Sustainable Williston meets Thu, 11/12 at the library

Sustainable Williston will meet this Thursday, November 12th, at 7:15 at the Dorothy Alling Library. We’ll be in the Vermont Room, upstairs (to the left of the circulation desk). The majority of the meeting will focus on ways we can contribute to sustainability in the Town Plan process. Anyone interested in sustainability in Williston is welcome.

Sustainable Williston Meets Thursday, Oct. 1

Sustainable Williston will meet this Thursday at the Dorothy Alling Library from 7:15 to 8:45 PM to talk about the Town Plan, task forces, priorities for the Fall, the upcoming Birth Tree celebration, our monthly contributions to the Williston Observer, planned events, and more. All Williston residents interested in sustainability or the environment are welcome. From this meeting, you can get involved in task forces like trees, water quality, energy and carbon footprint, transportation, light pollution, and more.

Free backyard composting workshops Sep 14 & 15

A message from the Chittenden Solid Waste District:

Discover the benefits of “closing the loop” with your own household food scraps in this interactive, hands-on demonstration of a healthy compost system — one that works for you all year ’round!

Compost1Compost2

WHEN: Monday, September 14, 5-6 pm and Tuesday, September 15, 5 to 6 pm.
WHERE: Green Mountain Compost Edu-Shed (1042 Redmond Rd., Williston)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: This is a popular class and space is limited — sign up here to reserve your spot: http://bit.ly/1FA2RlJ

Here’s what you’ll learn:
– What type of bin is best for you
– Where to locate your bin
– What to put into your bin (and what to avoid!)
– How to manage your bin
– Troubleshooting
– Harvesting your compost
– Alternatives to a backyard bin (pick up service, or drop-off composting)

Scott Gardner Presents on Reducing Home Energy Costs September 14th

Scott Gardner of Building EnergyOn Monday, September 14, at 7:00 PM, Scott Gardner of Building Energy in Williston will offer a video presentation demonstrating ways homeowners can significantly reduce their home energy costs through insulation, weatherization and the use of cold weather heat pumps. The event, part of Sustainable Williston’s Sustainable Energy Series at the Dorothy Alling Library, will explain the benefits of a home energy audit to assess your home’s current energy consumption and to find ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency through a whole-home approach.

The presentation will include a video on heat pumps, hands on demonstrations, and a question and answer session. Light refreshments will be served.

Scott Gardner, founder of Building Energy, has been building and remodeling energy efficient homes and businesses in the Northeast for more than thirty years. He has national training and has earned certification in sound building practices and energy conservation technologies.

cold climate heat pumpSustainable Williston is a grassroots community group working on issues like water quality, climate change, and bike paths. Previous Sustainable Energy Series events have covered solar panels, electric vehicles, and more.

Sustainable Williston meets Thursday, Sep 3

Sustainable Williston will meet this Thursday at the Dorothy Alling Library (pending confirmation from library staff) to talk about the Town Plan, task forces, priorities for the fall, the upcoming Birth Tree celebration, our monthly contributions to the Williston Observer, planned events, and more. All Williston residents interested in sustainability or the environment are welcome. From this meeting, you can get involved in task forces like trees, water quality, energy and carbon footprint, transportation, light pollution, and more.

Transportation Is a Matter of Life and Death: Alternative Transportation Roundtable Monday 8/24

WalkToSchool

What will they say about our transportation decisions in ten or twenty years? With three Vermont bicyclist deaths this year, many Williston children not being able to safely walk or ride to school, and bus routes only beginning to connect Williston residents with jobs and surrounding communities, we can either bet on more cars, more carbon, more traffic, more pollution, and more danger to bicyclists and pedestrians, or get behind alternative transportation in a big way.

