CENTRAL WISCONSIN AREA
ECO-MUNICIPALITY Newsletter

THE BROKEN LINK IN THE "NEW WEBSITE UP AND RUNNING" ARTICLE HAS BEEN FIXED.

Here are a few of the highlights from the past month as well as upcoming events.

You're invited...

The Stevens Point Eco-Municipality Task Force will share some of the progress at several listening sessions this spring. The Task Force has been working to develop goals for Stevens Point to become a sustainable community, and we'd like to share those ideas with you and gather feedback. We hope you can attend one of the following public listening sessions:

1) Wednesday, March 26
Portage County Public Library, 7 pm, Pineries Room

2) Wednesday, March 26
UW-Stevens Point, 7 pm, University Center, Laird Room

3) Wednesday, April 2
McKinley School, 7 pm, Cafeteria, Room B103

4) Wednesday, April 2
Washington School, 7 pm, Cafeteria, Room 112

The Task Force will use the meetings to gather feedback and make a formal presentation to the Stevens Point City Council this spring. If you would like more information, I encourage you to visit www.sustainablepoint.org or contact Amy Heart directly.

Amy Heart
5th District Alderperson
Stevens Point City Council
(715) 345-2739

New Website Up and Running!

Stevens Point's Eco-Municipality website provides the community with a forum to keep the Task Force and residents informed on sustainable activities.

If your community has a website that it would like to publicize, send the link to Ben Vondra or the Center for Land Use Education.

Sustainability News!

Sweden & Sustainability
Interested in the international sustainability movement and roots of the eco-municipality? Check out Sustainable Sweden's website for more information.

mongabay.com - Mar 10, 08
Corn Ethanol Is Worsening The Gulf Dead Zone, According To Study
Researchers from UW-Madison and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver say increased fertilizers from more corn production could enter the Mississippi river system and end up in the Gulf of Mexico, worsening the oxygen-devoid "dead zone."

Stevens Point Journal - Mar 3, 08
DNR Secretary Touts Biofuels
Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank visited a full theatre on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus to discuss biofuel energy's future in the State of Wisconsin.

Study Circles

Spring Study Circles are meeting! For more details about getting to know the Natural Step guidelines and signing up, contact Ben Vondra.

Neighborhood Gardens In The Works

Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council, Inc. and the Interfaith Community for the Earth (ICE) have formed a steering committee to explore possible sites and logistics for establishing neighborhood gardens in Stevens Point. These gardens can supply food for those who may not have adequate space, build a sense of community, reconnect people with the earth and offer a healthy, nutritious food option. Anyone who wants to serve on the steering committee, call the Golden Sands RC&D office, at 715-343-6215, for the next meeting time.

MREA Workshops

Learn how to create a sustainable lifestyle and energy efficient home through the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. The MREA offers a variety of workshops in renewable energy technologies and sustainable living.

Sign up today for workshops such as: Energy Efficient, Environmentally Friendly Construction, set for March 29, 2008 at the MREA. The workshop will cover the basics such as passive solar strategies, insulation techniques, building materials and renewable heating systems. The MREA is one of the only accredited renewable energy training institutions in North America, and is located here in central Wisconsin.

Get details on the organization or upcoming workshops at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association or call 715-592-6595.

Check out these other online resources for more information.
Stevens Point Eco-Municipality Website
City of Stevens Point Eco-Municipality Task Force 

Don't want to remain on the mailing list?
Your email has been added to our mailing list because you have expressed an interest in a sustainable future. If you wish to unsubscribe, please go to the Center for Land Use Education Eco-Municipality webpage and fill in the form, choose unsubscribe, and click the Submit button.

*We are currently using the following definition for sustainability: "Sustainable development is...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, 1987.