Happy Earth Day! Today and every day is an important reminder to redouble our commitment to taking action in creating sustainability and efficiency in our work and community. Last May, on Mother’s Day, thanks to 350 Vermont and the Rewild program, we planted native hazelnut across properties in Brattleboro. They’re now budding, promising to soon bring food freely available! In a short two weeks, we’re rolling up our sleeves to once again take the day to manage the invasive species which have, over the years, established themselves across the Chalet’s property. With partnership and education from the Southern VT CISMA and with help from our friends, Groundworks Collaborative, Chalet residents, and neighbors, we’re looking forward to re-exposing and supporting the diverse ecology of field and forested landscape.
Gardens are a pragmatic symbol of commitment to local produce, to soil cultivation, and a helpful boost to our pollinator species! We have veggie and perennial gardens waking up after the winter’s hibernation across our communities. The Putney Landing Gardens will be starting soon as the threat of frost subsides, bringing hyper local, fresh food to this community. Great River Terrace residents have begun their gardens as well and are planting fruit trees this spring! In Windsor, the Windsor Village property gardens promise an abundance with each year for the young families and elders living independently in community.
Our Green Mountain Home Repair program works with homeowners across Windham and Windsor Counties to replace windows, doors, roofs, heating systems, insulation- all these increase the efficiency of the homes making them more cost effective and comfortable and very importantly, requiring less energy. Our programs often overlap with SEVCA’s weatherization work- addressing deep energy efficiencies of the building’s envelope and leveraging all the local resources available to the homeowner.
Many of our buildings generate electricity with the roof-mounted solar arrays. Both with redevelopment of historic structures and the development of new buildings, we place high priority on creating extremely efficient buildings. 8 & 10 Phelps Court and 54 State Street in Windsor, 44, 48, & 52 Clark and 63 Canal Street in Brattleboro are all some of the earliest developments in our portfolio. They are now in the process of re-development- addressing energy retrofits and making the buildings higher performing than ever before. Our projects which include new development always focus in town and village centers, fully embracing Smart Grown principals. This funnels growth into compact areas to increase pedestrian connection, efficiency in public transportation access, which reduces sprawl and protects surrounded wooded and agricultural landscapes.
We do so much of our work through partnership with local organizations and towns. We thank everyone for their dedication to ensuring climate action steps are accessible to all members of our community regardless of income. Today, on Earth Day, we encourage you to share in action!
- If you’re in Brattleboro today, join the Earth Day Street Festival hosted by 350Brattleboro in Harmony Lot 4-7pm!
- Remember that on May 7th, the first Saturday of May is Vermont’s Green Up Day! Grab a green bag from your town hall or community center and join in cleaning up the roads.
- On May 14th in Bellows Falls, BFDDA is hosting Keep BF Beautiful clean up volunteer event from 9-12 at the Waypoint Center
- SUSU Community Farm is looking for volunteers for their Box of Resilience CSA sign up here!
- Rockingham folks! Now is the time to notice if your home has drafty windows because the Rockingham Energy Committee is taking names for window insert orders. The very successful Window Dressers program will happen next fall. Contact rockinghamvtenergy@gmail.com to sign up!
