|
🗓️Upcoming Events
Get Involved with Sustainability in Ames!
|
|
Dates: October 3, 10, & 17
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Main St., Ames, between Douglas Ave. & Clark Ave.
The Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market is a community event that brings people together every week from May to October. Residents of Ames and the surrounding area can enjoy locally grown produce, delicious baked goods, and beautifully handcrafted items. Don’t forget to stop by the City of Ames table to learn about different programs and upcoming events!
|
Date: October 14
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Iowa State University Central Campus (515 Morrill Rd.)
Join more than 2,500 students, faculty, and staff in celebrating local food, sustainability, and community! The Iowa State University Local Food Festival is an annual celebration of local food and healthy living, and features educational displays, locally grown and produced items for sale by local vendors and ISU clubs, and samples.
|
Date: October 17
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: West Parking Lot of Ames City Hall (515 Clark Ave.)
EcoFair is the City of Ames' biannual sustainability-focused event. The event provides a broad array of conservation information featuring displays about the City of Ames’ Eco Smart programs, which include electricity, water, watersheds, and trash. Vendors and organizations from around the community, including both returning and new, will be participating in the event. There will be activities specifically targeted at younger participants, a display of City vehicles, and an electric car display.
|
Date: October 23
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Moore Memorial Park (3050 Northridge Parkway)
Join us for story time on the go with Green Iowa AmeriCorps! Walk the path at Moore Memorial Park while listening to a story, and stop to interact with nature through crafts and activities along the way.
|
|
Date: October 8
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Ames Public Library Auditorium (515 Douglas Ave.)
All residents are welcome to join City Staff and heating and cooling experts for an open house at the Ames Public Library. This event gives participants the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about energy-efficient heat pumps.
|
Dates: October 10 & 24
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Oct 10 - Ontario Park (5658 Ontario St.)
Oct 24 - Ada Hayden Heritage Park (5205 Grand Ave.)
The Story County Go Green Team is excited to partner with Electronic Asset Security of Urbandale to host an electronics recycling drive. Bring old and unwanted electronics from home to be recycled. Please check the link for accepted and unaccepted items.
|
Date: October 17
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Story County Secondary Roads Shed (1411 Giddings St., Kelley, IA 50134)
The Story County Go Green Team is excited to partner with Electronic Asset Security of Urbandale to host an electronics recycling drive. Bring old and unwanted electronics from home to be recycled. Please check the link for accepted and unaccepted items.
|
Dates: Oct. 24, Nov. 7 (includes brush), Nov. 14, and Nov. 21
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Steenhoek Environmental, 3892 N. 500th Avenue
Residents of Ames, Cambridge, Gilbert, Huxley, Nevada, Story City, and unincorporated Story County can dispose of yard waste at no charge during Fall No-Charge Yard Waste Days planned for four Saturdays in October and November.
|
|
|
💰Climate Action Grants
Community Climate Grant Awardees
We’re happy to announce the most recent Community Climate Grant awardees. Community Climate Grants are available to any local organization for projects that align with the Climate Action Plan. Applications are now accepted on a rolling basis. Find out more about the program, including how to apply, on our website.
|
|
|
|
1000 Friends of Iowa will organize a community transportation academy aimed at making connections and engaging participants about specific transportation issues in Ames.
Ames Main Street will work with Ames Parks and Recreation to install solar seating structures in Tom Evans Plaza.
|
|
Octagon Center for the Arts will replace their aging HVAC system with a new efficient system that will save energy and reduce their utility bills.
Prairie Rivers of Iowa RC&D will host free educational events throughout the next year, including seed harvesting, a planting workshop, and a stream cleanup.
|
Reiman Gardens will install new LED lights in the greenhouses and conservatory that will improve performance for growing plants and save energy compared to the old lights. |
|
Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund
Young people with climate-focused ideas can bring their projects to life through the Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund! Opened in September 2026, the program offers $1,000–$5,000 microgrants for Ames projects led by youth ages 15–24 that support the Climate Action Plan and include community education or engagement. It is a wonderful opportunity to turn creative sustainability ideas into action and make a visible impact on the Ames community.
|
|
Residential Owner-Occupied Sustainability Grants
This grant opportunity supports Ames homeowners interested in making energy-saving upgrades at home. Up to $4,000 is available for solar or whole-home heat pump projects, helping reduce upfront costs while supporting community-wide sustainability goals. Applications are open until all available funding is used, so apply now!
|
|
|
Net-Zero Ready Home Pilot Project
The City of Ames is partnering with local homebuilder HCS to construct a high-performance home that demonstrates sustainable building and energy-efficient practices that can be replicated in the local housing market. The $20,000 pilot project supports construction of a home with all-electric systems and a net-zero-ready design—meaning that a future rooftop solar installation could generate more energy annually than the home is expected to use. Although solar installation is not required as part of the pilot, the home will be designed to be solar-ready.
