Greetings,

The newsletter's primary purpose is to help people learn about events and initiatives related to sustainability in Central Wisconsin. This issue reports on great steps by local businesses moving toward sustainability – including Klismith Accounting, Wisconsin Public Service, Chet’s Plumbing and Heating, THE green co, Domtar Paper, NewPage, Wausau Paper Specialty Products, Kohl’s and Sprocketz.

Under recent sustainability news we have updates from Stevens Point, Marshfield, Mid-State Technical College, a large prairie chicken habitat purchase, the upcoming Renewsical and more. This newsletter wraps up with many upcoming sustainability events including voters’ forums, Local Food Fair II, a sustainable communities roundtable and policy forum, a forum on Wisconsin climate change legislation, the Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival, a Community Supported Agriculture open house, gardening workshops, sustainable building workshops and more!

If someone you know would like to receive the Central Wisconsin Sustainability Newsletter by email, they can sign up by entering their email address in the green box at http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/landcenter/sustainability.html

Businesses Moving Toward Sustainability...

Accounting firm takes advantage of tax law changes to install solar panels
Adapted from the Stevens Point Journal
For some time, Tom Klismith has followed the federal incentives to install renewable energy systems at his certified public accounting firm in Plover. He liked the idea of installing solar panels at Klismith Accounting, but as a numbers man, the incentives -- which cover 30% of the installation costs -- just didn't add up

But when that tax law was changed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Klismith pounced. He had 112 solar panels installed at Klismith Accounting. In the two months since he installed the panels, Klismith has saved $425, but he expects that number to rise as the days grow longer and there is more sun. During the course of the year, he expects to save at least $6,000. At that rate, the system should pay for itself in less than 10 years. That means big savings for the company because the equipment will last 20 to 25 years.

Iowa wind farm is generating power for Wisconsin Public Service
Adapted from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) Corp. finished construction of its Crane Creek wind farm, a project in north central Iowa that began generating electricity in late December. WPS owns and operates the $251 million wind farm, which was built to help the Green Bay utility that serves part of central Wisconsin comply with the state’s renewable portfolio standard. The project consists of 66 wind turbines capable of generating 99 megawatts of power. Details about the wind farm are at www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/environment/crane_creek.aspx.

The standard requires Wisconsin’s utilities to generate 10% of the state’s electricity from renewable power sources by 2015. With this wind farm, WPS is at or near 10% renewable electricity, according to Kelly Zagrzebski from WPS.

Chet’s Plumbing and Heating, Inc. offers sustainable energy options
Written by Denise Heimstead
Serving the Stevens Point area since 1977, Chet’s Plumbing and Heating, Inc. provides plumbing, heating and cooling systems for commercial and residential projects, and has been a community leader in promoting renewable energy by also offering expertise in solar and geothermal energy. Focus on Energy certified, Chet’s specializes in the installation of solar hot water and solar space heating systems for both new construction and remodel projects. Chet’s is family owned and operated and is located at 3001 Hoover Ave, Stevens Point. For more information on the array of services provided check out their website: www.chets.net.

New store in Plover features green products
Adapted from the Stevens Point Journal
Laura West, a Plover resident, has opened a store featuring products that are all-natural or made from recycled materials. West, 34, opened THE green co. at 2611 Post Road in Plover in December. Products are focused on affordability and being something a person can use without changing his or her lifestyle. The store features everything from composters that sit on a kitchen countertop to toy trucks made from milk jugs. West also uses local vendors whenever possible.

Central Wisconsin Mills get over $2 million from stimulus to cut energy use
Adapted from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Nine Wisconsin companies will receive $14.5 million in energy efficiency financing through the federal stimulus package. The money is funded through the state Focus on Energy program, after the state won the funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. The companies receiving funds include Domtar Paper, Rothschild, $870,500; NewPage, Wisconsin Rapids, $495,000; and Wausau Paper Specialty Products, which will receive $706,968 for its Mosinee mill.

“With this funding, we will be able to help these companies become more energy efficient, so they can retain their competitive edge, reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, and create good-paying jobs to support Wisconsin families,” Doyle said in a statement.

