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Category: Tree Planting
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:
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!
Fairfield, you are invited!
“What is the next greatest version of your life, your community, the region and the nation?” asks keynote 2012 EcoFairfield speaker Seth Braun. That’s what last year’s EcoFair organizers asked ourselves last year. We learned from our local workshop presenters that there is a wealth of expertise, passion, and practical home-based sustainability in Fairfield and regionally. We learned from the Fairfield Volunteer Center’s weatherization projects and Interact’s Sunnybrook garden project that community service is fun, meaningful, bridges generations, and generates friendships. At the Growing Food and Justice Conference in Wisconsin we discovered that community building and sustainability education can be seamlessly merged, and that culture, art, agriculture, and food are all integral. We knew that community meant connecting diverse perspectives, because if the “choir is preaching to the choir,” the choir is missing out on learning, growth, and new relationships. With so many fantastic organizations, projects, and people here, it seemed like the best route was to come together and get to know our neighbors.
You’re invited this April 20th-22nd to Fairfield, Iowa for “EcoFairfield”. Bring your shovel, your business card, your story and most importantly your passion and vision! EcoFairfield is a new idea: a community organized, community-supported, and community-wide event themed to “Serve, Connect, Inspire.” It is a cross-organizational project that includes the Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield Volunteer Center, Fairfield Rotaract, myLocal Cooperative, City of Fairfield, Dharma Foundation, Bonnell Building Project, and Iowa State Extension with more partnerships developing.
“One of the many partnerships that have come together for Ecofairfield is a group to plant in upwards of 300 6-foot trees around the community,” explains James Schleppenbach. The project is funded through an energy grant from Alliant Energy. Shade trees as well as fruit and nut trees for community orchards will be planted. James’ initial “Day of Service” concept focused on bringing together students from Fairfield Public Schools, Maharishi School, and MUM for an afternoon of community volunteering, but it quickly evolved into a coalition working with the City’s tree planting and several other events. RSVP here http://www.facebook.com/events/350672824976142/.
Saturday we invite you to enjoy the abundance of Fairfield. Your weekly Indoor Farmers Market is 8am-2pm at the Senior Center. 9am-4pm, the Green Vendors’ Sale (http://www.facebook.com/events/409948079031068/) and Green Career Jobs Fair (http://www.facebook.com/events/406619692688100/) will fill Fairfield Convention Center Expo Hall and meeting rooms. Discover eco-friendly goods, local cottage industry expertise, and global connections. Explore green jobs, internships, business opportunities, and local non-profits dedicated to education and service.
Workshops, presentations, and documentaries all day Saturday and on Sunday afternoon will offer a broad range of knowledge and experience you can apply to day-to-day sustainability. Enjoy walking or biking the Spring streets as you visit the Fairfield Convention Center, Fairfield Public Library, the old St. Mary’s schoolhouse, and MUM campus, where you can tour the new Sustainable Living Center.
Local or regional speakers and workshop hosts include Fred Kirschenmann from the Leopold Center; Stuart Valentine, green asset management; Christian Renaud from StartupCity Des Moines; Michael Cook, a former organizer of the Village Building Convergence in Portland, Oregon; Francis Thicke, author, sustainable agriculture expert, and founder of Radiance Dairy; Maryan Hesse, an Amazon forest ambassador; Scott Morris, Founder of myLocal Cooperative; and Nick Campney from One-Hundred Trees. Most presentations will be free; a few workshops may require $2-10 donations to help cover costs of materials. A schedule including costs will be here online the first week of April.
Saturday night culminates in the annual ECOjam Fashion Show at 7pm in St. Mary’s School House. Twelve designers will each present a line consisting of recycled, vintage, or organically and sustainably manufactured materials. Local artists are also invited to showcase their art! (Artists contact: gracehartnett@gmail.com) Tickets go on sale at April’s Art Walk in front of the Beauty Shop and at the ECOjam door. For more information click here: http://www.facebook.com/events/312749835455771/.
Sunday morning is reserved for appreciating the spirit of rest, worship, and family. The early afternoon features a Community Swap, Kidz Corner, Food Drive, and workshops before the event’s grand finale at Chataqua park, where the Hometown Rewards BBQ and tree planting will be complemented by Seth Braun facilitating a community conversation on envisioning the next best version of Fairfield.
Stay up to date and help us get the word around by visiting our blog and subscribing for updates at ecofairfield.wordpress.com, or like us at facebook.com/ecofairfield. Please direct questions, suggestions, and volunteer interest to Minca Borg: borgs108@gmail.com
Or come join us for an evening of Green Drinks, networking, and fun this Friday evening at Revelations http://www.facebook.com/events/389870794357499/.
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!
EcoFairfield 