Beyond the home itself, the project will build knowledge and awareness throughout the community. HCS hosted a mid-construction open house in September and will host a public educational event in December 2026, after construction is complete. Project information, including energy modeling, equipment specifications, construction costs, and performance testing, will be shared with the City to help inform future sustainable construction efforts. The pilot will give residents, realtors, students, builders, and contractors opportunities to learn more about net zero construction and how to incorporate these practices into new construction.
|
🌳One Year of Green Iowa AmeriCorps
Green Iowa AmeriCorps completed its first year in Ames, expanding sustainability education, community outreach, and energy-efficiency services. Our two AmeriCorps members partnered with local organizations, businesses, schools, and residents to provide practical sustainability resources. Together, we engaged over 1,500 participants in 63 educational programs and outreach events and completed 44 energy audits. Through partnerships with Reiman Gardens, Ames Public Library, Ames Parks and Recreation, Iowa State University, and direct engagement in homes and at community events, the program helped residents throughout Ames take part in local sustainability efforts. This first year established a strong foundation for continued education, outreach, and energy-efficiency efforts in the years ahead.
|
🌻ISU Land to be Converted to Prairie and Maintained by the City of Ames
Through a new long-term partnership, the City of Ames and Iowa State University (ISU) have developed an easement to convert over 20 acres of university property into native prairie. The partnership takes tillable acres of ISU land that is hard to access with modern day machinery and coverts it into prairie managed by the City.
Converting this land to prairie will provide habitat for pollinators and other organisms. Other benefits include reduced stormwater runoff, increased nutrient filtration, and erosion control. Lastly, residents will be able to enjoy this land as there will be mowed walking paths through the prairie that will connect to Moore Memorial Park.
|
♻️Resource Recovery
|
|
Recycling Update
After three months of curbside recycling, we're happy to report some data about the program:
75% Participation - Three out of four eligible households are making an effort to recycle and take their bins to the curb; great work!
12% Contamination - Just 12% of the material collected in the curbside recycling program is trash and not recyclable, or what we call contamination. 15% to 18% is typical for longstanding programs, so 12% is fantastic for a new program. Keep up the good work!
|
Multifamily Recycling Pilot
While we’re glad the residential curbside recycling program is off to a good start, about 40% of Ames residents live in large apartment buildings and are not eligible for the curbside program. That’s why we’re working on a multifamily recycling pilot program.
So far, five buildings have joined the program, including 165 housing units. The City has awarded over $12,000 to pilot participants to fund recycling service, supplies, and necessary equipment. Equipment includes collection containers and dumpster enclosures. Results of the pilot project will inform future policy decisions for recycling multifamily properties.
|
|
R3C Receives Grant Funding
The City of Ames has been awarded $50,000 through the Iowa DNR’s Solid Waste Alternatives Program to support construction of the new Resource Recovery and Recycling Campus (R3C). Two separate grants were awarded for the yard waste area and customer convenience center. These areas of the new R3C will accept yard waste and recyclables for drop-off, helping to divert these materials from the landfill.
Construction on the R3C facility continues to progress. The footings are complete, and the main building is currently being built. The overall project remains on schedule for transfer operations to commence in May 2027. Learn more about the R3C on our website here.
|
Great Pumpkin Disposal
Decaying pumpkins, gourds, corn, and harvest vegetables are accepted in special bins on the north side of Resource Recovery (110 Chantland Ave.) seasonally.
