Join the 2013 EcoFairfield Festival Team!

EcoFairfield is in the process of becoming an independent non-profit, and our signature event is the Earth Day EcoFairfield Festival.  This year’s Festival will be a week long, starting Saturday April 20th and extending to Sunday April 28th.   We invite the community to host sustainability events throughout the week, which we will gladly promote on our Festival schedule.

Planned events include:

• Chataqua, a blend of music, informative presentations, and poetry
• A variety of workshops & presentations
• EcoJam Fashion Show
• Go Green Community Conversation session
• A Community Service Project (hopefully Dig In 2 Community Tree Planting!)
• Green Drinks Friday April 26th
• Green Vendors & Entrepreneurs Fair
• Whatever additional events the community sees fit: Interactive art, placemaking, documentaries, potlucks, garden-mustard pulling, fun run fitness festival, biking events, etc.

We invite you to host an event and coordinate it with us.  We are happy to provide helpful resources and mentor those new to event planning and organization.

Open positions on the core team include:

• Green Drinks Coordinator
• Social Media manager
• Communications & Marketing captain
• EcoJam Fashion Show Director
• Volunteer Coordinator (recruit and orient volunteers for festival weekends)
• Service Project Captain

If you are interested in any of these volunteer positions, please contact Minca Borg, ecofairfield@gmail.com or 641-233-1138.  We will be happy to share more details about each of these roles.  Experience is a plus, however it is also a joy to pass on the torch to new organizers.

Make A Difference Day

Join many volunteers in Fairfield to create a difference on Make a Difference Day this Saturday, October 27th, 10am-4pm.

What is Make A Difference Day?

Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others — a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October.

Where?Three Sites – You Choose:
1. PreRestore Habitat for Humanity
2. St. Mary’s
3. 908 W. BroadwayWhat?
Cleaning, Painting, Organizing, Creating

Why?
Because every effort counts towards a better experience in Fairfield. I think that is good enough. What do you think?

How?
Every place will have a facilitator to facilitate action!

RSVP: ecofairfield@gmail.com – with subject line Make a Difference & Site Name – in body please give us your contact information

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Learn about EcoFairfield: http://ecofairfield.wordpress.com/Learn more about Make a Difference Day:
http://www.usaweekend.com/section/mdday

Community Tree Planting: Dig In, Fairfield!

Happy Spring!
During the winter months we have been busy planning a big tree planting project.  This will be a collaborative project and the entire community is invited to take part; we are looking for 250+ volunteers over several days!!  The Tree Planting initiative serves as the kick off for a series of educational events focused on energy savings sponsored by Alliant Energy Hometown Rewards.  It also happens to be Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world and celebrates the work that young people are doing to improve communities.  And don’t forget, Sunday the 22nd is Earth Day…this is a great way to be involved in a meaningful project by working together with fellow residents to make a difference here in Fairfield.  There are volunteer needs leading up to the big tree planting as well as actually digging in the dirt and getting the trees in the ground.  Here are some opportunities:

Saturday, April 14th: 10 volunteers per ward, to hang doorhangers and posters

Sunday, April 15th:  10 volunteers per ward, to hang doorhangers and posters

Friday, April 20th: 15 volunteers to prep the orchard site, deliver materials and possibly dig holes at school planting sites

Saturday, April 21st: 15 volunteers to prep the orchard site, deliver materials (volunteer needs on these two days will vary based upon the weather that week and final needs so some flexibility is needed here)

 

Sunday, April 22nd (EARTH DAY): 90 volunteers to plant the orchard, 30 in each of three time slots:

                9:00 am – 11am

                11:30am – 1:30pm

                2:00pm – 4:00pm

Sunday, April 22: 10 volunteers to help with clean up efforts after the picnic dinner

Volunteers should sign up ahead of time for their preferred time slot so that we can plan accordingly.  Bring your friends and family and share this email far and wide!

Plan to wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty, consider a pair of gloves and bring along some drinking water or snacks.

 

Volunteers are encouraged to bring shovels. Parking is at the entrance to Chautauqua Park and then walk down to the trail entrance.  Map of the planting site to come.

 

All volunteers are encouraged to attend the tree planting workshop on Wednesday, April 18th at 7:15pm at the old St. Mary’s building, N. 3rd and Grimes.  All volunteers will receive a free Dig In, Fairfield t-shirt or bandana.

At the end of Sunday, we will be hosting a picnic dinner in celebration of the tree planting efforts and to kick off the entire Alliant Energy Hometown Rewards Grant and the series of events and educational efforts that will follow.  A Dinner (catered by Hy-Vee, including vegetarian options) and Entertainment (Jefferson County Green Band) will follow from 4:30-8:00.

Dig In, Fairfield Partners: Trees Forever, Alliant Energy Hometown Rewards, City of Fairfield, Iowa State University Extension, Fairfield Volunteer Center, Fairfield Parks and Rec, Fairfield Trails Council, Fairfield Schools, Maharishi School, Singing Cedars School, EcoFairfield

Hometown Reward Program Partners: Alliant Energy, City of Fairfield, Iowa State University Extension, Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield Volunteer Center, Fairfield residents

Hometown Reward Program Sponsors: Ideal Energy

Please RSVP with your availability via phone at 641.209.9045 or email fairfieldvolunteers@gmail.com by April 6.  If you are a student contact James
at jaschlepp@gmail.com.

 

Warmly,
Molly Reiff
Executive Director
Fairfield Volunteer Center, Inc.
EcoFairfield 2012
Serve. Connect. Inspire.
Because our locals are awesome!

Community Tree Planting

Earth Day weekend this year is promising to be one to remember in Fairfield, as the ECOFAIRFIELD planning team is establishing partnerships for events in the community, one partnership has come together to plant upwards of 300 6-foot trees around the community. The funding for this project is available through a grant from Alliant Energy, which awarded the City of Fairfield $7,500 to plant trees for energy efficiency. The trees will be a mix of fruiting and edible varieties as well as non-edibles.

Planting sites include:
• Portion of trail near Chataqua Park (confirmed)
• Maharishi School (confirmed)
• Singing Cedars School (confirmed)

In negotiation:
• Fairfield public schools
• Portion of trail near Sky Factory
• Hospital
• Parking lot on Broadway ave.
• Wastewater treatment plant

A group of 15 people (myself included) met at the Library recently to discuss planning details and discern our plan of action. Representatives in the group included people from the local schools, the “Trees Forever” organization, the city’s sustainability coordinator Scott Tim, Sierra Club representatives, and others.
My personal involvement stems from my original initiative to organize a “Day of Service” in the community on the afternoon of 4/20, the official start-day of ECOFAIRFIELD. My vision was to invite Fairfield Public Schools  students, MSAE students, and MUM students to volunteer together around the community on Friday afternoon. It looks like that will happen, and the energy will go toward planting trees! But now, instead of 1 afternoon on Friday, tree-planting volunteers will be needed throughout the weekend. The final site selections, timing and other details are TBA.

We are looking for people familiar with ecology or tree planting to serve as group leaders at various sites. If you are interested in participating in any part of this weekend-long event and you are a student please contact me, James, at jaschlepp@gmail.com. If you are not a student and you are interested, please contact the Fairfield Volunteer Center: Phone number:           641-209-9045 Email address: fairfieldvolunteers@gmail.com.

United in Service,
James Schleppenbach
EcoFairfield 2012 team
Serve. Connect. Inspire.
Because our locals are awesome!