Gig Report
Creek Week 2009
September 29, 2009
Who doesn’t look hot in an orange vest and protective goggles? The Toads and Toadettes earned many a catcall as they hit the streets this week to help keep Santa Barbara’s creeks clean. (But we think it was the hot, sunny weather that truly accounted for their hot looks.)
Sadly, creeks are littered with trash and pollution, all of which eventually makes its way into the oceans. Since the Toad headquarters here in Santa Barbara is situated right next to one of the aforementioned creeks, we are committed to doing our part to keep ’em clean. As is now tradition, Horny Toad took part in the city’s Creek Week, a weeklong event featuring education, clean-ups and restoration of our local creeks.
We shut down the office, donned our orange vests, protective goggles, work gloves and chisels, and set to work.
Our mission (we did choose to accept it): Be sure the city’s drainage ditches are clearly signed with “No Dumping! Drains to the Ocean!” warnings. We broke into teams to clean, replace and sometimes add the colorfully noticeable markers all over downtown Santa Barbara.
While there was no true “competition” involved, per se, we Toads are always eager to win (errr … do our best and help others) in our search for adventure. So, of course, it was no surprise when one team took off in a sprint to the first marker. Under the rays of a hot sun and the gaze of less-hot onlookers, we earned chiseled muscles as we took hammer and chisel (and rag and broom) to dirty, old signs and replaced them with new.
Toadette Jenn made her mark as Master Sweeper and Gluer-In-Chief. “Personally, I like working with my hands, so this volunteer challenge was right up my alley,” Jenn said. “Got to wield a mallet and a chisel – hit things, glue things, smoosh things. … Making things pretty and noticeable to discourage people from being litterbugs is always nice.”
While dodging traffic was, at times, a bit like a game of “Frogger,” Team Ellen would not be stopped in its quest for glory. “An orange vest gives you authority to do just about anything,” Toadette Ellen said while directing traffic around her team to keep them out of harm’s way. However, she was overhead adding, “If someone has to be run over by a car, we can sacrifice Lauren.
Isn’t that just like Toadette Lauren? Always willing to take one for the team. More lessons from the field, thanks to Ellen:
· “Glue smells good.”
· “We have an anti-dumping policy.”
Toad Ryan decided we should consider adding the orange vest to our spring line. “Between acting as a human cone and looking like a group released on work furlough, the morning definitely wouldn't have been the same without the orange jackets,” he said. “The markers … desperately needed our services. To this, I say mission accomplished.”
We ended the day with glue-covered hands, sun-kissed skin, and covered in sweat and dirt, but we wore our badges of honor with pride – knowing every small step to keep our creeks clean does make a difference. So which team “won,” you’re wondering? Of course you know the answer – when the ocean wins, we all win!
Our watersheds are just as much a part of our community as any citizen, if not more. They are precious and few, and we need to treat them as such. Get involved in your local community! It feels great, and the catcalls are a super boost for your self-esteem.
Saving The Yosemite Toads
September 15, 2009
It’s pretty interesting what a couple of shots of tequila will get you into.
Before you go jumping to conclusions, let me just tell you a little story of how one Toadette, moi, ended up in the mountains helping a group of amazingly brilliant and passionate ecologist to save a little known Toad species that is on the brink.
Yes, there was alcohol involved in the initial meeting at a wedding of some mutual friends, which got me talking to one Eric Berlow, a Ph.D. in ecology and station director at SNRI (Sierra Nevada Research Institute), about the work he does in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Among other programs and areas of study, Eric and his colleges have been focusing on the disappearance of the Yosemite Toads. Their home is the largest contiguous protected wilderness of the continental United States, the Sierra Nevada mountains, which makes their declining numbers all that much more worrisome. They don’t know why! And, like any proper scientist, this “why” is an itch that simply must be scratched. Although slightly tipsy, I was very drawn to the story of the Yosemite Toad because 1.) I called the Sierra home for years and it remains one of the most magical places on Earth, in my opinion, and 2.) because us Toads have got to stick together!
