LA Climate Tech Cities: Feb 11 - 17
Celebrate your love for our planet with events this week focused on nature-inspired startups, green buildings, and clean energy!
Hi friends,
As Valentine’s Day approaches later this week, we encourage you to extend your definition of love to include love for our natural and built environments, the plants and animals that surround us every day (yes, even in our concrete jungle!), and our ever-growing climate tech community. We hope that you celebrate your love for our planet and community by attending one of this week’s events!
Here are our top event picks this week:
On Wednesday, hear pitches from and meet the founders of the 10 best nature-inspired startups of 2024 at the virtual 🌱 Ray of Hope Accelerator Demo Day.
Network with folks interested in green buildings and broader sustainability topics at USGBC’s 🍊 Orange County Green Building Mixer this Thursday.
Gather with professionals, students, and academics dedicated to advancing clean energy and sustainability initiatives this Friday at the ⚡ Energy Innovation Conference at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
As always, scroll down for the full list of upcoming events.
P.S.- Did you watch the Super Bowl yesterday? If so, you might have noticed something pretty spectacular- the first ever climate ad plea for immediate climate action! Read more about it here, and watch the ad here.
With gratitude,
Maëlys, Niqat, Raiven & The Climate Tech Cities Team
This Week’s Events
🌱 Ray of Hope Accelerator Demo Day: Wed, Feb 12
🍊 Orange County Green Building Mixer: Thu, Feb 13
⚡ Energy Innovation Conference: Fri, Feb 14
💬 The Los Angeles Institute of the Humanities at USC Welcomes Allison Agsten (Climate Journalism & Communication): Fri, Feb 14
💘 Meet Cute in the Garden - Valentines Singles & LA Wildfire Relief: Fri, Feb 14
👨🌾 Climate Gardening 101: Sat, Feb 15
🚲 River Session: Mile 25: Sat, Feb 15
🐋 Whale of a Weekend at the Aquarium: Feb 15-16
🐦 Family Bird Festival 2025: Sun, Feb 16
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings.
LA Climate Week is coming back! Save the date.
We will share additional information as it becomes available, but for now save the dates of April 6-13 for attending a series of engaging, climate-related events!
LA Fires: Resources & Building Resilience
From water quality to landscape restoration, here are resources and insights to help rebuild and foster resilience in the wake of fire.
🌊 How Fires Impact Ocean Water Quality (by Heal the Bay)
🌳 Help Nature Heal (by TreePeople)
🛠️ Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources (by USGBC-Ca)
Looking for ways to aid in the recovery efforts? There are ample opportunities available! Check this sheet, updated near-daily for current and ongoing volunteer opportunities.
Climate Change Resources
Federal environmental data and resources are being taken down. Here is a list of helpful resources amidst the administration change:
The organization Public Environmental Data Partners is committed to preserving and providing public access to federal environmental dat. They have identified 57 high-priority databases, of which they’ve archived 37 thus far, including the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen). Would you like to contribute your skills to this effort? You can get involved here.
Legislative, Regulatory, and Government Documents back ups can be found on Urban Ocean Lab’s Resource Hub.
The first ever U.S. National Nature Assessment has been cancelled and its webpages removed. You can still download the zeroth-order draft here. Many of the (volunteer, non-federal) authors are still committed to its completion.
A People’s EPA (APE) is a website for everyone to understand the Environmental Protection Agency's national and global role.
Opportunities
Upcoming Deadlines
🤝 Climatebase Fellowship (Due Feb 14)
🚀 Caltech's Rocket Fund (Due March 3)
📝 InnovateMass (Due March 17)
🌬️ Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator (Due March 21)
🔋 Cleantech Open Accelerator (Due April 13)
👉 Would you like to feature a grant opportunity, fellowship application, or incubation program in the LA Climate Tech Cities newsletter? Reach out to us with the info.
Upcoming Events
🏠 Electrify Your Life: Preparing Your Home for Energy Efficiency: Wed, Feb 19
💰 How tax credit transfers are reshaping energy finance: Wed, Feb 19
🌧️ Collecting Stormwater for Resilient Gardens: Wed, Feb 19
🌆 Sustainable Communities: Solutions in Resiliency: Thu, Feb 20
🌿 An Introduction to the Biology and Ecology of the Bryophytes: Thu, Feb 20
👋 Cool OC/Cool Irvine Social: Thu, Feb 20
🌊 California Ports and Offshore Wind Symposium: Fri, Feb 21
🏡 Home Composting & Urban Gardening Workshops: Sat, Feb 22
👚 Wear & Repair: Adapt Your Style, Master Mending Basics: Sat, Feb 22
🍃 Santa Ana Winds and our Ecosystem: Sat, Feb 22
🧚🏻 Healing With Nature: Meditation & Reflections: Sat, Feb 22
☕ Climate Café: Tue, Feb 25
🙋🏽♀️ Founder Curious Women: Fall in Love with a Climate Problem: Tue, Feb 25
🔥 Wildfire Defense for Landscaping Professionals: Tue, Feb 25
🧱 Roundtable Discussion: Exploring Engineered Wood: Wed, Feb 26
🚲 Strong Towns OC - Active Transportation Forum: Thu, Feb 27
🔧 Repair Cafe: Sat, Mar 1
🏬 Climate Day at Natural Products Expo West: Tue, Mar 4
🌾 Climate Gardening: 4th Los Angeles Urban Soil Symposium: Fri, Mar 7
🍵 Herb Walk: Medicinal Plants of California: Sat, Mar 8
🌎 North American Carbon World Conference 2025: Mar 25 -27
This Week’s Event in Details
🌱 Ray of Hope Accelerator Demo Day
When: Wednesday, Feb 12: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Where: Online
You’ll have the opportunity to hear pitches from and meet the founders of the 10 best nature-inspired startups of 2024, participating in the 2024 Ray of Hope Accelerator of The Biomimicry Institute. These visionary companies, selected from a global pool of innovators, are scaling transformative solutions to address the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
🍊 Orange County Green Building Mixer
When: Thursday, Feb 13: 5:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Where: Left Coast Brewing Distillery Smokehouse- 652 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, CA 92618
Come join us for a fun evening at the Left Coast Brewing Distillery Smokehouse! Network with like-minded individuals in the sustainability industry, enjoy great food and drinks, and make new connections. This in-person event is a fantastic opportunity to mingle, share ideas, and relax. We're gathering with OC partners to introduce the OC RLAB team.