Weston’s first bike shop - Sprocketz
Adapted from City Pages
Three weeks before its doors even open and already the new bike shop in Weston has 400+ fans on its Facebook page. Excitement obviously is building over Sprocketz, which John Nowaczyk and his wife, Lisa, plan to open February 1 inside Weston Plaza across from Wiggly Field on Schofield Avenue. “Weston is such a bicycle/pedestrian forward-thinking area that it’s just a perfect match,” Nowaczyk says. As it builds and rebuilds roads throughout the village, Weston has planned transportation corridors that include bicycle and pedestrian paths. Learn more at http://sprocketzbikeshop.com/

Kohl's achieves 100% 'green' power
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Kohl's Corp. has bought enough "green" power to meet 100% of the company's purchased electricity needs for the year, the Menomonee Falls-based department store chain said Tuesday. The purchase of 1.4 billion kilowatt hours of green electricity moves Kohl's to the No. 2 spot on the Environmental Protection Agency's listings of top green power purchasers. Kohl's retains its top ranking among retailers. Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind and solar.

Recent Sustainability News...

Conservation group buys prairie chicken habitat
Adapted from the Portage County Gazette, The Conservation Fund and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In one of the biggest land transactions in recent Portage County history, 883 acres on the Buena Vista Marsh have been bought from Blue Top Farms Inc. for conservation purposes. The Conservation Fund purchased the land from Blue Top Farms, Inc. and plans to transfer ownership to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to manage as habitat for a variety of grassland birds.

The prairie chicken once lived in every county, but its habitat has shrunk to six counties in the central part of the state. The plight of the prairie chicken has brought together landowners, public agencies and conservation groups in a widespread effort to protect grassland habitat in Wisconsin.

“We’re thankful to our partners – Dane County Conservation League, Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc., Portage County Land Preservation Fund and the Wisconsin DNR – for their involvement in this project,” said Peg Kohring, Midwest director of The Conservation Fund. “No one group alone could acquire the property, but by working together we have made this a huge success.” For more information see www.conservationfund.org/news/prairie_chicken_habitat_conservation_wisconsin

City of Stevens Point testing economical, environmentally friendly lighting alternatives
Adapted from the Stevens Point Journal
In an effort to find more and better ways to save money for its taxpayers and increase sustainability, the City of Stevens Point, an Eco-Municipality, has begun testing the effectiveness of economically and environmentally friendly alternatives to High Pressure Sodium street lights. This test marks a proactive approach to finding a fiscally responsible, environmentally friendly street lighting alternative to the current lights, and is one of the largest trials of its kind in the Country. The trial utilizes two sections of street lights in the Portage County Business Park. Existing lights have been retrofitted with new Light Emitting Diode (LED), high-intensity fluorescent, and induction lighting fixtures. To see a map of the lighting study area visit www.stevenspoint.com/dpw/.

Upon completion of the test, the results will direct the city's decision to replace street lights already owned by the city (approximately 50% of all lights) by the end of 2011. This will lead to the long-range benefits of saving the city $100 -$200,000 per year in operation costs annually with the project paying for itself in approximately five to seven years. “This is a very worthwhile project. It demonstrates our commitment to looking for the most economical ways to serve the Stevens Point residents as well as our commitment to sustainability as an Eco-Municipality,” said Stevens Point Mayor Andrew Halverson.

City of Stevens Point plans sustainable projects for 2010
Adapted from the Stevens Point Journal
Some sustainable goals and changes are coming to the city in 2010 that could cut energy costs and assist the city with its eco-municipality goals. One project could make some city buildings sustainable at times by converting methane to energy. The city is in the beginning stages of an estimated $1.5 million methane electric generator at the wastewater treatment plant, Mayor Andrew Halverson said. Methane produced through the treatment process would be captured, redirected into the generator and burned to produce electricity. This will allow some city buildings, like the wastewater plant and water and wastewater administrative offices, to get off the electric grid when the generator is running. Eventually, the city would be able to sell energy, Halverson said. A final design of the project is expected in late summer or fall.

Center for Land Use Education partners with the City of Stevens Point to hire Sustainability Coordinator

The Center for Land Use Education recently hired Joe Kottwitz, a recent UW-Stevens Point graduate, as the Sustainability Coordinator until the end of June. The position was created to assist sustainability efforts in the City of Stevens Point and Central Wisconsin. The City will be forming a Sustainability Advisory Commission in which Joe will staff and work with on specified projects. Upcoming projects include a City energy plan, renewable energy and energy efficiency loan program for residents, and the construction of a methane electric generator at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. In addition, Joe will work on creating a film about sustainability initiatives in central Wisconsin.

