Some key achievements of the past year are listed below, along with plans for the future. We welcome your ideas and help.
A New Strategic Plan for the SE Iowa Sierra Club
After a two-month planning process, the Executive Committee of the SE Iowa Sierra Club developed a new Strategic Conservation and Community Resilience Plan. The plan identifies four priority thematic areas: 1) Reducing the Impacts of Climate Change and Building a More Resilient Community; 2) Transitioning to Clean, Renewable Energy; 3) Restoring Vitality to Our Wildlands, Wild Waters and Wildlife; and 4) Transitioning to Zero Waste Through Thoughtful Consumptions, Waste Reduction and Redirection. Please let us know if you want to join any of our volunteer teams working in these four thematic areas. To see the whole plan: Strategic Plan for SE Iowa Sierra Club.
Three Round Tables: Building Resilience Through Community Solutions
JUNE RESILIENCE ROUND TABLE: 26 individuals, each representing different entities/projects/programs, to each reimagine our own work and how it might contribute to a “resilience model” for Fairfield and Jefferson County. We were able to broker to conversations and partnerships around the concept of resilience.
AUGUST RESILIENCE ROUND TABLE: the second Resilience Round Table featured Bill Sharp, founder and director of the Transition Centre, who led a discussion on building a community resilience model for Fairfield. The Transition Centre supports adaptable communities which meet the challenges of the day using local resources, innovation and regenerative economic development.
NOVEMBER ROUND TABLE: Combined with the forward-thinking models developed by the Fairfield community over a decade ago, we are moving towards building an even more solid foundation and clear picture of what we want our community to look like within a rapidly changing and uncertain world. Twenty-five people gathered to build a model of resilience based on the 5 pillars established by the Resilient Iowa Communities project of the University of Northern Iowa, for which Fairfield will apply to become a pilot project.
Zero Waste Month: A Partnership with the Fairfield Farmers’ Market
In July we held Zero Waste Month to take a piece of our resilience work to the streets to educate people on the different aspects of zero waste and its relationship to the climate crisis. Each Saturday we focused on a different Zero Waste theme: composting/vermiculture/gardening, alternate eco-housing tours; a repair fair to fix things rather than toss them; and fast fashion. We also held an evening presentation partnering with the Fairfield Public Library on Putting on the Brakes on Fast Fashion to educate our community about the impacts of the fashion industry (and the way we consume) on climate change and the environment.
Forum for the Future of Fairfield
Our Forum for the Future of Fairfield took place on September 10 at the Sondheim Theater in Fairfield. Over 220 people attended this hybrid event which featured sustainability coordinators from around the state and a Des Moines City Council member. More than 50 students and faculty from Fairfield High School and the Maharishi School attended taking the information they gleaned from the Forum back into their classrooms to build their own sustainability models. The Forum’s deep dive into the sustainability models developed by Dubuque, Ames, West Union and Des Moines gave us much food for thought in developing our own sustainability model.
What’s on the Horizon?
First, the Center for Energy and Environmental Education (CEEE) at the University of Northern Iowa, is about to launch a year-long pilot of the Resilient Iowa Community project. Ushered through the process by the SE Iowa Sierra Club, Fairfield is being promoted as one of the first pilot projects. Where it makes sense, pilot communities will be paired with Green Iowa AmeriCorps Members who will help communities to implement resilience actions. Pilot communities will be asked to complete a total of one action from five categories to achieve a bronze level recognition and at least two actions from five categories to achieve the silver level. A third tier – gold level - will be added, along with an expanded menu of options.
Secondly, for the SE Iowa Sierra Club, as we start this exciting new year, we hope to bring more diversity onto our Executive Committee as well as create an Advisory Committee. If you know anyone that might be interested, please feel free to contact Anne Walton at 808-346-9596. Please join us in any way you can; and together we will grow in strength, resiliency, prosperity and sustainability.
ADD YOUR SUPPORT TO BUILD RESILIENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITY
A unique partnership between the City of Fairfield, MIU, and the private sector is working to bring back a Sustainability Coordinator for our Fairfield community. One of the first tasks of the Sustainability Coordinator will be to assemble a Sustainability Task Force that will focus on developing the new Community Resilience Strategic Plan, modeled after the now expired Go-Green Plan, and springboarding off the work generated during the Round Tables. Please let us know if you are interested in being part of the Sustainability Task Force.
The SE Iowa Sierra Club is championing the return of a Fairfield Sustainability Coordinator, and encouraging the additional donations needed to make it a reality. Funds are being handled by an independent charitable organization (not the Sierra Club). Our thanks to all who have pledged to help fund it! Contact Anne Walton (808-346-9596) to learn how to add your pledge.
Together we can continue to build a thriving, resilient community in the years ahead.