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Welcome to the first Sustainable Ames newsletter! Here you will find information about sustainable living at home, opportunities to get involved in the community, updates from the City, and more. Look for this in your inbox quarterly, and in the meantime stay up to date by following us on social media and checking our website at: cityofames.org/sustainability.
In This Issue:
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Climate Action at Home
HVAC Tune-ups
With spring now in full swing, it is a good time to have your air conditioner or heat pump serviced. Regular maintenance keeps your equipment running smoothly and prevents costly repairs such as decreased energy efficiency, higher electric bills, and a shorter lifespan. Also, remember to remove any winter covering from your unit and keep it clean throughout the season!
For additional information about maintaining your air conditioners, visit: US DOE: Maintaining your Air Conditioner
Ames Homeowner Talks Heat Pumps
Hear from Jim Bernau and the Ames Electric Smart Energy Intern team about heat pumps, energy efficiency, and home upgrades that can drastically reduce utility bills.
To hear other Ames resident testimonies about Heat Pump systems, watch here: Heat Pumps Open House
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Recycling Do's and Don'ts
DO 👍
- Find creative ways to reuse materials to keep them out of the waste stream.
- Sort your recyclables and drop them off at Resource Recovery (420 E. Second St.), a free 24/7 facility for Story County residents.
- Drop off cardboard, paper, metal, plastics with twist-off tops, food waste, glass, and unusable clothing and shoes.
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DON'T 👎
- Don't "wishcycle", or put items into a recycling bin that are not actually recyclable. Unfortunately, our recycling system cannot manage plastic bags, film, clamshell containers, or styrofoam.
- Don't put your household hazardous materials in the trash, we will dispose of them properly for free!
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Spring Plantings
Smart Watersheds Rebates
Ames utility customers are eligible for rebates that improve the landscape, reduce runoff, and improve water quality in our waterways. Current eligible practices are rain barrels, composters, native trees, native landscaping, soil quality restoration, and rain gardens. Go to Smart Watersheds Rebates for more information.
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Seed Library
The Ames Seed Library is a community resource that offers free vegetable, flower, fruit, and herb seeds to empower people to grow their own food and build relationships through gardening. It is located on the second floor of the Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave. Look for the bright red cabinets near the Adult Services Desk! Here, you can browse the drawers and see what seeds are available. Just complete the checkout form on the iPad near the cabinets. Lastly, keep the cycle going by donating your harvested seeds to the Ames Seed Library. Donated seeds will be repackaged and added to the seed library.
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Upcoming Events
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Date: Saturday, April 5
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Ames Public Library (515 Douglas Ave.)
This all-ages event will explore the process of seed-starting with a Master Gardener. Learn what plants grow well in Iowa and then have the opportunity to start your own seeds to take home and care for.
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Date: Sunday, April 6
Time: 2 - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Ames Public Library (515 Douglas Ave.)
Join ISU's Environmental Education Club for an all-ages event including storytime, a craft, and fun activities based on a different ecological theme each month.
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Date: Saturday, April 19
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: 1800 E. 13th St.
We invite you to dive into the fascinating world of water treatment at our open house. We will also be giving away free tree seedlings!
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Date: Saturday, April 19
Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Ames Public Library (515 Douglas Ave.)
Drop in to a free Repair Café at the Library! Volunteers will help repair broken items to give them a longer life cycle. There is no charge for repairs at the Repair Café. Items for repair need to be at the library by 3:30 pm.
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Date: Sat & Sun, April 26 & 27
Location: Select any location to pick up in the community. Put the trash in your own garbage or take to Resource Recovery Plant (110 Center Ave)
Stash the Trash is a volunteer initiative to help improve the appearance of the city and appropriately dispose of waste. Bundles of bags and gloves are available at Resource Recovery for pick up.
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Date: Saturday, April 26
Time: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: GreenRU (400 Freel Drive)
Story County residents can dispose of yard waste at no charge during the Spring No-Charge Yard Waste Day. This yard waste drop-off day will include both yard waste and brush.
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Date: Saturday, April 26
Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: TBD
Volunteer Opportunity: 4th Annual Ames Stream Cleanup. Canoe the South Skunk River or Ioway Creek with frequent stops to pick up trash. If you don’t mind getting your feet wet and your hands dirty, you’ll have a good time! Lunch is provided. Registration is required, space is limited.
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Date: Saturday, May 10
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: City Hall (515 Clark Ave.)
To kick off national bike to work week, the annual Mayor and City Council Bike Ride will begin at Ames City Hall in the west parking lot at 9 a.m. Bicyclists of all ages and experience levels are welcome to join the ride. There is no pre-registration necessary or cost to participate. Bike helmets strongly encouraged!
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City Updates
Funding Opportunity: Climate Action Grants
This year, we’re excited to offer the first round of City Climate Action Grants. Ames organizations are eligible for community grants of up to $10,000 to support their climate action projects. These could include solar, heat pumps, EV charging, native plantings, and other projects aligning with the Climate Action Plan. Community grant applications are due by Friday, April 4th. Students in K-12 are also eligible for youth mini-grants of up to $500 to support their climate action projects. Student grants are available on a rolling basis until available funding has been expended.
Resilient Iowa Communities Award
In January, the City of Ames received six gold status certificates from the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environment Education as part of the first annual Resilient Iowa Communities Award. The awards recognized communities of all sizes engaging in activities during 2024 to achieve bronze, silver, or gold status under six best practice categories: buildings and energy, land use, transportation, environmental management, economics and community development, and environmental equity and inclusion. The City of Ames was the only community recognized with gold status across all six categories.
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Reducing our Footprint with Biodiesel
In a new pilot program, CyRide recently retrofitted five buses with the capability to run on 100% biodiesel. An innovative system allows 100% biodiesel to be used even in the winter when the fuel would normally freeze due to cold temperatures. The system, also used by our snowplows, cuts life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions in half compared to diesel. Both electric and biodiesel are much better for the environment than diesel, and biodiesel has proven to be the most cost-effective option to reduce emissions from the CyRide transit system. No matter how the buses are fueled, using public transit is a great way to reduce your footprint.
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Recycling Numbers
The first complete year for self-service drop-off recycling at Resource Recovery ended in 2024. You showed up by recycling 125 tons of material. That’s about 20 elephants’ worth of recycling, keep it up! Drop off your paper, metals, glass, screw-top plastics, cardboard, and food at 420 E. Second St. Here’s how it broke down:
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Municipal Energy Audits
We’re on a mission to make City buildings as energy efficient as possible and have hired a team of engineers to hunt down energy savings measures. The project will consider minor changes like thermostat setpoints and natural light harvesting, as well as major mechanical and facility upgrades like heat pumps, insulation, and solar panels. An energy audit is a great way to save money by making sure your home or business is running efficiently, and Ames electric customers can sign up for a free professional audit. Learn more on our website: Ames Electric Smart Energy Program
What We’re Reading
Any questions? Reach out to us at sustainability@cityofames.org.
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