He will also be working with the Center for Land Use Education on public policy round tables, the newly formed Sustainability Alliance, public outreach, and grant writing for future programs and positions. Any questions and comments may be directed towards Joe at (715) 346-1556.

City of Stevens Point creates Sustainability Advisory Commission

Stevens Point Mayor Andrew Halverson will be appointed the city council member on the newly created Sustainability Advisory Commission, a five person committee charged with pursuing and advancing sustainability projects within the city, focusing especially on the recommendations set forth by the Stevens Point Eco-Municipality Task Force in 2008. Members on the commission will serve two year terms and the commission will be staffed by the newly hired Sustainability Coordinator. The City hopes that the commission will ably and efficiently advance sustainability efforts in Stevens Point on a consistent and continuous basis.

Projects the commission will begin working on are a City energy plan and a renewable energy and efficiency loan program for residents, among others. The commission’s first meeting will be in the first half of February. Any questions or suggestions may be directed towards Joe Kottwitz, Sustainability Coordinator, at (715) 346-1556.

New historical murals in Stevens Point
Adapted from the Portage County Gazette
The blank brick wall in the walkway between Main and Clark Streets at the Portage County Public Library has been transformed into a timeline of the first 150 years of the history of Stevens Point. Six murals illustrate that timeline, identifying nine events that have shaped the history of the City of Stevens Point. The murals depict:

• The Hathaway survey and George Stevens
• The Stevens Point Brewery that was founded in 1857
• Mandana Hale Bill, the first school teacher in Stevens Point, with a picture of the White School, the first school in the city
• A railroad conductor in front of the Stevens Point depot of the Wisconsin Center Railroad
• Paper mill workers in front of the paper mill of the Stevens Point Division of Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company
• Carl Jacobs standing in front of the first section of the Hardware Mutual Insurance building

See the front page article of the January 15, 2010 edition of the Portage County Gazette for the stories behind each of these murals.

City of Marshfield completes 25X’25 Energy Plan
Last January the City of Marshfield accepted the 25X’25 grant, setting a goal to get 25% of the City’s energy from renewable resources by the year 2025. In December, after a one year planning process, the City completed their draft 25X’25 plan that will go to Common Council for approval in January. The plan consists of an inventory of the City’s energy usage annually and a set of energy efficiency and renewable energy goals/objectives that will help the City get 25% of their energy from renewable resources by the year 2025.

Right now the City spends $860,000 annually on energy. 40% of the cost is attributable to City buildings, 34% to street lighting and water, and 26% to fleet vehicles. Electricity consumption is by far the largest producer of CO2 emissions for the City, at 77%. Within the next 2 years the city will be 1/3 of the way to their goal, largely due to the new LEED Gold certified fire station that is currently being built. It will feature a solar hot water system, geothermal heating, solar battery charging station, bi-fold bay doors that open and close faster, and natural landscaping that will reduce maintenance costs and buffer seasonal weather. The City is also planning on enacting fleet vehicle policy and converting fleet vehicles to hybrids from 2011-2025, replacing all street lights with LED’s, purchasing 25% of their electricity from renewable resources, and looking into the possibility of a community scale wind farm.

Mid-State Technical College in Rapids adds renewable energy degrees
Adapted from Central Wisconsin Sunday
MSTC has five associate degree programs in sustainable energy. Three were added in fall 2008 and two were added this past fall, said MSTC Communications Director Elizabeth Moran. "The enrollment for our renewable energy programs has been pretty strong," said Ron Zillmer, associate dean of MSTC's Technical and Industrial Division. "And in some cases, we're at capacity for the amount of space we have." Currently, the college's sustainable energy program has 85 full-time equivalent students enrolled in the five programs. Within its first year, there were only 22 FTE students, said Connie Willfahrt, vice president of Student Affairs and Information Technology.

Two sustainable education grants awarded
Mary Maller and Sue Anderson attended the “Midwest Regional Collaborative for Sustainable Education” workshop in Ashland this summer. While there they each submitted a Grant Proposal and were recently notified that each will receive $500 in grant monies. Mary’s grant will pursue building a local food economy, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) awareness. Sue’s grant will work to expand sustainable study circles. Congrats Mary and Sue!!

