Highlighting Incredible Work, Upcoming Climate Events, & Defending the Central Coast from Offshore Drilling
Incubation Station Spotlight: SLO County Citizens’ Climate Education
As part of our Incubation Station series, we’re excited to spotlight another one of our fiscally sponsored organizations: SLO County Citizens’ Climate Education.
Incubation Station is an interview-style series where we highlight the impactful work of our sponsored organizations through short, recorded conversations. These interviews give our community a closer look at the people, ideas, and impact behind the projects we support.
In this latest feature, we sat down with group leader, Don Gaede from SLO County Citizens’ Climate Education, a grassroots, volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to preserving a livable planet through climate education and advocacy. Their work centers on empowering San Luis Obispo County residents with the knowledge, tools, and opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, engage with policymakers, and take meaningful local action on the climate crises emergency.
Watch the full interview here!
Explore more about their work here!
More Incubation Station highlights coming soon.
Climate Kickoff Party: Celebrate, Connect, and Take Action
By: Angel Garibay
Mark your calendars—the SLO Climate Coalition Climate Kickoff Party has been rescheduled to Wednesday, January 28, and you’re invited to help us kick off the year with community, celebration, and climate action.
Join SLO Climate Coalition from 6–8 PM at the Region Event Center (858 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo) for an energizing evening that brings together climate advocates, community members, and local partners who are working toward a more just and climate-resilient Central Coast.
The evening will feature:
- A live performance by Joy Polloi Trio
- Presentation of the annual Climate Champion Award
- A Wine Raffle and General Raffle with exciting prizes
- Time to connect, mingle, and celebrate collective climate action
Whether you’re a longtime supporter or brand new to the movement, this event is a welcoming space to meet like-minded community members, enjoy local wine and music, and learn more about the impactful climate work happening across our region.
Let’s come together to celebrate progress, build momentum, and launch another powerful year of climate action.
Get tickets here.
Free Community Movie Night at Castoro Cellars
Arab Americans to Share Oral Histories of Home and Belonging at Public Launch Event
San Luis Obispo, CA — The Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts, in partnership with Our Roots/Our Routes and the City of San Luis Obispo, will launch Mawtini: Arab American Narratives of Home and Belonging, a community-led oral history project documenting the lived experiences of local Arab Americans. The launch event will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026, from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at the Cal Poly Kennedy Library Gallery (Building 35, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo). Admission is free and open to the public.
Mawtini, which means “my homeland” in Arabic, features audio recordings of interviews with local Arab Americans reflecting on themes of home and belonging. Interviews were conducted with people
from a variety of ages, backgrounds, and countries of origin. The launch event will include a multimedia installation featuring photographs, excerpts from the interviews, and personal items that hold deep significance.
“So far, we have collected fourteen narratives that document the rich histories of local Arab Americans and shed light on their diverse experiences, perspectives, and contributions that enrich our community here in SLO,” said Dr. Farah Al-Nakib, Associate Professor of History at Cal Poly and a Mawtini project lead.
Visitors will be the first to view the Mawtini installation and will have the opportunity to read and listen to interview excerpts, engage directly with the interviewees, and experience verbatim theater drawn from the narratives. Attendees may also participate in a ten-minute oral history recording to
experience the interview process firsthand. Middle Eastern appetizers will be served.
The final hour of the event will feature a moderated roundtable discussion on “Perspectives of Home and Belonging in San Luis Obispo” with representatives of a variety of ethnic communities. “I am looking forward to attending the Mawtini, said Angie Kasprzak, Human Relations Commission Chair. “By sharing the stories of our Arab American neighbors, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusivity and understanding. Events like this go a long way in promoting unity and celebrating diversity in our city.”
In December 2024, the City of San Luis Obispo Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offered DEI High Impact grants to local nonprofit organizations, the largest of which was awarded to Mawtini, a project produced in partnerships with the cultural nonprofit Our Roots/Our Routes, educational nonprofit Peace Academy of Sciences and Arts, and community leaders.
The installation will remain in the Cal Poly Kennedy Library Gallery through March 20, 2026. The public is welcome. To join the launch event on January 24th, please register here.
Defend the Central Coast from Offshore Drilling
United for Clean Coast Action (UCCA) is calling on our community to speak out against a federal proposal to expand offshore oil drilling along the Central Coast.
Offshore drilling threatens beaches and coastal ecosystems. It jeopardizes tourism and recreation industries that sustain local economies. Our oceans cannot afford any more oilspills. Even when there are no accidents, offshore oil drilling seriously pollutes our water and food supply.
Opening the coasts for dirty drilling is a huge step backwards for U.S. energy policy. We don’t need more fossil fuel; we need environmentally sustainable solutions to meet our energy needs.
Public comments must be submitted hereby January 23. Your voice matters, and public input can make a real difference. Follow this guide here to help leave your comment. For additional resources from Surfrider click here.
Check Out Our Pervious Incubation Station Series Spotlight
In our pervious feature, we sat down with Taylor Ganis from The Hopeful Environmentalist, a podcast dedicated to exploring environmental issues through honest conversations, practical solutions, and—most importantly-hope.