“It may be that their breeding grounds get trampled by hikers or horses. It may be that air pollution from cars and pesticides is landing on their sensitive skin. Or it may be that climate change is altering the snowmelt ponds in which they breed,” said Eric about possible reasons for their decline. A group of scientists are working together across different government agencies (the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, and the US Geological Survey) and academia in a race against time to solve this puzzle before it’s too late.
Once the headache wore off from the party, I packed my bags and headed for the hills to help this group of concerned scientists to find an answer to their “why.” Their charge for the summer was to hike in and map toad breeding habitat in approximately 300 meadows, bring back the data and plot it along with other data they had collected through other agencies and groups doing similar work to literally connect the dots so as to expose the culprit(s).
I was only there to offer moral support and take down data while getting my ass eaten alive by mosquitoes (fyi, where there are tadpoles in stagnant water there are mosquitoes), but I gained a deep appreciation for the dedication and patience of this group of people. The Yosemite Toads are not only important in and of themselves, but they are a canary in the mine – an indicator species – of these fragile meadow ecosystems, which in turn is an indicator of the health of other ecosystems. One choice or reaction begets another … places you would think would remain untouched and preserved are feeling the impact of our actions – or lack there of. It’s all related, right back to the cars we drive, the food we choose and the clothes we buy.
Their continued work over the years has been painstaking, but through a combination of large-scale data analysis and targeted field monitoring, they hope to better understand how and why wilderness meadows (and their associated flora and fauna) are changing, and how best to protect them.
For this Toadette, I feel lucky to have met such dedicated and inspired people with a passion to Do The Right Thing for those that can’t speak up for themselves. So, I’m glad I took one too many shots and got chatty with my new friend Eric who in turn opened my eyes to a new way of looking at the world around us. Here’s to saving the Toads!
If you would like more information on Eric and his work, please visit www.ericlberlow.net.
Illustration by Kelly Finan
Positive Change. Positive Outlook.
June 20, 2009
Plastic bottle caps. Cigarette butts. Fishing line. T-shirts. Plastic bags. Discarded pens. Styrofoam take-out containers. Newspaper. Rope. Beer bottles. Plastic sand toys. Old shoes. These are a few of our least favorite things. There is plastic, plastic everywhere mixed with massive clumps of Styrofoam. Our monthly beach/creek clean-up outings have returned many a garbage bag full of the above as well as a plethora of other oddities like dice, shavers (ick), pencils, docking and sunglasses. It seems that the bags we haul away from every gathering make only the smallest of dents in the grand scheme of things. It’s really hard to stay positive in the face of such an overwhelming job. We have to constantly remind ourselves that every little bit DOES help and to not give in to negative thoughts or give up. It would be amazing if everyone made a pledge to pick up one single piece of trash, every day, and dispose of it properly. It would make a huge difference, with just a little, tiny, bit of effort on everybody’s part.
Collecting trash and cleaning up public spaces isn’t glamorous, and it can get downright depressing when contemplating the scope of it all, but it is worth it. For example, now that I’ve been doing these cleanups I really take a second look at what I put in my trashcan, what I buy and I try not to take anything that uses Styrofoam. Actually, Santa Barbara, along with some other cities and counties has embarked on trying to ban the stuff from local restaurants. It’s still up for debate in our little city, but it’s not out of reach because big cities like Berkeley have done it and the restaurant businesses aren’t suffering nor is the ocean and all it’s wildlife.
Another positive part of being out there is that hopefully the folks that see us out on the beach, sifting through the sand for bits o’ Styrofoam will think twice about leaving little reminders of their fun in the sun, and maybe we will even inspire some folks to join us or to start their own little clean-up crew for their favorite beachy spot in town. Oh, and remember to keep on the sunny side!
Bookin' It
May 7, 2009
What a simple thing, being able to pick up a book and read it. It is actually quite a gift, because there’s a large portion of the population that can’t read do to visual impairment, dyslexia or other physical disability. One Toadette saw an ad for a record-a-thon in a local newspaper and thought it would be a nice lunchtime outing for the Toads to go lend a reading hand. So, that’s exactly what we did on April 20th. Armed only with a good sense of humor and a willingness to wear ridiculously huge headphones, a group of Toads went to sound off.
