In July, nearly 1,000 native plants were placed in the biocell in front of Fire Station 4, located at 2008 Dubuque Road. Milkweed and other native plants that serve as nectar sources for pollinators were planted as a part of the initiative to rehabilitate the North American Monarch butterfly population, which has declined by more than 90% in the past two decades. Milkweed waystations are being planted around Iowa City in an effort to nourish Monarch populations with nectar plants. Check out some of the waystation locations and see what you can do to help here.
STAR sustainability workshop held in Iowa City
A STAR sustainability workshop was held at the East Side Recycling Center on July 21, during which City employees and local partners came together to develop priorities, next steps, and methods for the City and other organizations to build on their currentsustainable practices.The workshop educated attendees on how to understand their relationship with sustainability, as well as present a national context for Iowa City’s 4-STAR community rating. Check out the City of Iowa City's full STAR report here.
Edible Classroom at Recreation Center
The
Outdoor Edible Classroom, located on the south side of the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation
Center, 200 S. Gilbert Street, was created this spring as part of an Iowa
Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship grant in partnership with the Iowa
City Parks and Recreation Department. This classroom was designed to attract
families, herbalists, gardeners and educators who are interested in organically
growing vegetables, herbs and fruits in ways that benefit our local
environment. Jen Kardos, Backyard Abundance Co-director and partner on
the grant, commented, “This community garden learning space demonstrates the
supportive use of beautiful, flowering pollinator plants growing
alongside a wide variety of edible fruits and vegetables. We invite
everyone to come out and enjoy the bounty of this new community resource.” The
garden is open to the public during regular Recreation Center business
hours. In addition, look for future classes offered in the outdoor
classroom in the fall and spring issue of the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Activity
Guides.
Green Iowa Americorps Program to come to Iowa City
The City of Iowa City is partnering with the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and Green Iowa Americorps to increase energy efficiency, directly lower utility costs for 91 low-income families, and measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the City. The initiative, sponsored by UNI, will bring five full-time Americorps employees to Iowa City who will be trained in energy audits and safety standards. Positions are still being filled. Get more information on Green Iowa Americorps here. Contact Ashley Craft, Program Director, to apply for positions beginning in September at greeniowadirector@gmail.com or 319-273-7273.
Research taking place at Waterworks Prairie Park
A team of students from Cornell College
in Mount Vernon is continuing a second summer of research at Waterworks Prairie Park in Iowa City to
understand how prairies and Monarch butterflies interact. Dr. Tammy Mildenstein of Cornell has
designed a research program to learn about the relationship between prairie
and Monarch reproductive success. The goal is to provide managers and caretakers of parks, prairies and other outdoor spaces with research findings to increase suitability of milkweed
populations for Monarch reproduction and survival. With careful
observation and thoughtful land stewardship, the team aims to revitalize the iconic Monarch butterfly population. To learn more about the research, watch an informational video from Cornell College.
Sustainability Spotlight: Jon Resler
This month’s Sustainability Spotlight is on Jon Resler, Iowa City’s Superintendent of Streets. Jon works to ensure the division uses resources efficiently to reduce water and air pollution from City street maintenance and incorporates innovative technologies to meet these goals. Read more about Resler's efforts here in the Sustainability Spotlight feature.
Are you signed up for sustainability updates?
Connect with us on social media! We’ll be posting sustainability facts and updates every week from City of Iowa City accounts, with our hashtag #SustainableIC. We’re active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so be sure to like and follow! To subscribe to this e-newsletter, visit www.icgov.org/e-subscriptions and check the "Sustainability" box in the Newsletters section.
4-STAR: In March 2016, Iowa City was awarded a 4-STAR Community Rating for sustainability excellence, by being formally certified in the STAR Community Rating System. STAR offers the nation's leading certification program in evaluating local sustainability, encompassing social, economic and environmental performance measures. More info: www.STARcommunities.org.
This newsletter is published by the City of Iowa City Sustainability Office. For more information, contact Brenda Nations, Coordinator, at 319-887-6161 or brenda-nations@iowa-city.org.
