This week's Atherton Online features: 

• Waste Wise Event - 4/6 & 4/7 
• Save the Date for Earth Day
• San Mateo County Human Services 
• Art at Town Center and Spring Offerings

Save the Date for Earth Day!

The Environmental Programs Committee is excited to announce the highly anticipated return of Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 21, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Holbrook Palmer Park, 150 Watkins Avenue, Atherton. This year's event promises to be a vibrant celebration of our planet, featuring engaging activities, informative booths, and ample opportunities to connect with the community while inspiring action for a sustainable future.

"Earth Day is a cherished tradition in Atherton, reminding us of our collective responsibility to protect the environment," said Mayor Diana Hawkins Manuelian. "This year's festival celebrates the theme of action, offering something to inspire everyone to take meaningful steps at home."

Highlights of the Atherton Earth Day Festival:

• Engaging Activities: Immerse yourself in an interactive art exhibit, encounter live animals, groove to music, indulge in delicious food trucks, and treat your little ones to the dedicated Kids' Zone, complete with a pop-up bug museum.
• Informative Booths: Connect with local organizations at the forefront of sustainability and climate resilience efforts, learn about eco-friendly practices, and discover resources to reduce your environmental footprint.
• Giveaways: Explore the event and stand a chance to win sustainable products and services, promoting local businesses and encouraging eco-conscious choices.

Register now to attend this free community event at https://climateaction.ci.atherton.ca.us/blogs-and-events.

Let's come together to celebrate our planet and pledge to build a more sustainable future this Earth Day!

Get Creative this Spring with the Atherton Arts Foundation

Participate in an art class (or two!) with the Atherton Arts Foundation. Spring brings new offerings - including the much anticipated water colors! Plus, community favorite sewing, botanical arts, felting, and drawing classes are back! Get signed up at www.athertonartsfoundation.org. 

Visit Town Hall's Public Art Exhibit

There is now a public art exhibit at Town Hall, 80 Fair Oaks. The exhibit titled "Called by the Trees" was provided by the Atherton Arts Foundation and will be up through May 23, 2024. The featured artist is Patricia Larenas and her artwork highlights the sacredness and fragility of life, as experienced through the lens of trees. She studies and draws individual trees on location, often naming them in order to elevate their visibility and tell their stories. Her recent work includes collecting local soils and charcoal from wildfires to make paint, and using renewable, recycled, or handmade papers. 

Patricia values using her work to promote conservation and nurture our connection with nature. In the spring of 2021 she became Artist in Residence with Palo Alto based non-profit Canopy, and is currently planning workshops on making soil and charcoal paint at San Vicente Redwoods with the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. She recently completed an artist residency near Joshua Tree National Park (the resulting artwork is included in this exhibition).  

Patricia teaches classes on drawing trees and book arts through the Atherton Arts Foundation (AAF), and serves on their board of directors. She studied in the Filoli Botanical Art Certificate Program in Woodside, and received her B.A. degree in Studio Art from San Jose State University. She is the NorCal Chapter Coordinator of Artists for Climate Awareness.

Patricia was born in Chile and immigrated to the USA as a child. She lives in Mountain View (where her two children were born and raised), with her husband and a menagerie of trees. Visit Patricia's website at www.plarenasonpaper.com or send her an email at plarenas.onpaper@gmail.com.