Sustain Dane

Interested in learning more about electric vehicles (EVs)? Join Madison Gas and Electric the Sequoya Library (4340 Tokay Blvd.) on Tue. July 23, 6-7:30 PM (rain date is July 25). Meet inside for a short presentation, learn the basics about EVs, and then talk with a dozen EV owners and check out their vehicles that will be parked in the Library parking lot!

Have you heard of City of Madison, WI’s new Building Energy Savings Program (BESP)? BESP requires large commercial buildings to benchmark energy use and tune up building systems to save energy and money. In 2024, only large commercial buildings (>100,000 square feet) are required to benchmark energy use. The 2024 deadline for benchmarking is September 6. Building owners now have access to the online platform that will guide them through the process of benchmarking and reporting. To learn more about the program, find helpful training guides, sign-up for virtual trainings or see if your building is required to participate, visit the City’s website: https://ow.ly/YYP250SEGXu

Can you believe we're already half way through 2024? Time for a green New Year's resolution check in with our staff. At the start of 2024, our Development & Partnership Manager Spencer set a goal to ditch single-use grocery bags, and we're thrilled to share that he's rocking reusable ones now. Small changes make a big impact! How are you doing with your green resolution? It's never to late make one. Visit our Climate Action webpage at https://lnkd.in/e7KyYJ-C for some inspiration.

Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) launched the R2E2 Playbook, a tool for community-based organizations, state and local governments, and others seeking to establish, improve, or expand energy upgrade programs for low- and moderate-income housing in their communities.    To launch the Playbook, leaders from across the country came together to showcase their programs and we couldn't be more proud to be a part of it. View the R2E2 Playbook at 2e2playbook.org View the webinar at https://lnkd.in/gcuSM6CS (Sustain Dane case study at 11:00min mark)

'Bird Friendly Future' July Sustainable Breakfast Series panelist spotlight- Benjamin Zuckerberg Register at bit.ly/BirdingSBS Benjamin is a professor in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the UW-Madison. His research focuses on how modern climate change influences wildlife behavior, abundance, and distribution. Through close collaboration with natural resource and wildlife managers, Benjamin's lab is paving the way for effective climate change adaptation. Hear from Benjamin and other panelists at our SBS on the connections between birds, people, and the planet, on Tuesday, July 23, from 8:30-9:30.

With the 2024 Live Forward Awards (LFA) nomination form open, what better time to look back at the inspirational list of last year's nominees?! Nominate a changemaker for our 2024 awards ➡️ bit.ly/24SDLFA Register for the Nov 8 Sustain Dane Summit ➡️ Sustaindane.org/Summit Last year's 2023 LFA nominees included: 🍃Ben Austin- Findorff 🍃Cristina Carvajal- Wisconsin EcoLatinos 🍃Dane County Youth Environmental Committee 🍃Penny DePaola/Monona Public Library 🍃Brandi Grayson- Urban Triage, Inc. 🍃Ruthanna Hutton-Okpalaeke & Cooper Talbot- Urban Triage 🍃Alexandra Klabacka & Boardman & Clark LLP Green Team 🍃Tim Lindstrom- UW-Madison Office of Sustainability 🍃Susan Millar- 350 Wisconsin 🍃Devine Nzegwu, MBA- John Deere 🍃Martha Pfaff & Children's Community School of Mount Horeb 🍃Carol Phelps- Wisconsin Creation Care Ambassador 🍃Matt & Marie Raboin- Brix Cider 🍃Red Caboose Child Care Center, Inc. Leadership Team 🍃Xanthe Saalmann- Dane County Youth Environmental Committee 🍃Kyla Smith- Urban Triage 🍃Sasha Stone- Green Life Trading Co. 🍃Stoughton, Wisconsin Sustainability Committee 🍃Izzie Tobin & Village of McFarland Green Team 🍃Brenda Vetter- SoL Criations Farm Sanctuary 🍃Cait Williamson & Lindsey Taylor- Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin 🍃Andrea White- YWCA Madison 🍃Willy Street Co-op Executive Team & Staff LFA acknowledges changemakers and inclusive leaders who are locally promoting thriving sustainability, community healing, and resiliency. A nominee's work will ideally impact one or more areas of holistic sustainability: a healthy environment, equity & social well-being, and a just economy. Nominees receive recognition at the Summit and awardees receive a $250 prize.

We had a blast tabling at yesterday's Environmental Fun Fair! From our recycling game to bike-powered blended smoothies, nature crafts, camping demos, and more, there was no shortage of activities to get kids excited about the environment around them and inspire them to help preserve it. Thank you to Dane County Parks for this fun and informative event that we look forward to seeing again next year.

What are you doing next Saturday (July 20)? Come make a difference at volunteer event on with Wild Warner. RSVP at bit.ly/WarnerVolunteer Spend the morning at Warner Park with the sustainability community, picking up trash and helping with park maintenance. There will also be a (limited) option to hop into canoes and assist with water cleanup. When: Saturday, July 20, 10:00 AM -12:00 PM Where: Warner Park (2930 N Sherman Ave, Madison)

Incredible sustainability updates from Sustain Dane member Promega Corporationduring our June Biotech Professionals Workshop. Last year, Promega diverted over 23,487 lbs of plastic film. At the start of 2024, they took this one step further and invested in a bailer. Now, finished bales of plastic are stored in a trailer which is then picked up by NexTrex for recycling.   For more details on Promega’s sustainability actions, we made the workshop presentation available to the public ➡️ bit.ly/BiotechSlides

This last month, the Powerful Teen Leaders have been busy! The PTL coalition provides employment programming for teens including paid work experience and workforce readiness training for future employment in the green jobs economy. Here’s a small peek into some of their June programming. 🍃Wheels for Winner field trip: Powerful Teen Leaders pledged to complete 30 hours of community service in exchange for a bike to use for program and personal transportation. 🍃Westport Prairie restoration work: With Groundswell Conservancy participants got hands-on, helping clear brush from a prairie remnant post-prescribed burn. 🍃Operation Fresh Start visit: Program manager and recent OFS graduate Keenih Allen-Wallace took the Leaders to learn about the organizations and the many programs they offer to the community. 🍃White Trail Ridge Park work day: Despite the rain, PTL members joined the City of Madison Parks to establish a trail in a 22.2-acre urban forest extension of White Tail Ridge Park, learning skills like using cutters, loppers, and hand saws. 🍃Lakeview Hill park conservation work: Participants wrapped up June by pulling Japanese Hedge Parsley, contributing to the restoration of a mixed hardwood woodland.