Check out www.rfbd.org to find out where you can help. It’s fun! Plus, your voice will be immortalized – just what you’ve always wanted I am sure.
May First Thursday 09
April 20, 2009
The First Thursday art reception went great! Huge turnout. Thanks to all that came!
Our Band for the evening was Celilo, they were amazing.
Derek Olsen's art show will be up the entire month of May, so come check it out.
A special thanks to Widmer Brothers Brewery, Mercy Corps.
Read More...Adventure Day 2009
April 21, 2009
All work and no play make Toads dull boys and girls. Ain’t it the truth! We work hard here at the Toad, to make sure we are putting out the best possible clothing for you and your every day adventures. From sourcing sustainable fabrics to making sure the online shopping experience is a good one – there’s a lot of work to do. The nice part about working for Horny Toad is that everyone here is super fun. Coming into work is a pleasure – unless there’s no coffee in the morning.It just happened to be another beautiful day in Santa Barbara. And to blow off a little steam and get our laugh on, we had a citywide scavenger hunt. Nothing like a little smack talkin' to your co-workers and consequent laughing to make the stress just melt away. Plus, our sisters and brothers at Nau joined us - they were stoked to get some vitamin D from the sunshine. It was a super fun day that ended with frosty margaritas. Trust us, it was thirsty work!
Team names were:
The B$#&*es (they won … those b$#&*es!)
Fart (that’s a cross between Fun and Smart … clever)
Saboteurs (who ironically turned out to be the team on the up and up)
Lissers (Tina Fey’s word for what happens with you laugh and piss your pants)
Cinco de Marzo (because Mayo is too far away)
Despite the team names, I promise you that there are smart and wonderful people that work here.
Enjoy the footage!
March First Thursday
March 5, 2009
Thanks to everyone who came out for First Thursday this month. Another special one in the books. Despite the rainy weather, the lounge was full all night.
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FIRST First Thursday of 09
January 8, 2009
February's First Thursday was our first of the new year. The band Jonah defiantly turned heads with their unique brand of pop music. Impressive, to say the least. Other highlights of the night were our intriguing sketch artist, Robert Amador. His work is full of color and darkness, all at the same time, very clever presentation. He'll be showing the ENTIRE month of February, swing by if you're in the hood. Read More...
Be A Nail
February 3, 2009
As I wrestled with a mound of seaweed on the beach, trying to extract the bunch of wrinkled balloons with ribbons impossibly entwined, an imposing figure walked up to me. Seeing as I am one of those people that is pretty much a magnet for “interesting” people that like to spill their guts on first encounters, I braced myself for a character that would talk about how foil can save your from alien abductions. Happily I was wrong. The man simply wanted to know who we were and what we were doing? I gladly stood up from my task, placed my hand on the small of my back while I stretch the stiffness out, and told him that we were a clothing company in town that comes down to the beach every month where Mission Creek meets the Pacific to sift through sand and beach wrack to reclaim the trash that was wrongfully in the creek and in turn, the beach and ocean. Everything flows to the ocean, as they say.
He smiled broadly and said, “Ya know, when I was a little boy in Africa, people used to ask me what I wanted to be. I would tell them I wanted to be a nail, just a nail, helping to do my part to hold up the house. It’s wonderful for me to see more nails helping to hold up and repair a house that desperately needs our help.”
Even though it was a very warm day, I couldn’t help but get the chills from such a beautifully simple statement. He went on to tell me that too many people want to be a door, the thing that everyone sees and associates with home, but doors alone do not build a home.
So, I guess you could say we clean our creek, our beach and our ocean to be the nails in our community. Acting locally, as local as our backyard in our case, can help maintain the beauty of a community … of a home.
Our country and world need rebuilding and you can help by finding a cause or group in your area to contribute to. It can be anything, aside for doing nothing at all.
December First Thursday 08
December 1, 2008
The Stash Bash was on. Our turnout for the December First Thursday might have been the biggiest party to date. We had a packed house all night!
Lizard Lounge hosted Portland's first ever Movember "Gala Party". Movember is an organization that teamed up with The Prostate Cancer Foundation to raise awareness for men's health.
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