Join experts on alternative transportation, from buses to electric vehicles to bike paths to ride sharing, for a roundtable discussion of the what, why, how, and how much of alternative transportation in Williston. Learn about changes to bus service; new electric cars with longer range; and what it takes to get bike and pedestrian paths where we need them most. This free event in Sustainable Williston’s Sustainable Energy  series takes place at the Dorothy Alling Library Monday evening, August 24th, at 7:00 to 8:30 pm [THIS IS A CORRECTION: WE ERRONEOUSLY HAD PREVIOUSLY LISTED THE EVENT AS BEING FROM 6:30 to 8:00]. Come to ask questions and offer ideas or to learn from representatives of organizations tentatively to include Go! Vermont, CCTA, Drive Electric Vermont, Local Motion, and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. We’ll have refreshments available. For more information, get in touch through our contact page.

Explore Electric Vehicles at the Sun CARnival Aug 16th

SunCommon, a Vermont solar installer, invites Vermonters to a free electric vehicle (EV) event at St. Mike’s on Sunday, August 16th:

SunCARnival

  • EV owners will be available to talk candidly about what it’s like to own and operate an EV.
  • Drive Electric Vermont will be there to help you understand the differences between electric car models.
  • There will be many models of EVs at the EVent (with test rides available too!)
  • Grab a slice of complimentary pizza form Open Hearth Pizza then relax and play a little cornhole.
  • Last but not least, take a spin on an electric assist bicycle!

The details:
It’s the Sun CARnival at St. Michael’s!
St. Michael’s College
Klein Hall parking lot (off of Route 15 look for the signs!)
Colchester, VT 05439
Sunday August 16th, 1:00PM-4:00PM
Check out or Facebook EVent to let us know you can make it and to invite your friends!

SunCommon will be there all day visiting with community members and answering questions about going solar in Vermont while celebrating the clean energy connection between solar energy and electric vehicles. It’s an especially good time to introduce your friends and neighbors to solar considering that the sun is setting on the 30% Federal income tax credit for installing solar. They’ll thank you for it.

Build Your Own Rain Barrel in Williston July 25th

rain barrel workshop

The Town of Williston is offering a build-your-own rain barrel event July 25th. Here’s the announcement:

Summer is officially here! It’s the perfect time of year to consider incorporating the use of a rain barrel for lawn and landscaping needs. The Chittenden County Stream Team and the Town of Williston are hosting a workshop in Williston to help you build your own rain barrel. This workshop is meant for individuals interested in saving water and reducing stormwater runoff, which can carry pollutants to our streams and Lake Champlain. The water you save in a rain barrel can be used for watering lawns and flower gardens, washing your car or tools. Save water, save money, and save our streams all at the same time! In the workshop you will learn how to properly maintain and install a rain barrel and take home your own barrel.

 

What: Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop
When: Saturday, July 25th at 10 am
Where: The new Williston Department of Public Works building on Avenue A, off of Industrial Ave
Cost: $30

 

Pre-registration by Friday, July 10th is required and participation is limited to 30 rain barrels. Please pre-register by calling 802-288-8155 Ext 104 or by emailing: anna at winooski nrcd dot org

 

For more information about stormwater issues or volunteering in your community, please visit the Chittenden County Stream Team’s website:www.ccstreamteam.org

Photo by F Delventhal

Free solar tours Saturday; SunCommon Solstice Party Sunday

It’s a great weekend for solar energy events in Vermont!

solar tours

First, there’s a series of free solar tours around the state this Saturday, June 20th, including several sites in Chittenden County, like South Burlington, Jericho, and our own town solar array in Williston Village. The tours are sponsored by Renewable Energy Vermont, VNRC, 350 Vermont, and the Sustainable Energy Resource Group. For more information, including an interactive map, see http://www.revermont.org/main/celebrate-solar-tours/

SunCommon

Second, on Sunday solar installation and design company SunCommon is offering yoga and live music as a solstice celebration in Jericho:

Sun Salutations & Solar
Community Solar Array (CSA)
35 Old Pump Road
Jericho, VT 05465