Central Wisconsin Community Food Systems Project
Nearly 40 people from Central Wisconsin recently visited Growing Power in Milwaukee to help envision what a community food system program would look like in this area. Faculty, staff, and students of UW-SP and community leaders attended the tour. A task force is being formed to more fully explore the potential of creating a similar project in the Stevens Point area using a vacant greenhouse, school or other space. If you would like to get involved, contact Jeremy Solin at jeremy@farmshed.org or 715-342-4643. To learn more about Growing Power and urban agriculture, visit www.growingpower.org

Renewsical: A Musical About Renewable Energy
Local entertainer Ed Lemar is putting together another great event to educate about renewable energy. Set to debut at the 2010 Energy Fair in June. Auditions will begin in early spring. If you want to get involved on stage or behind the scenes please contact Ed at 715.295.0644 or edwardlemar@care2.com. Looking for dancers, actors, vocalists, musicians, stage hands/crew, techies, artists, and much more.

Christmas bird count volunteers identify 49 species
Adapted from the Portage County Gazette
The Stevens Point Audubon Christmas Bird Count held on December 19 recorded 49 species, down from the high count of 53 in 2007 and 2005 but far above the low count of 33 tallied in 1976 and 1962; 49 is a solid average for the last 10 years. Thirty-four birders in eight field parties covered 461 miles by car and 15 miles on foot. Six birders covered an additional 65 miles listening for owls well before dawn, and four volunteers counted birds at backyard feeders. Winter finches were notably few in number this year. Record high numbers for the count included nine trumpeter swans, 505 mourning doves, 31 red-bellied woodpeckers and 602 cedar waxwings. Fifteen bald eagles was the second highest on record.

Local foods savored at holiday party
One hundred and eight people from the UWSP College of Natural Resources gathered for their holiday party at the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station. Many people had positive comments about the variety of local foods served including:

• Baked potatoes and buttered parsley organic carrots were from Malek farms in Rosholt
• Pork chops were from Nueske’s in Wittenberg
• Root beer, orange and grape glass soda pop in glass bottles was purchased from TWIGS Beverage in Shawano
• Cheese from the cheese trays were all made in Green Bay
• Refreshments were from Central Waters Brewery in Amherst

Moses Creek Restoration Project begins in 2010
By Jim Buchholz
The Moses Creek Restoration Project will soon begin in Schmeeckle Reserve. The creek was ditched in the 1930s to drain wetlands north of the Reserve. Plans are currently underway to recreate the natural meanders of the stream and restore the wetland floodplain. This will improve water retention, provide high-quality habitat for wildlife, and serve as an aesthetically pleasing recreation corridor for the university and community. The $1.3 million restoration is being funded as a mitigation project by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

In February, oak trees will start to be removed from the project area to reduce the risk of introducing oak wilt disease. Excavation of the stream channel and 20 acres of adjacent wetlands will begin in late summer, with plans to finish by late fall. A new trail and boardwalk system will be constructed through the restoration area as part of the project.

Learn more at: www.uwsp.edu/schmeeckle/moses_creek. If you have any questions or comments about the restoration project, feel free to contact Ron Zimmerman or Jim Buchholz at Schmeeckle Reserve by phone at 346-4992 or email at rzimmerm@uwsp.edu or jbuchhol@uwsp.edu. 

2009 Wisconsin High School Conference on the Environment – A SUCCESS!
From the LEAFlet, December 2009
About 235 students and 60 teachers and chaperones from 36 school districts participated in this year’s very successful conference, Our Changing Forests: Challenges and Opportunities for Wisconsin’s Students. LEAF, the Wisconsin K-12 Forestry Education Program, coordinated this year’s event which was held at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Students and teachers brought research and project exhibits that were voted on by peers

We received a lot of positive feedback from teachers and students:
“This was the first year for us to attend and I can’t begin to tell you what that meant for the 3 students that attended the conference. From a professional point of view it was exciting to see the terrific level of energy, enthusiasm and examples of projects that students around Wisconsin are doing to contribute to their knowledge of Wisconsin forests but also the contribution to a lifelong education in the environment in general.” DeForest Area High School teacher

Debate in the legislature
From the Wisconsin State Journal, January 21, 2010
The cost of renewable energy is taking on added importance as state lawmakers debate a sweeping bill aimed at fighting climate change. Among its requirements:

• 25 percent of electricity for all homes and businesses in the state must come from renewable sources such as wind and hydroelectric plants by the end of 2025;
• And state agencies must get 25 percent of their electricity from biomass sources such as wood or switchgrass by 2025.

