May 07 Tuesday
As our local flocks are coming home to nest, many local people are also making home project lists for the summer. Homer Drawdown’s Climate Smart Homer Homes invites you to join the first of our first workshops to spur energy efficiency project planning to lower your home’s carbon footprint AND your heating bills.Heat, air, and moisture are driving forces in your home that determine comfort, health and safety, durability, and efficiency. This session is designed to help you understand these flowing forces to make more informed decisions on maintenance, repairs or remodels in your home.Join us Tuesday May 7th to learn about how your home works, and also about rebates and tax credits for doing some of this work in your house. This classroom session will be held at Kachemak Bay Campus, come at 5:30 for a shared soup meal, the meeting will kick off at 6pm.In addition a practical application of learning will be hosted the following Saturday in the home of one of the organizers. Here we will discuss selection of materials, proper installation techniques, and discussions of further measures. Space is limited and priority is given to those that attend and sign up at the classroom session. If you cannot make Tuesday’s meeting, but are excited about this hands-on learning experience, please email satchel@inletkeeper.org.The session will be led by Scott Waterman, retired energy program manager for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. There will be plenty of time for questions.
May 08 Wednesday
Homer Steps Up community walking challenge is a free, four week event running May 1 – 28, 2024. In its 8th year, this popular event is open to anyone on the southern Kenai Peninsula, and regularly attracts hundreds of individuals on dozens of teams to compete for over $3,000 in random drawing and cash prizes. The winning team, based on a cumulative average of their members’ steps gets bragging rights, their name on the traveling trophy and a $500 award for a non-profit of their choice. The challenge is free to register online, and teams of 5-25 members compete by logging their steps using a wearable fitness tracker, smartphone or tracking and entering them manually. New this year is a youth category. Registration and information at www.homerstepsup.com. Homer Steps Up is coordinated by South Peninsula Hospital with support from City of Homer, South Peninsula Behavioral Health, SPARC, and SVT Health & Wellness.
EXTRA:Prizes - The top three winning teams will get the opportunity to designate cash donations to a local non-profit of their choice. Thanks to a grant from South Peninsula Hospital Foundation, all individual participants reaching a weekly step average of 35,000 steps (approximately 5,000 steps a day) will be entered for weekly prize drawings and $1,800 in end of challenge cash prizes. Three winners will be drawn in three different step categories weekly, and they are eligible for $100, $200 and $300 cash prizes at the challenge end. New this year is a youth category. Winners will be announced and all will be celebrated at the end of challenge awards event.
Free indoor walking - As part of this event, free indoor walking will be provided every Wednesday in the month of May starting May 1st from 5-6pm at SPARC. During this time participants can enjoy free indoor walking, pick up free Homer Steps Up swag, get a free blood pressure reading and get assistance signing up. All are invited to stay from 6-7pm for free community yoga.
Learn more - Homer Steps Up is coordinated by South Peninsula Hospital and is made possible by support from the partners: City of Homer, South Peninsula Behavioral Health, SPARC, and SVT Health & Wellness. For more information visit www.homerstepsup.com or learn more at weekly Wellness Wednesday events at the KP College every Wednesday from 5-7pm through end of April.
2024 Mary Epperson Folk Music Camp
July 15th – 19th 10am -4pmOpen to ages 8-17
The emphasis of Mary Epperson Music Camp is to have fun playing music!
Each student will select their classes from a list of options. We will do our best to place students in requested classes as well as an ensemble group of 4-7 students.
Each day will consist of a whole group gathering, 3 separate 45-minute class blocks, the ensemble rehearsal, and a group close-out.
On Friday, student ensembles will perform from 3-4 for each other and invited guests!
To register, complete the ticket purchase and fill out the camp registration packet by July 7th.
Bunnell kicks off the 30th Plate Project and annual membership drive by inviting members at the $250 level to competitively select their commemorative art plates before the opening on May 10th. An artist-led community effort since 1994, the Plate Project provides essential support for the mission and programs of Bunnell Street Arts Center. This year’s plate project will be fired by Plate Project originator, Ahna Iredale. The Plate Project would not be possible without the time and talent of Homer potters who transform hundreds of pounds of clay into 100+ plates each year. This year we thank Lisa Wood, Maygen Lotscher, Marie Herdagen, Jeff Szarzi, David Kaufman, Ahna Iredale, Ruby Haigh, Carl Bice and Chris Story.
Donate at the $250 level and be ready to competitively select your plate early on May 1st. Plates will be available in-person and in the virtual gallery by 10 am: https://www.bunnellarts.org/plate-project/2024-plate-project-gallery/
Visionary donors at the $1,000 level may select their plates at any time.
Shortly after Sandhill Cranes arrive in Homer, cranes mate and prepare their nest site. Pairs canstart sitting on their nest as early as late April. Nesting has commenced when the cranes show upalone, indicating one is sitting on the nest. Last year over 60 nests were reported. An accuratecount of nesting crane pairs helps Kachemak Crane Watch estimate the local crane population andprovides an indication of annual reproductive success.Please report nesting Sandhill Crane pairs to Kachemak Crane Watch at reports@cranewatch.org orby calling 907-235-6262. Leave your name, phone number, and include the location and date whennesting started. Thank you for participating in this Citizen Science effort.For more information contact: Nina Faust at 907-235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.orgKachemak Crane Watch is a project of the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.
Join the Kachemak Bay State Park Trails meeting every second Wednesday of the month, at 4 pm, at the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center. The Trails meeting is followed by a 530 State Park Citizen's Advisory Board meeting. Come learn what is happening in Kachemak Bay State Park and give us your input. If interested in attending the meetings by ZOOM contact Park Ranger Jason Okuly, 907-435-7595 or Jason.Okuly@alaska.gov.
Please join us for Walking Each Other Home, a Death Doula training program. This program trains new and current Hospice volunteers to become a Death Doula to serve the Homer Community. The majority of training is done via Zoom and the schedule varies. Participants receive their End of Life Death Doula Certification through University of Vermont College of Medicine. To learn more about the program and its scheduling, please reach out to Morgan Laffert at care@hospiceofhomer.org.
Heidi's Booty Camp is a fabulous introductory workout class available to all ages & sizes! It will be based on basic form and functional movements that will progress into HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) using body weight and minimal equipment. Participants will work at their own pace and level. Led by instructor Heidi Cox. Cost of class is $3 and is scheduled for Tues. & Thurs. from 5:30-6:30pm.
Kids are allowed to come during this class but PLEASE bring your own toys & NO balls or wheeled equipment/toys allowed (for safety reasons).
***Don't forget to bring clean indoor shoes to put on in the entry way, prior to entering the floor. Thank you!***
May 09 Thursday