Sustainable Hanover Retreat
Twenty-five Sustainable Hanover volunteers gathered at the home of Robin Kaiser and Peter Gish on Wed, October 18th to learn more about Hanover’s Sustainability Master Plan and share ideas as to how Sustainable Hanover can support that plan moving forward. Ably facilitated by our good friend, Sarah Brock of Vital Communities, this group included volunteers from the official Sustainable Hanover Town Committee as well as representatives from its several initiatives (energy, waste reduction/recycling, sustainable landscaping, energy, transportation, communications, 3C). Chris Kennedy who serves on both Sustainable Hanover and the Master Plan Advisory Committee introduced the main points in the draft of the Master Plan which was being released for community input that same day. Volunteers then broke up into subgroups to discuss first five year, then one year priorities for Sustainable Hanover moving forward.
From these discussions, we departed with the following key takeaways:
o Increase the visibility of Sustainable Hanover by improving both internal and external communications.
o Increase participation and capacity, encouraging diversity with regard to such things as age, race, ethnicity, and interests.
o Serve not only those who own homes in Hanover but also those who rent as well as those who do not necessarily live in Hanover but work and play here.
o Strengthen partnerships and collaborations with entities such as other Town committees, Dartmouth College, our public schools, and Upper Valley organizations.
o Continue to pursue our Ready for 100 town wide goals of having 100% clean electricity by 2030 followed by heating, cooling, and transportation by 2050.
o Support town and regional plans for better public transportation; charging electric vehicles; and providing safe lanes for bikes, scooters, and skateboards.
o Be good stewards of what we have long cherished by fostering biodiversity and people’s connection with nature.
o Promote sustainable landscapes that, among other things, include native plants and retain water where it falls.
o Make it easier for folks to reduce, reuse and recycle their possessions.
o Support affordable housing efforts.
Based on these key takeaways, we made one big conclusion -- we need more help, MUCH more help! Do you or anyone you know have expertise and/or interest in:
o Further developing a website?
o Putting out a quarterly Newsletter?
o Writing in general?
o Organizing a speaker series?
o Reaching out to folks one on one?
o Exploring funding opportunities and writing grants?
o Researching, brainstorming, and implementing renewable energy projects?
o Promoting energy efficiency and/or the electrification of homes and businesses? How about Renewable Transportation? Sustainable Landscapes? Biodiversity? Waste and Plastic Reduction? Affordable Housing? Something else?
If so, please be in touch by emailing sustainablehanovernh@gmail.com. Thank you!