Speaking to a legislative committee Wednesday, the developers of the bill said the measure would position Wisconsin well if the federal government restricts coal use. Roy Thilly, co-chairman of Gov. Jim Doyle's Global Warming Task Force, which developed the recommendations that became the basis for the bill, told lawmakers the task force wanted to help the state survive if carbon regulations are enacted. Wisconsin currently relies heavily on coal power, a major source of greenhouse gases.

Thilly argued the bill would eventually reduce utility bills because renewable sources will negate the need to build expensive new power plants. But opponents say the bill would cost the state billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Environmentalists have said the measure will help create "green" jobs.

In a related matter, Doyle said Wednesday that the state's Focus on Energy program has saved businesses and homeowners $269 million since 2001. Figures on the cost of the investment made to achieve those savings were not available.

Overviews and full text of the Assembly and Senate bills about energy are available at the Wisconsin Legislative Council page at www.legis.state.wi.us/lc/publications/climate/index.htm Under “Upcoming Events” in this newsletter, see the February 24th forum about this legislation by the Wisconsin Rapids League of Women Voters.

State offers 'clunker' rebates for buying new appliances
Adapted from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

If you’re looking to save some cash while purchasing new appliances, 2010 is the time to do it. Wisconsin’s energy-efficient appliance rebate program — think of it as “cash for clunky appliances” — offers money to consumers who buy qualified home appliances in the new year. The U.S. Department of Energy has allocated $5.4 million to Wisconsin under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the state-run rebate program. The rebates rage from $25 for dishwashers, $200 for furnaces and $2,000 for solar hot water systems. Businesses, including landlords, are not eligible. Rebates will be available through mail-in applications. The program will last until funds are exhausted. For more details on the products that qualify and rebate forms go to www.focusonenergy.com/recovery

Students for Sustainable Communities
SSC is a student organization at UWSP dedicated to improving the sustainability of the campus and of the surrounding Stevens Point area. Recently, SSC attended Conservation Lobby Day in Madison to meet with local representatives. The event, hosted by Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, outlined 4 priorities to focus on while lobbying our representatives.

• Preserve Groundwater: Wisconsin's Buried Treasure: manage Wisconsin's groundwater resources to preserve lakes, streams, wetlands and drinking water supplies.
• Stop Global Warming in Wisconsin: address the threats of global warming in Wisconsin through clean, renewable energy jobs and energy conservation.
• Restore Conservation Integrity: return Wisconsin to an Independent DNR Secretary and a timely appointment of Natural Resource Board members.
• Protect Wisconsin's Drinking Water: protect Wisconsin's drinking water supplies by making sure we safely spread agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste.

SSC has many plans for this semester to raise awareness on the campus and in Stevens Point. People can expect speakers and movie screenings about sustainability and other environmentally conscious issues. On top of all this, SSC is once again hosting the 3rd annual Earth Day Tree Planting event. Earth Day tree planting has been a very successful event in prior years and we’re expecting nothing less this semester. If students are interested in SSC, we will have a booth set up at the involvement fair on February 10, 2010 from 7-9 pm in the Laird, Encore and Concourse of the DUC or students can attended our weekly meeting every Monday at 7:00pm in the TNR 170.

Upcoming Events

Ongoing Events

Voluntary Simplicity discussion groups
It is still possible to join one of two discussion groups using materials focused on Voluntary Simplicity. If interested please call Mary Maller at 592-4051 to order materials. One group will be meeting on Mondays at 6:30 at Emy Js beginning January 25th and the other will be meeting on Wednesdays at 6:45 at the Portage County Library beginning on January 27th.

Local radio shows
Two local radio shows airing on WWSP 90 FM feature sustainability topics and speakers. Tune in to:

• The Tuning Fork with Holly Petrillo on Mondays from 6-7 pm focuses on local food issues
• The Terminal Moraine with Eric Olson on Wednesdays from 6-7 pm focuses on other local sustainability issues. Learn more at www.facebook.com/pages/Stevens-Point-WI/The-Terminal-Moraine/136368426397

Show times are still subject to change.

