Hidden Villa and the Los Altos Hills City Council have scheduled an evening with Andy Lipkis, founder and president of the environmental organization TreePeople, 7:30 p.m. Monday at the council chambers, 26379 Fremont Road. The hour-long lecture, “Urban Dreams: Remaking Our Cities for Sustainability,” is free and open to the public.
“By acting locally to promote sustainable development and responsible environmental relationships, diverse communities all over the world are forcing meaningful political change from the bottom up,” said Breene Kerr, mayor of Los Altos Hills. “We are looking forward to learning from the experiences of such a distinguished environmental leader as Andy Lipkis.”
Lipkis began planting trees to rehabilitate smog- and fire-damaged areas when he was 15 years old. He founded TreePeople and has served as its president since 1973. Lipkis works with groups and agencies throughout the world involved in the linked issues of environment, urban forestry, sustainability, water and energy use. TreePeople’s newest program, T.R.E.E.S. (Transagency Resources for Environmental and Economic Sustainability), facilitates the implementation of integrated urban ecosystem management as a means of increasing the environmental health and sustainability of our cities.
“Andy brings with him an amazing wealth of knowledge and experience related to sustainable practices. We are thrilled to share this opportunity with the community,” said Beth Ross, Hidden Villa’s executive director.
Hidden Villa is a non-profit 1,600-acre wilderness preserve and working organic farm in Los Altos Hills that serves 50,000 visitors annually. Offerings include an Environmental Education Program, which teaches ecology and environmental stewardship to elementary school-children, and a multicultural summer camp. The property includes several sustainably built structures, including an operating hostel.
Los Altos Hills’ new solar-powered town hall and council chambers, constructed in 2005, provides an example of water conservation, energy efficiency and sustainability.
For more information or to make a reservation, call 949-9704 or visit www.hiddenvilla.org.
