Sit back and enjoy a night of Green Drinks as it helps clean up the community.
For one night only, the international environmental organization will stop in San Luis Obispo to discuss marine conservation on the Central Coast. The free event will feature music, food, wine, beer and local speakers at the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre today.
Green Drinks is a global network uniting citizens who are concerned about sustainability in cities around the world. This organization has members in more than 70 countries, including Australia, Canada, China and France.
“You can find (Green Drinks) in almost any city in the world — it’s open for anyone to have,” said Alison Cebulla, the event organizer and substitute teacher for Lucia Mar School District.
Cebulla first heard about Green Drinks while living in North Carolina and decided to create one in San Luis Obispo in December 2010 after moving to the Central Coast. She wanted the community to become more aware of its surroundings and ideas related to conservation.
“(People) should continue to focus on environmental issues to preserve the beauty of SLO because this is our home,” Cebulla said. “The whole purpose (of this event) is to create discussion and to connect and inspire people.”
The event is the first time Green Drinks will publicly host a “true event.” Each month, this organization discusses a new theme and for April, the theme is marine conservation. The outcome of Tuesday’s presentation will decide whether or not the organization will continue in the city of San Luis Obispo.
“We ran informal meetings from December through March, so this is our first event,” Cebulla said. “The success of this event will determine if it’s an ongoing thing. If there’s a big community turnout, then (it shows that) there needs to be more discussion about the environment.”
Members of the community are looking forward to the event to learn more and understand the marine wildlife in San Luis Obispo. Electrical engineering junior Kelli DeVlugt is an advocate for sustainability. She said she hopes the event will render information about the city she’s lived in for the past three years.
“I think it’s really important to be exposed and learn more about the community we live in,” DeVlugt said. “This event is really beneficial and will open our eyes to the marine life in SLO, which not many people know about.”
With talk about what goes on in San Luis Obispo, Cebulla said she hopes “the big turnout” will capture the attention of both Cal Poly students and the community.
“Even if you don’t work in the green field, it’s still good to come out,” she said. “And it’s good for students to network with the environmental profession and to come out and see what businesses they want to start or work for in the future.”
Speakers will include Roxy Carter from the Otter Project, a Monterey non-profit organization that recovers California sea otters, and Cal Poly marine biology graduate student Anniken Lydon, who will discuss her graduate research on how genetic techniques can be used to guide ecosystem managements coastally and in California.
Lydon is in the process of identifying DNA fingerprints for individual algae and using those DNA sequences to try and track a population. She said she anticipates a large crowd dedicated to the marine lifestyle as well as those who want to learn more.
“I’m hoping that a lot of the public turns out for the event and get an idea and educate themselves about marine conservation,” Lydon said. “It’s really important for the community, not just the students.”
Lydon hopes exposure of the topic will increase awareness of what’s going on.
“I hope people get into the subject and raise interested questions, and (I want to) interact and meet the community,” Lydon said. “I also want someone to address concerns that we can bring back to Cal Poly (to enhance) our research.”
The event is free, but there is a suggested donation of $2 to $5. All proceeds will benefit ECOSLO, a local nonprofit supporting healthy and natural living in San Luis Obispo. Chair of ECOSLO Clint Slaughter will attend and speak about Coastal Cleanup Day, where volunteers collect trash from beaches and lakes.
“Last year, we picked over 20,000 pounds of trash in 59 miles,” Slaughter said. “We’re very proud, and we want to (present) what we’ve accomplished and have been doing for the community.”
The group also wants the community to show up and leave with a new perspective.
“I just want people to come and have a good time,” Cebulla said. “I (want them to) be able to meet and be inspired by other environmentalists in SLO and realize that good things are happening here. We need to work on sustainability issues, and I hope people learn a little bit about this work and are inspired.”
The event will feature live music by local singer Meredith Hobbs, and Sustenance Cooking Studio will provide appetizers. Local wineries will also pour samples of their sustainable wine.