Stevens Point year round market
The Market at Emy J’s will continue through the winter. The vendors provide a variety of products including meat, produce, canned goods, honey and maple syrup, llama fiber and yarn, soaps and lotions, paper products, jewelry, fabric products and pottery. Market hours will continue to be Every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm. Customers can contact Sara Raikowski for weekly details (715) 457-3491

MREA Workshop Calendar Posted
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) has posted their Workshop Calendar online. To register for photovoltaic, solar hot water, wind, renewable energy business, and alternative construction workshops, visit their website today: www.the-mrea.org

Applications for the 3rd edition of the Central Wisconsin Farm Fresh Atlas
are being accepted. Farms, businesses and sponsors who provide sustainably-grown, local food or related services are encouraged to submit an application. An on-line form can be accessed here. For more information, contact Jasia Steinmetz at 715-346-4087 or Sue Anderson at 715-592-4423.

January 2010

January 31
How to Grow Local Food - 4 Day Course
Last day to register for the “How to Grow Local Food” course that will be held February 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 9am-4pm in the College of Natural Resources Building, UWSP Campus, Room 122
Two weekend course taught by experienced, professional, local farmers that covers all basic skills and techniques to growing local food. The course emphasizes market garden or CSA scale techniques but can apply to home gardens. Diverse, low-input, and sustainable growing methods will be central to the course. Farmer instructors represent a range of growing styles, products, and marketing strategies. Topics Include: Soil Building and Composting, Seed Starting and Saving, Weed and Pest Management, Irrigation Strategies, Harvesting, Value-Added Processing, Marketing, Small Animals and Grazing and Season Extension.
Contact: John Sheffy at 715-346-4244 or jsheffy@uwsp.edu
Course Fee: $200
Includes Local Lunches and Textbook “New Organic Grower” by Eliot Coleman
Funds Raised will Support Farmer Instructors and Farm Internships
Continuing Education Credit Available
Register by January 31, 2010; Open to Anyone!

February 2010

February 6, 7-10pm
Arts Bash - The Best Bash in Town!
UWSP-Noel Fine Arts Center, Stevens Point
Arts Bash will be bigger and better than ever. Featuring tremendous creations from student artists and performers, Arts Bash is the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point's (UWSP) largest student scholarship fundraising event. 715-346-3956, www.artsbash.com

February 11, 6:00-8:45pm
Voter Forum for School Board and County Executive candidates
Ben Franklin Junior High, 2000 Polk Street, Stevens Point
Come and hear from the candidates before the February 16th primary election. Sponsored by the Stevens Point Area League of Women Voters.

February 11, 7pm
Eco-Themed Film Series: Fresh
MREA building, 7558 Deer Road, Custer
This film addresses the adverse effects of our current industrialized food system, and proposes a practical vision toward a healthy, sustainable future food system. Please join us in learning more about the foods we eat. This film is being shown FREE to the public.
Popcorn provided; please bring your own beverage. Questions? Call 715-592-6595, 592-4051, or 592-4423 Sponsored by: Sustainable Stockton & MREA. Supported by League of Women Voters.

February 16
Primary Election for local government positions including Stevens Point Area school board and Portage County Executive.

February 20, 4pm
Woody Tasch keynotes conference
Hotel Mead, Wisconsin Rapids
Woody Tasch, founder of the Slow Money Alliance and author of Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered, will be the key-note speaker at the Wisconsin Grazing Conference in Wisconsin Rapids in February. Tasch is a pioneer in merging investing and philanthropy to find ways to support local food that is sustainably grown. Organizers will allow people not attending the conference to attend Tasch's keynote. The fee will be a donation of five dollars or more or a donation to the local food pantry. There also may be a possibility for people from Stevens Point to meet more informally with Tasch...perhaps a dinner in Wisconsin Rapids or some event here in Stevens Point. If you're interested in finding out about a possible meeting with Woody Tasch before or after the conference or for more information regarding car-polling options for the key-note, please call Mary at 592-4051.

February 24, 6:30-8pm
The Clean Energy Jobs Act - Realistic Solutions to our Environmental and Economic Dilemmas
McMillan Library-Fine Arts Center, 490 East Grand Avenue, Wisconsin Rapids
This presentation will focus on the urgent need to address global warming by examining the effects climate change is having on Wisconsin and the types of changes we can expect to see in the future. The presenters will also provide a detailed overview of the Clean Energy Jobs Act which incorporates many of the policy recommendations developed by the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force to help address the problem. Speakers will be Ryan Schryver from Clean Wisconsin and Margi Kindig from the League of Women Voters. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Rapids League of Women Voters.

