Items such as old manila folders and various used paper goods were recycled or donated to the Depot for Creative Reuse, located in Berkeley. Large items, such as metal desks, were picked up by Urban Ore. During the past year, Chabot has been able to reduce its waste significantly and is finding more ways to help the environment.

In the spirit of rot, Chabot is home to thousands of red wiggler worms that help us reduce waste through composting. You can see the worms in action on our Garden Days, the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, or at our upcoming Earth Day celebration on April 17.

Eric Havel, our environmental programs instructor, leads these workshops -- when you can feed the worms, weigh them and learn all about them. The compost will be used to start a vegetable garden, and bags of compost are available to take home for your own gardens.

Additional activities slated for Earth Day include racing solar cars, building projects from recycled materials, and seeing views of Earth from space. Two Red-Eared Slider turtles, named Comet and Mars, live in our pond. If you're lucky, you can see them sunning on a rock. At 6 p.m. on the 17th, come listen to David Seaborg, founder of the World Rainforest Fund, talk about the environmental issues facing us today and what we can do about it. (The cost of the lecture is $5.)

Chabot's Earth and environmental science program includes hands-on weekend family programs, summer camps, teacher workshops and student field trips. The program also features intern positions for high school and college students. Interns can help teach classes, assist in the upkeep of the outdoor environmental garden, conduct research, develop new activities, or lead nature hikes. Contact Eric if you are interested in the program at (510) 337-7300.

Reach Judyth Collin, marketing coordinator for Chabot Space & Science Center, at (510) 336-7300.

Contra Costa Times
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