 Beginning Monday, March 9, local environmental organization 100 Grannies will present its annual Barbara Schlachter Memorial Lecture Series. On March 9 and on the following Mondays in March, the group will present a lecture from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center, room 202. All are free with no registration required.
The first lecture, “The Green New Deal Explained,” will be presented by Matt Ohloff, an organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Ohloff holds a degree in political science from the University of Iowa.
 Iowa City’s Community Garden Plot program will open for in-person registration for new renters at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City.
If you rented a garden plot in 2019, you can reserve a plot online, by phone or in person at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center from March 6 to 20, before open registration begins.
Almost 200 plots are available at four locations.
Mark your calendar now for Earth Fest, to be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St. The event is free. Earth Fest is sponsored by the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department. Watch for more information in next month's newsletter.
|
The annual Iowa City Farm to Street Dinner, held in August, raises funds for local food initiatives. Each year the revenues are awarded to one nonprofit or cooperative organization that works to enhance the local food system. Applications to receive this funding are being accepted now through April 27.
|
An electric vehicle charging station for public use has been installed at the Court Street Transportation Center, located at 150 E. Court St.
Another EV charging station will be added to the Tower Place parking ramp in the spring, bringing the total number of City ramps equipped with charging stations to six. All charging stations are free to use; regular parking rates apply.
|
 Kristen Morrow, Naturalist, Johnson County Conservation Board
What do you do for climate action?
The biggest way that I try to reduce my carbon footprint is through the food decisions I make. Our household is nearly meatless, saving meat for special occasions. We eat locally as much as we can. I love biking to the Farmers Market in the summer and fall. I get high quality local veggies and eggs, but I'm also buoyed by the positive atmosphere at the market. The bulk of our food comes from our CSA subscription. Getting a box of veggies is always a highlight of my week!
There are many other smaller ways we work to reduce our footprint. Our house is set to 60 degrees during the day and 65 degrees for a few luxurious hours in the evening. Honestly, your body does adjust to a cooler home temperature—try it out! I am also working to be mindful in my consumption, especially online shopping—which my generation especially relies upon. A couple years ago I made the decision to greatly reduce online purchases unless I couldn’t find that item locally, and I also select the slowest delivery option whenever possible. A final shout-out is looking for a used item instead of buying new. In our household, we lust over outdoor gear most. We check on REI Used Gear and GearTrade.com. We also love to utilize the twice-annual Gear Swap at Fin and Feather!
What can others do to take climate action?
Consumption and transportation are typically the biggest portions of our footprints. Choose to purchase items or food produced more sustainably, and even better, choose to forgo consuming new unnecessary items. I’m also a huge advocate for changing how we view our lawns. Deep-rooted native plants sequester carbon better than the shallow-rooted lawn grass. Mowing lawn grass once or twice a week is a wasteful use of fossil fuels, in my opinion. Relaxing our perceptions that a super tidy and trim lawn is best would prevent unnecessary lawn mower emissions, and make the bird song a little easier to hear in the summer without all those engines running all the time.
Why does climate action matter to you?
There are so many important reasons, but what I am personally most passionate about is the health of ecosystems around the world and the wellness of all the other creatures that call this place home. On a personal level, I really love skiing, and I’d be incredibly sad to live in a future world without much snow!
|
