Upcoming Meetings & Events
January Green Team Meeting What’s your Green New Year’s Resolution? Come to the January Green Team meeting and get involved with your favorite project. We’ll be focused on planning for our 2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration, so it’s a great time to get involved. Bring your ideas and your enthusiasm!

Meeting Date: Saturday, Jan 14, 9:00-11:00AM (8:30 am**)
Meeting Location: Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church, 11th & Fillmore
Agenda:

• Update – CPN Sustainable Network Projects:  9:00-930
• 2017 Earth Day Planning:  9:30-11:00
  • This year’s theme: Think Global, Act Local!

The CPNGT has envisioned establishing a Congress Park tradition of celebrating Earth Day by organizing a community festival where neighbors gather to meet each other, celebrate sustainability-themed goals and neighborhood accomplishments, exchange new ideas and expand our commitment to sustainability. The 2017 Festival, our 2nd Annual, will include booths with activities, music, food and fun! The focus of the event is “neighbor to neighbor” learning and action, with possible tours into the neighborhood showcasing some of the ways our neighborhood is green.
Please consider getting involved! All are needed and welcome, from kids to seniors!

If you can’t make the Saturday planning meeting but still want to be involved (e.g., volunteer, become a sponsor, host an educational booth), please contact Joan Gregerson at sustainability@congressparkneighbors.org. We’ll also be posting information on the www.congressparkneighbors.org Green Team pages soon.

See you Saturday, January 14th!
** Remember to come early (8:30 am) for bagels and catching up.

     
 CPN Green Business Workshop – Jan 10th

CPNGT is teaming up with “Certifiably Green Denver” to help Congress Park businesses Go Green! This free workshop is intended for Congress Park business owners interested in learning about the City’s Green Business program and how to get involved. New World Cheese, Green Door Fitness and The Wag Shop (some of our local Green Businesses) will also share their experiences with the program. 

Date/Time:  Tuesday, Jan 10, 2:00-3:30 PM
Location: Cerebral Brewing, 1477 Monroe Street
For more info or to get involved, contact Sustainability@congressparkneighbors.org

Many thanks to Green Team members (Mary, Yvonne, Matt, Nicole, Larry and Liz) for getting the invites out to local businesses!
If you know of a Congress Park business that may be interested, please feel free to invite them.
 

Congress Park Historic Home Energy Efficiency Workshop

Historic homes are part of the charm of Congress Park. But older homes can face some unique hurdles to achieving comfort and energy efficiency.

The CPNGT is teaming up with Denver Historic Planner, Brittany Bryant, and Paul Koepke of the Denver Energy Challenge program to present a free workshop on historic home energy efficiency, intended just for our neighborhood. The workshop will help participants lower energy bills and feel more comfortable in their older homes this winter, while also saving energy.

If you have an older home, or know neighbors who do, please help get the word out on this free event.
Meeting Date: Thursday, Jan 26, 6:00-7:00 pm
Meeting Location: Congress Park Tap Room, 833 Colorado Blvd

Please RSVP here (requested for planning purposes, but not required).

For more information, please contact Nicole Ilderton 

REMINDER: Denver Treecycle collections will occur on January 7th & January 14th.Help get the word out to our neighbors!!

Recycling Christmas trees through Denver’s Treecycle program keeps trees out of the landfill, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and creates mulch that is available to Denver residents for free at the Annual Treecycle Mulch Giveaway & Leafdrop Compost Sale in the spring.

For more information about Treecycle, the Annual Treecycle Mulch Giveaway and LeafDrop Compost Sale or other Denver Recycles programs, visit DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles or call 311 (720-913-1311).

After January 15th, trees can be dropped off at the Cherry Creek Recycling Drop-off site.

Ongoing Projects

Next SEED Circle– The Problem with Plastics
– Mary Sullivan Did you know??

• ONLY 7-8% of US plastic is recycled, another 7.5% is combusted, and the rest (roughly 85%) ends up in landfills or as litter!
• 6.4 million TONS of plastic litter enters our oceans, EACH YEAR!
• Some plastics have medical and environmental benefits, but some plastic products contain carcinogens or endocrine disrupters?

“Plastic is everywhere we look. Our computers and children’s toys are made out of it, and our water and slices of American cheese are packaged in it. But why is there so much and what is it doing to our bodies? Is it possible to use less plastic and be happier and healthier?” 

Plastic is the subject of our next SEED Circle, to be held the last week of Feb (TBD) at Cerebral Brewing at 6pm. This circle will focus on discussing the book, Plastic Purge – How to use Less Plastic, Eat Better, Keep Toxins Out of Your Body, and Help Save the Sea Turtles! by Boulder-based ecologist Michael SanClements. Now a Denver Post #1 bestseller, the book is available at Tattered Cover and other nearby bookstores.

Please pick up a copy to read and join us for a fascinating discussion and exploration of what WE can do about Plastic! Fingers-crossed, the CPNGT is trying to see if SanClements might join us, and enjoy some of our fine local brew as we discuss the book.
Stay tuned!

For questions, email Mary Sullivan
 

Residential Solar Options – Free Webinar Series

– Larry Grimm

To access the Solar Webinar Series, visit Larry’s Solar Now! page
Webinars may be viewed LIVE or RECORDED
For LIVE interviews, you have the option to participate (i.e., ask these solar experts your OWN questions) by connecting to video conference during the actual interview.
Interviews are recorded and archived, allowing you to view the interview at your own convenience.

Additional Solar options interviews are in the works!
The Clean Energy Collective interview is up next. Check the CPN website calendar and CPN FB for dates.

For questions, contact Larry Grimm

 
“In the Works” Projects

The CPNGT has several projects “in the works” and is always looking for additional team members to get involved.
For more information on these projects or (better yet) to get involved, please feel free to contact the person listed.

• Neighborhood/Alley Cleanup Program – Organize Your Own!
  • Learn how to organize a successful Alley Cleanup on your own block or lend a hand with another neighbor’s effort.
  • Contact Becky Coughlin
• Rain Barrel Workshop
  • Help organize a hands-on neighborhood workshop on making your own rain barrel.
  • Contact Sustainability@congressparkneighbors.org
• SEED Circle – Alternative Energy
• Help organize and/or participate in the Alternative Energy SEED Circle and learn about resources for residential needs .
• Contact Noah Lyman

Help Wanted: CPNGT Steering Committee Members

Do you love this neighborhood and have ideas for how the CPN Green Team can be more effective? If so, the CPNGT Steering Committee is looking for you!
 
As the CPNGT enters its second year, and continues to support projects that help our neighborhood reduce its carbon footprint, its Steering Committee is looking for new ways to reach more neighbors.  We currently are looking for 3 new neighbors who can share their energy, enthusiasm and time at monthly meetings and events. Approximate time commitment ranges from 5-10 hours per month.

If you’re interested in volunteering or just want to learn more, please contact Liz Goehring or Becky Coughlin at sustainability@congressparkneighbors.org

It’s fun! And you get to work with great neighbors!!