February 25, 5:30-8pm
Local Food Fair II
Stevens Point Area Senior High School, 1201 Northpoint Drive, Stevens Point
Local Food Fair II will be an evening of great local food, fun, and information. More information can be found at www.farmshed.org . It will be another "don't miss" event. If you're interested in sponsoring or helping out with the Food Fair, contact Jeremy Solin at jeremy@farmshed.org or 715-342-4643.

February 26, 9am-noon
Regional Sustainable Communities Roundtable
Travel Guard, 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point
This regional session will include a presentation overviewing:

• What is happening in Wisconsin and the country; with respect to sustainable communities
• Frameworks/approaches being used
• Key trends/compelling reasons that make this important
• Overview of the five themes of sustainable community engagement

Participants will then identify sustainability policy issues, barriers, strengths, etc., organized around these key areas:

• modeling sustainability through physical design
• cultivating community connections
• localizing economic production
• mobilizing community funds
• mobilizing society using community members’ energy and resources for broader sustainability efforts

The roundtable is FREE, but please register by calling the Center for Land Use Education at 346-3783.

March 2010

March 5-7
Arts Alliance Community Show
Sentry Theater, Stevens Point
Local celebrities (politicians, business leaders, etc.) and community members perform in a fun and memorable musical. 5th & 6th - 7:30 pm., March 7 - 2 pm, 715-254-0460

March 6, 8am-3:30 pm
Garden Inspirations: A Saturday with the Portage County Master Gardeners
Jensen Community Center, 487 north Main Street, Amherst
The day will include four speakers and a nice hot lunch. The speakers are Ken Schroeder from UW Extension on Vegetable Gardens Everyone can do it; Mark Dwyer from the Rotary Gardens in Janesville will talk about ferns and mosses; Samantha Peckham from Madison will speak about low maintenance hardy perennials and woody plants; and our own Emmet Judziewicz will speak about native plants for zone 4. Cost $30. Limited to 215 participants. Details and registration from Linda Zick at 341-4941 or at portage.uwex.edu/hort/documents/SaturdaybrochureMarch62010.pdf

March 8, 4pm
Portage County Space & Properties Meeting - comprehensive energy management plan
Portage County Annex Building, rooms 1 and 2, 1462 Strongs Avenue, Stevens Point
Portage County and the City of Stevens Point are collaborating on a comprehensive energy management plan for their government facilities. Invited speakers include representatives from Focus on Energy, WI Public Service and Portage County UW-Extension, who will share information on energy planning options and the services each organization could provide.

March 11, 7pm
Eco-Themed Film Series: Mad City Chickens
MREA building, 7558 Deer Road, Custer
This film is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical documentary about raising chickens in your backyard, and is FREE to the public. Popcorn provided; please bring your own beverage. Questions? Call 715-592-6595, 592-4051, or 592-4423 Sponsored by: Sustainable Stockton & MREA. Supported by League of Women Voters

March 16, 10am-7pm
Holly Shoppe Spring Open House
Lincoln Center, 1519 Water Street, Stevens Point
Featuring locally made crafts including Easter gifts, decorations, and new springtime items, refreshments and door prizes, 715-346-1401. The Holly Shoppe sells handcrafted items made by Portage County residents age 55 and over. Here you'll find gifts for all ages. Each item shows the time, care and love which went into its creation. When you choose a gift from the Holly Shoppe, you're choosing a handmade work of art. The Holly Shoppe is a program of the Portage County Department on Aging and is supported by the United Way of Portage County.

March 20, 9am – 5pm
Introduction to Cordwood Construction C 105.01
MREA, 7558 Deer Road, Custer
New! In this one-day MREA workshop, students will learn how to calculate the materials needed for a cordwood building project. It will also cover wood prep, site prep, mortar mixes, foundation and insulation options and more. To register call 715-592-6595 or visit the website: www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=808941

March 25, 6:00 – 8:45 pm
Voter Forum
Stevens Point, Location to be announced
Come hear from the candidates before the April 6th general election. Sponsored by the Stevens Point Area League of Women Voters.

March 25, 6-9 pm
Voter Forum
River Cities Community Access office in the Centralia Center, 220 3rd Avenue South, Wisconsin Rapids
Come hear from the candidates before the April 6th general election. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Rapids League of Women Voters.

