Neighborhood Sustainability Conference, Saturday, March 8, 2008

2008 Neighborhood Sustainability Conference: Connecting City & Citizen efforts for Sustainable Communities Saturday, March 8, 8:30 to 4:30, Augsburg College Register at www.sustaincommunity.net The free conference will bring together 700 volunteer leaders from block clubs, neighborhoods, schools, congregations, garden clubs and lake associations to plan projects they want to carry out in the spring and summer to help reduce global warming and prepare for energy and climate uncertainty. Keynote Speaker: Jay WallJasper Senior Fellow, at Project for Public Spaces, Executive Editor of Ode magazine, previous of the Utne Reader and author of The Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-It Yourself Guide to Placemaking. Topic tracks will include: energy, water quality, community gardening, urban forestry, walking/biking & transit use, local food, waste reduction and developing a community-wide sustainability plan.   Share outreach tips with successful congregations, schools, neighborhoods and block clubs. Meet with others from your community to envision next steps. Volunteer teams will also be able to track their projects and share ideas with other groups working on similar projects through the conference web site.         •        Volunteer teams are encouraged to bring at least three members.          •        Resource organizations are also invited to exhibit at the event. The event will also feature great music, food and public art! At the conference community volunteers will be able to learn about many different project grant opportunities to fund grassroots projects in the areas of energy, water quality, waste reduction, graffiti prevention and Climate/Energy Citizen Partnerships . Space is limited to the first 750 people.   Please bring your own waste-free lunch or reserve a local, organic waste free lunch for $10 when you register.  Bus, bike and parking info available on line. Please pre-register for this free event today at www.sustaincommunity.net The Conference is Presented by the Alliance for Sustainability www.afors.org with the following Conference co-sponsors: The Cities of Minneapolis & St. Paul, Hennepin County, League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Augsburg College , Aveda, Green Institute, Bonestroo Engineering & Architecture, EcoWare, Horst Rechelbacher Foundation, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Rainbow Tree Care, Rice Creek Watershed District, SEH Inc., Sustainability Associates, SWB Architects & Planners, Xcel Energy, with Barr Engineering, Center for Energy & Environment, CR Planning, Environmental Justice Advocates of MN, Eureka! Recycling, Friends of the Mississippi, Gardenworks, Great River Greening, Metro Blooms, Metro Clean Energy Resource Teams, Metro Solid Waste Coordinating Board, Metro Watershed Partners, Midway TMO, MN Department of Natural Resources, MN Renewable Energy Society, MN Environmental Partnership, Neighborhood Energy Connection, Sunday’s Energy, Sierra Club, Tree Trust, U of MN Master Gardeners, Upper Midwest Permaculture Collaborative, SHIFT, Sierra Club, Transit for Livable Communities, Verde Strategies, Vital Aging Network, Will Steger Foundation, Youth Environmental Activists of MN, (additional sponsors are welcome!)         •        Flyer for March 8 Citizen Conference & April 16 Local Government Workshop           •        March 8th Conference Poster PDF           •        March 8th Neighborhood Conference Flyer PDF   Save the Date for our Local Government Sustainability Workshop - "Using Model Ordinances to Implement your City's Sustainability goals" Wednesday April 16, 12:30pm to 4:30pm, Paul & Sheila Center for Community, St. Paul.         •        April 16 Local Government Sustainability Workshop - Sample Announcement and Flyer Questions? Call: Sean Gosiewski, Program Director, Alliance for Sustainability 612-331-1099 x 1 sean@afors.org www.afors.org www.sustaincommunity.net