⚡ Energy Innovation Conference
When: Friday, Feb 14: 8:00 am - 4:15 pm
Where: UCLA Anderson School of Management
We invite you to join us for UCLA Anderson’s Energy Innovation Conference, a gathering of professionals, students, and academics dedicated to advancing clean energy and sustainability initiatives. This year’s theme, Sustainable Cities, will focus on critical topics with climate resilience at the forefront, as well as mobility, the built environment, renewable energy solutions, community engagement, and climate tech innovations.
💬 The Los Angeles Institute of the Humanities at USC Welcomes Allison Agsten
When: Friday, Feb 14: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Where: USC Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities - 3550 Trousdale Parkway Los Angeles, CA 90089
Allison Agsten, inaugural Director of USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication will discuss the connection between climate change and the Los Angeles County wildfires and how that has been communicated based on research and personal experience.
💘 Meet Cute in the Garden - Valentines Singles & LA Wildfire Relief
When: Friday, Feb 14: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: RSVP to see location
Come to this singles & mingle event to raise money for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network who is rapidly mobilizing to support immigrant community members impacted by the LA wildfires. This event will feature live music, poetry, self care exercises, low-pressure mingling spaces, food, drinks and crafting workshops!
👨🌾 Climate Gardening 101
When: Saturday, Feb 15: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: TreePeople’s Headquarters
In this course, we apply theoretical principles of ecosystem ecology to critically examine how the urban landscapes that individuals cultivate can both bolster and erode climate adaptation at multiple scales. While the content of this course is globally applicable, examples emphasize Los Angeles and the region’s specific climate challenges, socio-environmental inequities, and dominant or emergent landscape types. Over the course of one month (3 in-person and 4 virtual sessions), students will build community with fellow classmates, learn from TreePeople staff and special guest instructors, and develop new skills to read urban landscapes through an ecosystems and climate- adaptation lens.
🚲 River Session: Mile 25
When: Saturday, Feb 15: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: Public Art "River Gate" - 2944 Gleneden Street Los Angeles, CA 90039
LA River Arts, El BiciCrófono, and Los Angeles Poet Society invite you to join us in honoring the resilience of our community while raising vital fire relief funds. Together, we’ll bike the LA River alongside poets from across Los Angeles County, uniting through poetry, music, and shared space.
Every dollar raised directly supports the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy, whose newly acquired LandBack property was damaged in the fire.
🐋 Whale of a Weekend at the Aquarium
When: Saturday, Feb 15 1:00 pm - Sunday, Feb 16 2:00 pm
Where: Heal the Bay Aquarium - 1600 Ocean Front Walk, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Pacific Gray Whales are coming! Every year, pacific gray whales migrate right by our coastline, and Heal the Bay Aquarium at the Santa Monica Pier is getting ready for them. Join us to learn more about these amazing ocean mammals!
Aquarium visitors can feel the heft of a whale rib, check out bristly baleen, and learn more interesting facts about these gentle giants at the Aquarium through story time, audio interactives, and fun crafts.
Aquarium naturalists will staff a wildlife observation station at the west end of the Santa Monica Pier. Those who stop by are welcome to spy for whales through binoculars and field guides will identify local birds and marine life.
🐦 Family Bird Festival 2025
When: Sunday, Feb 16: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: California Botanic Garden - 1500 N College Avenue, Claremont CA 91711
Enjoy a day outdoors with hands-on experiences and educational opportunities for young beginners and bird enthusiasts alike, presented in partnership with Pomona Valley Audubon Society. Highlights include fun bird crafts, an immersive migration game, author storytime with J.W. Hutchinson, and booths from our friends at the San Dimas Canyon Nature Center, Alf Museum of Paleontology, CalPoly Pomona Urban Wildlife Lab, Wild Birds Unlimited, the San Bernardino County Museum, the American Museum of Ceramic Art, International Bird Rescue, and more! Grab a treat, stay for lunch, and get involved with some community science at the Great Backyard Bird Count stations scattered throughout the Garden.