gardener. With so many options for native and Mediterranean plants, it’s easy to create a beautiful plot that is thriving and diverse. Through proper planning you can grow climate- appropriate plants ranging from Lavender to California fuchsia. Gardening for local conditions helps protect the Bay and conserves resources. More...

Food scraps and food-soiled paper — including paper towels, plates, napkins and pizza boxes — can now be turned into compost in most cities in Alameda County as part of the food scrap recycling program. If available, just empty all of these items into the yard trimmings cart for weekly curbside pickup. Your scraps will be used to make a natural fertilizer for local farms to grow more food. Contact your City recycling program for more information (StopWaste.Org). Also — you can compost many of these items yourself in your backyard to make your own rich soil amendment. See the gardening section of our site or book for more. More...