Stop testing on dogs

Wednesday, Dec. 1, protest brutal and lethal scientific testing on some 800 dogs for three experiments to further research on the heart and its functions. Noon, University of San Francisco, 513 Parnassus, S.F. For more information, e-mail vigilforanimals@yahoo.com.

Independent news screening

Thursday, Dec. 2, attend a screening of Street Level TV, an independent, commercial-free, locally made news program covering issues of social, environmental, and economic justice. 8 p.m., Artists' Television Access, 992 Valencia, S.F. $5. (415) 824-3890, www.atasite.org.

Arts program benefit

Thursday, Dec. 2-Friday, Dec. 3, bid on artwork from the Shooting Gallery and the Hospitality House's Community Arts Program at a silent auction. Proceeds go toward studio space and supplies for homeless and poor artists. Preview art Thurs/2, noon-7 p.m.; auction Fri/3, 6-10 p.m., Shooting Gallery, 839 Larkin, S.F. (415) 931-8035.

Music collective documentary

Friday, Dec. 3, see Spreading Propaganda, a documentary about the lives of the three members of Entartete Kunst, a politically minded electronic music collective named after the post-WWI German art movement. 8 p.m., Artists' Television Access, 992 Valencia, S.F. $5. (415) 824-3890, www.atasite.org.

Domestic partner laws

Saturday, Dec. 4, learn about the legal repercussions of AB 205, the California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, in terms of community property, children, taxes, and dissolution of the partnership, at a question-and-answer session sponsored by Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market, S.F. $3 suggested donation. (415) 865-5555.

Ecology Center benefit

Saturday, Dec. 4, partake in organic goods and handcrafted gifts at the Berkeley Farmers Market's 12th annual Holiday Crafts Fair, a benefit for the Ecology Center in Berkeley. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, corners of Center and MLK Jr. Way, Berk. Free admission. (510) 548-3333, www.ecologycenter.org.

Help activism in Venezuela

Saturday, Dec. 4, enjoy live Latin music, food, drinks, and an art auction at a fundraiser for Colectivo Carlos Reina, a group involved with supporting revolutionary efforts in Venezuela. 7 p.m., 522 Valencia, third fl., S.F. $10 suggested donation. (415) 724-7151.

Restore the seashore

Saturday, Dec. 4, take a trip up to Point Reyes and help the Coastal Habitat Restoration remove interloping weeds, which threaten the ecology of the seashore and the survival of creatures like the snowy plover. Bring rain gear, warm clothes, lunch, and water. 10 a.m., Point Reyes National Seashore Visitor Center, Point Reyes. For more information or to organize a group, call (415) 464-5223.

Televise your revolution

Saturday, Dec. 4, learn to use the new low-cost and low-power VHF and UHF transmitters designed by Free Radio Berkeley's engineering staff at an all-day workshop. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Free Radio Berkeley, 1442A Walnut, Berk. $25-$50 sliding scale. (510) 625-0314, www.freeradio.org.

Toys for kids with AIDS

Saturday, Dec. 4, donate toys for children with AIDS in Asia and Africa at an event held by Maitri, an in-residence program for people living with AIDS. This year Maitri sends toys to Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Thailand. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Maitri, 401 Duboce, S.F. Suggested $15 value for toys. (415) 558-3003, www.maitrisf.org.

Alternative gardening

Saturday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 11, learn how to turn your kitchen scraps into nutrients for your garden at a composting class Dec. 4. The following Saturday, create inexpensive holiday gifts out of plants from your garden. Both workshops are offered by Garden for the Environment and sponsored by the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council. 10 a.m.-noon, Garden for the Environment, Seventh Ave. at Lawton, S.F. Sat/4 free; Dec. 11 $15 (preregistration required). (415) 731-5627.

Benefit for APAND

Wednesday, Dec. 8, New College of California holds a fundraiser for Asociacion de Padres y Amigos de Ninos Discapacitados, a school for handicapped children in Peru, as part of New College's commitment to help developing countries. Proceeds from the 21-and-over event – which includes food, drinks, art, and live entertainment – go toward construction of a new school building for APAND. 8 p.m., StudioZ.tv, 314 11th St., S.F. $5-$15 sliding scale. (415) 252-7666, www.studioz.tv.

S.F. Tomorrow party

Wednesday, Dec. 8, party with San Francisco Tomorrow, a conservation group established in 1969 to protect the city's environment via calling for increased public transportation, educating the public, and rebuilding more sustainable water and sewage systems. State senators Carol Migden and Jackie Speier and assemblymembers Mark Leno and Leland Yee have been invited, along with many city officials and environmentalist group leaders. 6-9 p.m., Forest Hill Clubhouse, 381 Magellan, S.F. $35-$60. (415) 564-1482 (RSVP).