March 25-26
Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum
LEED-certified Communications Arts Center at UW-Fox Valley, Menasha
Speakers include David Morris, vice president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the Minneapolis-based nonprofit agency that created the New Rules Project to provide tools to put theory into practice for strong, equitable, sustainable communities; Michael Dombeck, Professor of Global Conservation at UW-Stevens Point and former chief of the U.S. Forest Service; and Satya Rhodes-Conway, senior associate at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy national policy center based at UW-Madison and member of the City of Madison Common Council.

Day one includes a wrap-up of Regional Sustainable Communities Roundtables leading up to this forum; breakout sessions with three Wisconsin case studies, including La Crosse, and three out-of-state case studies, including the Transition Town of Northfield, Minnesota; and optional entertainment. Day two is roll-up-the-sleeves time through a hands-on, half-day session designed to advance policy.
Online registration and details will be available at Sustainablecommunitiesforum.wisconsin.edu

March 28, 9am – 5pm
Sustainable and Natural Building C 102.01
MREA, 7558 Deer Road, Custer, WI
Come to the MREA to learn about different types and styles of alternative construction and to learn about sustainable building and decision-making. Topics include site and design considerations, foundations, materials, wall systems, floors, roofs and more. To register call 715-592-6595 or visit the website: www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=808956

April 2010

April 3, 9am – 5pm
Healthy Home Renovations C 104.01
MREA, 7558 Deer Road, Custer, WI
New! This one-day MREA workshop will cover basic renovation principles and design considerations from foundations to the building’s skeletal structure to roofing options. It will also address sourcing of local lumber, salvaged and recycled materials, earthen floors and plasters, window options, and more. To register call 715-592-6595 or visit the website: www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=808959

April 6
General election for county boards, school boards, village boards, town boards and city councils.

April 16-18
Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival
A Celebration of Grasslands! Includes: prairie-chicken viewing, birding tours, wildlife demonstrations, children's crafts, nature art and book sales, silent auction, and more! Reservations required for viewing and birding tours. Fees may apply.
For information see prairiechickenfestival.org or call 715.343.6215.

April 21, 6-9 pm
Community Supported Agriculture Open House
Pinery Room, Stevens Point Public Library, Stevens Point
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a pre-paid share of produce from a farm. There are numerous benefits including: early cash flow for the farmer to help with costs; farmers get to know the people who eat the food they grow; consumers get very fresh food with all the vitamin benefits; get exposed to new ways of cooking and new foods; and they get to meet the person(s) who grow their food.

At this event you can learn about central Wisconsin CSAs, and hear from Chef Randall, formerly of the Mead Hotel in Rapids, about what he does with all the veggies and other stuff that a CSA member gets in their box. Sponsored by Farmshed. Learn more about how CSAs work, why people join them, and things to consider in choosing a CSA at www.macsac.org/aboutcsa.html

April 22, 4-7 pm
Earth Day celebration for families
Boston School Forest, 5084 Lincoln Avenue, Plover
Celebrate Earth Day Everyday! As parents we want the best for our children. We think of their futures in terms of education, careers, and family. Just as important is working to provide a future that includes clean air, water, soil, abundant resources, green space and wildlife. There will be a guided nature hike and outdoor games and other activities. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner.

April 30
Wisconsin Envirothon: Protection of groundwater through urban, agricultural and environmental planning
Central Wisconsin Environmental Station, Amherst Junction
Wisconsin Envirothon provides hands-on outdoor coaching and testing to teams of five high school students in five topic areas: aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and an annual current issue. Winners advance to Canon Envirothon to compete for over $120,000 in scholarships and prizes. To learn more or volunteer to help contact Kirsten Moore at Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association, Inc. at 608-441-2677 or kirsten@wlwca.org. 

June 2010

June 18-20
Energy Fair
MREA, Custer
Save the date for the 21st Energy Fair! This 3-day event will include over 275 exhibitors, over 200 workshops, inspirational keynote speakers, Sustainable Tables, the Green Home Pavilion, the Clean Energy Car Show, and great family entertainment. 715-592-6595 www.the-mrea.org

If you would like an event you or your organization is sponsoring to be included in the Sustainability Newsletter, please send submissions to Center for Land Use Education

• Date, time, location, contact information, and a short description of the event.
• Send a brief justification as to why this event is relevant for the newsletter.
• Respond with "Sustainability Newsletter" in the email subject line.

Thank you and please forward this invitation to any who may be interested in advertising in the newsletter.