Gratitude Gourmet

10/23/2026

While California continues to lose its beautiful oak trees, one determined man is quietly helping bring them back.

Meet Jim Crouch, a retired science teacher from Escondido who has helped turn approximately 20,000 tiny acorns into young oak trees!

What started as a simple backyard hobby, growing seedlings in deep pots behind his house, has blossomed into something extraordinary: Re-Oak California, a growing community effort to restore the state's native oak trees.

Jim collects acorns with permission from local landowners, then teams up with volunteers to nurture them into healthy seedlings. The best part? The young trees are given away completely FREE to people who promise to plant and care for them.

And their mission has become even more meaningful following the devastating Eaton fire, which destroyed approximately 70% of the tree canopy in west Altadena.

A new nursery at La Cañada High School is now helping grow the next generation of oaks for the fire-damaged community.

Jim isn't slowing down, either. His dream is to grow and distribute 20,000 trees every single year.

Just imagine what California could look like if he succeeds.

Sometimes, restoring a forest doesn't begin with millions of dollars or a massive government project.

Sometimes, it begins with a retired teacher, a handful of acorns, and the belief that tomorrow's shade is worth planting today.

10/23/2026

Individuals across Europe are advancing calls to legally recognize nature as an inherent rights-holder, rather than property to be owned, with the goal of bringing their demands before the European Commission!

Through a European Citizens’ Initiative, the collective Rights for Nature is working to protect ecosystems in the face of dominant systems of exploitation and ownership over nature, such as industrial pollution and extraction, deteriorating biodiversity, declining freshwater species, and other harms.

After officially registering the initiative with the European Commission in May of this year, the initiative has opened its one-year signature-collection portal. Signatures will be collected until October 13, 2027.

If you are a European citizen, you can learn more and sign on to help the European Citizens' Initiative for Rights for Nature reach one million signatures 🔗https://www.rightsfornature.eu/

Worldwide, Rights of Nature is a rapidly growing movement deeply rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and stewardship practices, and has been adopted into formal legal systems for over two decades. WECAN is honored to serve on the Executive Committee of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), and continue to advance Rights of Nature as a critical climate solution.

10/22/2026

Library Talk: Wild at Home: Crafting a Backyard Sanctuary for Birds, Bees, and Beyond

October 24, 2026 from 10:30am to 11:45am

Willow Glen Branch Library
1157 Minnesota Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125

Every backyard has the potential to be a vital stepping stone for nature. As urban development and agriculture continue to replace wild spaces, our home gardens have become essential lifelines for local wildlife. Come join us to learn simple, practical ways you can turn your garden into a thriving habitat for birds, bees, butterflies, and other vital creatures. We will explore how choosing native plants can transform your yard into a high-resource haven for pollinators, proving that even the smallest suburban plot can make a world of difference.

This is an in-person event.
Registration is not required for this free event.

10/22/2026

10/21/2026

By prioritizing nutrition and physical activity to treat illness, Hippocrates pioneered the principles of modern lifestyle medicine. The ancient Greek physician famously championed the "walking as medicine" philosophy and promoted a plant-based diet as a cornerstone of health.

10/21/2026

Birds love this! 🕊️🦅

California Native Plant Spotlight: Toyon

Autumn is the best time to plant in our area! The temperature is cooler and the winter rains will help keep the new plantings watered so that roots get established.

Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is a California native evergreen shrub that is also known by the common names Christmas Berry and California Holly because of the bright red berries it produces in the winter. Some people say that the city of Hollywood was named for this plant because it grows abundantly there.

Toyon got its name from the Ohlone tribe. It is a member of the rose family, so it is susceptible to fire blight damage. It typically grows 8 to 15 feet in height and width, however, some specimens grow larger and work in the landscape as small trees. It thrives in full sun but it will also grown in partial shade. This hearty California native tolerates serpentine, clay and sandy soils. Unlike some other members of the rose family, Toyon requires little pruning to make a great screen or to help with erosion control.

It is also a fantastic habitat plant and the beautiful red berries are what attract and feed many birds including American robins, thrashers, woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, mockingbirds, quail, towhees and various finches and sparrows.

Branches of the late-season berries also make wonderful holiday decor that can be used in place of true holly when you are "decking the halls." In the summer Toyon blooms with small white flowers that are attractive to bees.

Photo by Erica Fleniken taken at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara

10/19/2026

A little kindness can travel far. 🌼🐭