5 Things to Usher in a Green Spring

It's the first week of spring, the season in which all thoughts turn green. To celebrate Mother Nature, indulge in the following Eagle Rock adventures:

1. Grab a picnic and take a hike: Pick up a couple of pastrami sandwiches and PB & J cupcakes from The Oinkster, stuff them into a backpack, and hike up the Eagle Rock Canyon Trail, the last of what’s left of the open wilderness surrounding the Eagle Rock and from where you can catch a glimpse of the ocean on a clear day.

2. Volunteer at the , where you can help plant kohlrabi, arugula and peas for the neighborhood to feast on.

3. Ogle green features at : The campus's bike-share program, free-range chickens and push to keep the campus free of plastic bottles will inspire you to reduce, reuse and recycle, too. (Editor's note: Read—or re-read—Oxy professor Mark Vallianatos’ Patch article, “11 Ways to Make Eagle Rock Greener in 2011.”

4. Add some cluck to your life: Mike Scott, chief chicken whisperer and founder of Eagle Rock Backyard Farms, can custom-make a chicken coop for your backyard. Nothing like fresh-from-the-hen eggs and knowing where your food is coming from.

5. Sup at Four Café, Eagle Rock's finest organic and locally sourced restaurant. With salads and sandwiches so alive with flavor, you'll wonder what you've been waiting for all your life—eat fresh!