Coming soon: Community Climate Action!

Ten local organizations have been selected for their innovative projects to receive a Climate Action Grant. Funded by Iowa City. These grants provide a means to implement community projects that seek to take action on climate change in the community.

The 10 winning organizations and their projects:

• Old Brick - Historic Old Brick Energy Efficiency and Safety
• Women, Food & Agriculture Network - Harvesting our Potential
• Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity - Heat Pumps and Solar
• Johnson Clean Energy District - Energy Efficient Iowa City: Getting to 2025
• Backyard Abundance - Garden Gurus
• Houses into Homes - Organizing for Efficiency
• Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) - Pending
• Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development - Grow: Johnson County Community Food Sovereignty Initiative
• Willowwind School - Children-to-Children Climate Actions: Composting, Gardening, Infiltrating, and Growing Healthy
• Iowa City Climate Advocates - Listening to Others; Expanding the Climate Conversation

The Farmers Market is back!

Spring has sprung and it’s that time of year again – the Farmers Market opened for the season on May 1, 2019. Local growers, artists, and producers will sell goods from 5 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday, and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon through October in the Chauncey Swan Ramp, 405 E. Washington St.

On Saturdays throughout the month of May,  walk or bike to the market to receive a $2 coupon that can be used at any vendor as a part of Bike Month in Johnson County.

The market accepts credit, debit, and EBT/SNAP cards at the central information table in exchange for tokens that can be used to purchase goods from vendors. Tokens purchased with EBT/SNAP cards can be doubled in value up to $10 through Double Up Food Bucks, a statewide healthy food incentive program.

Recycling up 30%

Iowa City has increased its recycling volume by over 30 percent in the past year, thanks in large part to new, larger recycling carts that were introduced to curbside customers in December 2018. A grant from The Recycling Partnership helped the City give out 16,000 recycling carts to curbside customers, which has made recycling easier. This increase in recycling is in line with Iowa City’s waste reduction goals, but it is still important to ensure that recycled waste is clean and recyclable. To learn more about curbside recycling in Iowa City, visit the curbside recycling guide.

A Sustainable Move

As the spring cleaning commences and leases and residence contracts come to an end, here’s how you can be a good steward of the environment when clearing out your belongings

• Eat up any leftover food you have, rather than throwing it away. If the food is nonperishable, you can donate it to local food shelves, like CommUnity.
• Reuse boxes or totes that you have or can borrow, rather than purchasing new boxes and totes.
• Donate unwanted and gently used clothes, household items, and furniture. Visit this directory to see where around town you can donate these items to be repurposed.

Iowa City receives Tree City USA designation

Iowa City was named a 2018 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to its urban forest.

The program recognizes cities that fulfill four requirements:

• A board or department for trees
• An ordinance for tree care
• At least $2 per capita allocated to community forestry every year
• Observance of Arbor Day

Iowa City’s thousands of trees provide important benefits for the community, both for aesthetic reasons and economic and environmental reasons. Iowa City is one of more than 3,000 cities across the country to receive this honorable designation. Learn more about Tree City USA online.

Do you have a garden?

Show off your garden this season through Project GREEN’s Open Gardens Weekend. During the weekend of July 13-14, the public will be invited into all kinds of gardens around Iowa City to experience the beauty in our backyards.

Sign up to have your garden featured for visitors online at www.projectgreen.org or call 319-430-6649 to request a mailed application. You can get a yard sign indicating that your garden is open to visitors before the event. The deadline to register is Wednesday, May 15.

To learn more, visit www.projectgreen.org.

Upcoming Events

Trueblood 100

Gather your family or your team of cyclists for the inaugural Trueblood 100 Family Bike Ride.

Teams of two or more people can take on one of four “century” ride options – century (100 miles), metric century (100 kilometers/62 miles), half-century (50 miles), or metric half-century (50 kilometers/31 miles). The more people on your team, the less miles you ride.

This event will take place on Sunday, May 12 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, 4213 Sand Road. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Register at the event, where snacks and water will be provided to participants.

This event is one of many cycling events taking place throughout Bike Month. Visit Bike Month in Johnson County’s Facebook page to see all the cycling events taking place this May.

Bike Month Events

May is Bike Month in Johnson County, and there are so many things going on for cycling enthusiasts of all levels. Don’t miss some of these highlights.

Thursdays: May 9, 16, 23, and 30

Overdue Ride—Whether you’re an experienced rider or just starting out, come join this weekly low-key ride to explore our community. No rider left behind.

Iowa City Bike Library, 700 S. Dubuque St., 7 p.m.

Saturdays: May 11, 18, and 25

Move Naturally to the Market—Reward yourself for walking or cycling, receive a $2 coupon to spend at the Iowa City Farmers Market.

Iowa City Farmers Market, Chauncey Swan Ramp, 7:30-11:30 a.m.

Tuesday, May 14

Johnson County Community Breakfast—The County celebrates our community of joyful cyclists with breakfast. (Rain location is the ramp at the Health Human Services Building to the north, 855 S. Dubuque Street.)

South of Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque St., 7-9 am

Wednesday, May 15

Co-op to Co-op Community Ride—The community’s most beloved biking event is back for another year of two-wheeled fun for the whole family. Cyclists ride together from College Green Park to New Pioneer Coralville for food, drinks, prizes, and fun!

Start: College Green Park, College and Johnson Streets, Iowa City, 5:30 p.m.

End: New Pioneer Co-op, 1102 2nd St., Coralville.

Saturday, May 18

Bike Match Ride—Want to bicycle to work or school or to do errands but are unsure how to get started? This Saturday morning pairs inexperienced and experienced cyclists to learn riding routes around town. Fuel up first, choose your route, and ride!

North Ridge Park Shelter, Coralville, 8:30 a.m.

To discover more Bike Month events, visit Bike Month in Johnson County’s Facebook page.

Film Festival and Book Discussion

If you love watching movies or reading books, don’t miss Green Iowa AmeriCorps Eco events this month:

Eco Film Festival - May 9, 7-9 p.m., Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room B

“Revolution: The Fight to Save Our Oceans” - Attendance and popcorn are free!

Eco Book Discussion - May 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Iowa City Public Library Meeting Room B

“Kiss the Ground” - Be sure to read the book before attending!

How do you pledge to climate action?

Join the Iowa City community in taking the Climate Action Pledge -- declaring actions you can take in your daily life to benefit the planet.

Noel Mills, the incoming University of Iowa Student Government President, pledges to climate action by giving her input on the University of Iowa vision for its future in sustainability. Visit icgov.org/sustainability to see Noel's spotlight.

Take the Climate Action Pledge online now! 

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #SustainableIC.

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