CALENDAR

• September  15 – CPNGT Steering Committee Meeting, 6-8:30 PM
• September 17 – CPNGT Projects Meeting, 8:30-10 AM, Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church

Congress Park Sustainable Neighborhood
Meeting Update

The Congress Park Neighbors Green Team (CPNGT) held its second planning meeting with the Sustainable Neighborhood Program coordinators on August 27th and began planning several projects for the coming year. During the meeting, members of the CPNGT learned how to plan and propose projects using the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program website, and then broke into groups to begin planning projects for the year. See Projects In The Works below.

While each group is on its way with a project or two, YOUR input and involvement is still needed!  Please come to our next Green Team meeting Saturday, September 17th from 9:00 – 11:00 am** and get involved. We will finish proposals and start working together on these projects. If you cannot make the meeting but would like to participate, contact the person listed with each project. Your involvement is welcome!!

Meeting Date: Saturday, September 17
Meeting Time: 9:00 am – 11:00 am**
Meeting Location: Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church Social Hall, 1100 Fillmore

**Come a little early and meet your neighbors – we’ll have coffee and snacks available at 8:30am.

CPNGT Projects In The Works!

The Clean Neighborhood group’s initial focus is on Recycling.
This group is working on arranging a tour of the Denver recycling plant this fall so we can all better understand current issues with the waste stream and how we can help with the neighborhood recycling process. They are also arranging a follow-up speaker event on best practices for recycling, and identifying ways to include apartments and condos that do not have recycling options. The team will create an online FAQ resource page. Want more information and/or want to help? Contact Yvonne Salfinger.

Other Clean Neighborhood initiatives in the works include investigating Best Green Practices for Handling Dog Waste and organizing a Springtime Alley Cleanup Day.

The Sustainable Landscapes group’s first project will be on the use of Rain Barrels in the home landscape. This team is planning a hands-on workshop on rain barrels, including background information on Colorado water issues, home water consumption patterns, rain barrel options, and installation and usage tips. The group is interested in identifying neighborhood installation volunteers, as well as inventorying rain barrel usage in the neighborhood and water consumption improvements. Want more information and/or want to help? Contact Marilyn Mitchell or Melanie Reber.

Additional initiatives in the works include organizing a neighborhood Leaf Drop/Leaf Use project, and inventorying (and gleaning!) free-harvest fruit trees in our area.

The Home Energy Efficiency team is planning a “Home Energy Efficiency & Solar Options” workshop for the winter, and is starting with a neighborhood inventory of Congress Park homeowners interested in and/or using solar energy options. The workshop will include information on home energy audits and upgrades options. Want more information and/or want to help? Contact Nicole Ilderton OR Larry Grimm

The Green Team/Community Building group focused its initial initiative on organizing Quarterly “Sustainability Explorations & Exchange Discussions.” These gatherings will

Native plants in a xeric garden

provide an opportunity for participants explore a current issue through readings/film/speakers, and then brainstorm and exchange ideas for potential neighborhood actions. Issues for exploration in our first year include understanding regional water issues; alternative energy options & the grid; problems with plastics; and urban gardening & neighborhood markets. Want more information and/or want to help? Contact Liz Goehring

Additional initiatives in the works include identifying ways to inventory and map Congress Park green assets, and planning our Annual Earth Day Celebration.

A fifth group focused on Transportation & Mobility, with an initial project focused on biking. Congress Park is fortunate to have designated bike lanes, bike routes, and even B-Cycle stations in our neighborhood, as well as many neighbors who commute by bike. The group is planning a Fall Neighborhood Bike Tour that will start off with some basic safety tips followed by a bike tour of the neighborhood. Plans also include integrating a bike parade into our Earth Day Celebration. Want more information and/or want to help? Contact Lisa Loranger.

Additional initiatives include hosting a meet-and-greet with all the candidates running for our district seat on the RTD board.

If you would like to learn more about any of these projects or would like to get involved, please plan on attending the next Green Team meeting on Saturday, September 17th!

Communications Posting – Help Us Look Good

The CPNGT is working on a communications strategy and could use your help. We’re excited about everything the Green Team is working on and want to share it with the Congress Park community. We are building a Communications Team who can help get the word out about upcoming events and meetings.

We are looking for people who would like to help with the following roles: collecting articles and stories for our newsletter and website; maintaining the Green Team page on the Congress Park Neighbors website; posting event and meeting announcements on social media; providing overall content management.

Our hope is that this should only take about a half hour to an hour a week. We appreciate any and all help you can provide, whether it’s for a day, a week, a month, or a year. If you’re interested in volunteering or just want to learn more, please contact Lisa Loranger