Iowa City has been developing and working on a new initiative called "IC Monarchs," which promotes planting milkweeds to support monarch populations. One of our projects has been to give away milkweed plugs at public events, but our big event is scheduled at East Side Recycling Center in August. Stay tuned for details!
We have created a monarch webpage at www.icgov.org/ICMonarchs. Visit the page to learn more about monarch butterflies, their life cycles, and our efforts to support them, and keep checking back in the upcoming months to see what information we've added.
Iowa City's use of solar energy is on the rise
Within the last year, four new non-residential solar panels were installed in Iowa City. The first installation took place on the roof of Iowa Book & Supply, followed by the ground array at Johnson County Secondary Roads, and, most recently, at Ginsberg Jewelers (shown in the photo), and Midwest One Bank. Solar panels have also recently been installed on several residential buildings.
Permits from the City had to be obtained for the installations. As Iowa City moves forward with climate mitigation planning, these efforts of using renewable energy will be counted and monitored as part of our community's efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Native plants in bloom
At the East Side Recycling Center, there are over 60 native plant species which were selected in part to provide a variety of blooms from April through October. Plants are not only beautiful to look at, they are labeled for easy identification in case you find some varieties you want to plant in your own yard.
Over 1,000 plants grow in the one-third acre of biocells on the property, which were constructed to capture and absorb stormwater runoff when it rains. These biocells have special soil which allows the rain to infiltrate, while the deep roots of the native plants absorb the water. Educational signage on the site, located at 2401 Scott Blvd. SE, offers information about these and other special features located at the site.
For a list of the plants at the East Side Recycling Center and their blooming times, visit www.icgov.org/sustainability.
Purple Martins are back!
Purple Martins, native songbirds loved for their song, aerial acrobatics, and insect-eating habits, have migrated back from South America. Each year, Purple Martins return to Iowa City in May to nest and raise their young. This species are dependent on humans for their survival, and nest only in houses that people maintain and monitor.
The City of Iowa City has three Purple Martin houses, located at the East Side Recycling Center, Water Plant, and Wastewater Plant.
At one time, martin houses were found on many of the farms around Iowa, but over the years they have become less common. Each year, the City martin houses have been home to many new martins, who then fly to South America in August to spend the winter.
Sustainability Spotlight: Brice Maren
The City of Iowa City employee featured in this month's Sustainability Spotlight is Brice Maren, who works at the East Side Recycling Center. Brice maintains the native landscaping at the site and also helped to engineer three rain gardens that capture storm water from the roof tops. He also took note of the declining monarch butterfly population and propagates native milkweeds.
Stay tuned for his monarch display in August at the East Side Recycling Center. If you time it right, you may be able to release one that just emerged from a chrysalis!
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 Office of Sustainability Services. For more information, contact Brenda Nations, Coordinator, at 319-887-6161 or brenda-nations@iowa-city.org.