Last year, 23,300 pounds of pumpkins and gourds were processed into compost and kept out of the landfill.
|
📚Ames Public Library
Library for the Birds
Have you noticed small dots on some of Ames Public Library's windows? It’s for the birds...literally! New window treatments have been installed to help deter bird strikes. Birds can sometimes fly into windows because they see reflections of trees and sky or don’t recognize transparent glass as a barrier. The new treatment places a pattern of dots on the outside of the windows, spaced no more than two inches apart. This helps birds recognize that there’s something in their flight path and encourages them to steer clear. It’s a simple change that helps make the Ames Public Library a little safer for our feathered neighbors.
Thank you, CoolVu of Des Moines, Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Markers, Wild Birds Unlimited of Ames, Big Bluestem Audubon Society, and Lights Out Iowa for making this project possible!
|
Got Seeds?
Help keep Ames gardens growing!
The Ames Seed Library is a community resource that offers free vegetable, flower, fruit, and herb seeds in order to empower people to grow their own food and build relationships through gardening. You can help sustain the seed library by donating seeds, including leftovers from purchased seeds as well as seeds you harvest from grown plants.
Find out how to donate, and learn more about Ames Seed Library, at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/SeedLibrary
|
Making Recycling Easy
Curbside pickup makes it easier to recycle at home, and we're making it easier to recycle at the Library, too!
Throughout Ames Public Library, you'll find two-sided waste bins with a dedicated side for recycling, labeled in blue to match the curbside recycling bins. Library visitors can now conveniently send paper, bottles, cans, and other recyclables they use at the Library on to a second life instead of the landfill.
Library staff also have large recycling bins throughout their work areas, adding comprehensive recycling to their existing programs to recycle cardboard, mixed paper, drink containers, and food waste.
|
⚡Ames Electric Services
Celebrate Energy Awareness Month and Save For Good
October is Energy Awareness Month, a national effort to highlight the significance of energy, where it comes from and how it’s used in all of our lives. Energy conservation is one of the most important steps you can take to help the environment. Using less energy reduces air pollution associated with energy generation and helps ensure that limited renewable energy resources go further.
Smart energy choices also lower your energy bills and improve the health and comfort of your home. Plus, with Smart Energy rebates available through the City, these savings can really make a difference in your life. The City of Ames Electric Services encourages actions to reduce energy consumption and make more energy-efficient choices every day.
|
Don’t get Spooked by Vampire Energy this Halloween!
Standby power, commonly referred to as vampire energy, is energy consumed by devices even after they’ve been turned off. Many devices and appliances today use vampire energy to keep indicator lights or clocks displayed. The energy drawn from this is silently draining power and money year-round. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), standby power accounts for 5% to 10% of residential energy use and costs the average household over $150 annually.
How can you keep your bill from rising? Here are five easy ways to eliminate the scare this season.
- Unplug devices that are rarely used or when away from home, especially for several days.
- Only connect devices to a charger while they are charging. Many devices have a light or indicator that shows when batteries are fully charged.
- Do not leave chargers plugged into an outlet when a device is fully charged. This can also preserve long-term battery life.
- Shut down computers instead of simply logging off. Turn off monitors and other external devices such as printers instead of putting them in sleep mode.
- Utilize smart power strips. These advanced power strips cut off electricity to inactive devices to stop unnecessary energy. Many times, they can be controlled easily by an on/off switch.
Energy vampires may be sneaky, but they're easy to defeat. This Halloween, challenge yourself to eliminate one source of standby power each day and keep those extra dollars from disappearing into the night.
|
Over a Decade of Ceasing Coal Operations at the City of Ames Power Plant
The City of Ames Municipal Utility stopped burning coal on April 24, 2016, marking more than a decade since this significant milestone in the community’s energy history. The transition to natural gas as the primary fuel source for electricity generation resulted in substantial reductions in emissions and the City’s carbon footprint.
The decision to transition away from coal was driven largely by tighter Environmental Protection Agency regulations. The cost of the upgrades needed to comply with the new regulations was also a factor. More than a decade later, the transition continues to have a lasting environmental impact on Ames without disrupting the reliability of the essential services that Ames Electric Services provides to its customers.
|
🌍ICYMI - Annual CAP Update
In case you missed it – each year, we give an update to City Council covering progress made to date on the Climate Action Plan. The update includes information on a wide variety of sustainability accomplishments in the past year and plans for the year ahead. View the report here:
FY 2025/26 Climate Action Plan Update
|
📖What We're Reading
|
|
|
|
|
