WHO KNEW You Can Show Neighbors What You Have Done to Be More Sustainable at the Second Annual Upper Valley Earth Week Open House?

On April 25 and 26, 2026, residents, schools, churches, and businesses will invite Upper Valley neighbors to come see what they've done to be more sustainable and to answer questions about how they did it.

Do you have a particular energy-saving or sustainability feature at your home that you'd be willing to discuss with neighbors at an open house on Saturday, April 25 and/or Sunday, April 26 (you choose) between 10 am and 2 pm?

Or are you a business or nonprofit willing to give a one-time public tour about your site's sustainable features sometime during Earth Week, April 20-26?

If so, let us know at bsteele@colby-sawyer.edu, and we will send you an intake survey! Last year we had 26 sites in nine towns and cities around the Upper Valley. We ask that you be willing to meet people in some kind of covered space -- a part of your home, a garage, a covered porch, or your business, church, etc. -- in case it rains.

People and businesses considering solar, battery storage, heat pumps, electric cars, or heat-pump water heaters will thank you. Gardeners will be thrilled to learn your methods for nurturing the earth and sharing its bounty. Got a conservation easement? A home or ADU design that's eco-friendly? Even if you've just taken the first step by getting an energy audit of your building, people who haven't done that yet will want to learn from you!

The Upper Valley Earth Week Open House 2026 is sponsored by Sustainable Lebanon, Sustainable Hanover, Sustainable Woodstock, the Norwich Energy Committee, Vital Communities, and the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee.

If you don't want to be a site host but want to visit the Open House sites and tours, stay tuned. We'll let you know later how to do that once we confirm our site hosts.