About the Green Home Tour
The East Bay Green Home Tour grew out of the Electrification Working Group – a volunteer group that formed as an offshoot of the Berkeley Climate Action Coalition and wanted to provide homeowners with the inspiration, information, and resources necessary to help them transition away from natural gas. At the same time, the Coordinator of the Bringing Back the Natives Tour, Kathy Kramer, also wanted a Green Home Tour to introduce native plant enthusiasts to green home features they may not know about. In 2021, the East Bay Green Home Tour was launched, coordinated by Amy Kiser with planning, promotions, and technical support from Berkeley’s Office of Energy and Sustainable Development and the Ecology Center. The neighbor-to-neighbor format allows diverse residents to see families, homes, and situations that resemble theirs. The hyperlocal approach means that the resources and services highlighted can help attendees take the next step where they live.
Production Team
AMY KISER
Amy founded and coordinates the East Bay Green Home Tour when she is not writing, editing, grant writing, and designing communications for nonprofits and agencies through her consultancy, Verdant Communications and Project Management. Amy co-founded the Berkeley Climate Action Coalition and co-chairs the Berkeley Electrification Working Group.
MAYA CURRY
Maya is an East Bay-based independent film producer and videographer, part of the Bay Area Green Tours (BAGT) Lens team. With a background in journalism, communications, and documentary storytelling, Maya’s video work is centered around social and environmental impact and advocacy, documenting and promoting the work of nonprofits, small businesses, and community groups.
REBECCA MILLIKEN
Rebecca is the Sustainability Outreach Specialist at the City of Berkeley’s Office of Energy and Sustainable Development. Rebecca collaborates with other municipalities and community organizations to educate and engage residents on climate change solutions, and co-convenes the Berkeley Climate Action Coalition with the Ecology Center.
ELISABETH GALLEGOS
Eli moved from Spain to California 6 years ago and is now part of the Bay Area Green Tours (BAGT) Lens team. Eli majored in Humanities and Filming in Barcelona and has been working for different organizations and small businesses, filming and editing all sorts of videos, and trying new styles and techniques, aiming to create projects that transcend.
Denaya Shorter
Denaya is the Ecology Center’s Director of Community Engagement, where she leads programming for the organization’s public resource center, engagement & education programs, store, and EcoHouse. She co-convenes the Berkeley Climate Action Coalition with the City of Berkeley, and directs Zero Waste Education that supports Berkeley’s curbside recycling program.
JUDE ROCKAFELLOW
Jude graduated from Berkeley High and is now a college student who plays on the Merritt College Men’s Basketball team. Jude served as videographer, video editor, and drone pilot for the first 34 Green Home Tour videos, and this year he contributed the drone footage and the induction cooking shorts.