Media
Water 101 | City of Ann Arbor 2018 Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum
This forum is about the lifecycle of water in Ann Arbor. There is a video about extreme storms in Ann Arbor, presentations from some experts in the field, even a trivia game!
Sustainable Ann Arbor is an annual series presented by the City of Ann Arbor and hosted by the Ann Arbor District Library. The series includes four events held monthly through April, each with a focus on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework. This event is cosponsored by the City of Ann Arbor and details of the series will be posted online on The City of Ann Arbor's Sustainability site. For information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, please visit the City’s Sustainability website.
Media
Sustainable Ann Arbor - Measuring & Tracking Sustainability
In this Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum, experts from Ann Arbor city government, industry, and U of M examine current ways to measure and track the success of sustainability programs.
John Mirsky, Executive Policy Advisor for Sustainability for the Ann Arbor City Administrator, discusses the City's latest efforts to upgrade and more effectively employ sustainability metrics. Matt Naud, City of Ann Arbor Environmental Coordinator, reports on the City's new four-star rating with the STAR Communities program. Andrew Berki, Director of the U of M Office of Campus Sustainability, speaks about the University's efforts to meet their aggressive sustainability goals.
This event is cosponsored by the City of Ann Arbor as part of their annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. For information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, please visit a2gov.org/sustainability.
Media
Sustainable Ann Arbor - Electric Vehicles
A panel of electric vehicle (EV) experts discusses electric vehicles in Ann Arbor and how EVs are a growing part of our transportation future—including autonomous vehicles.
Charles Griffith - Director of the Climate and Energy Program, Ecology Center
Bruce Westlake - President, Michigan Electric Auto Association
Media
League of Women Voters Panel Discussion: A Carbon "Price is Right": Harnessing the Market to Drive Down Carbon Emissions
Carbon "fee and dividend” and “cap and trade” strategies are currently used, or are planned, in many parts of the world. This panel explores challenges and opportunities of these policies.
The panel is moderated by Dr. Knute Nadelhoffer. Panelists include Dr. Barry Rabe and Dr. Sam Stolper of the University of Michigan as well as Dr. Lisa Del Buono of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
This event is a partnership with the League of Women Voters, the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, the U-M Energy Institute, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and the City of Ann Arbor.
Media
League of Women Voters Forum: Line 5 and Other Challenges Impacting the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes Committee of the Ann Arbor chapter of the League of Women Voters hosts a panel discussion on challenges facing the Great Lakes, with an update on the Line 5 oil pipeline. A panel of experts, including Dr. Eric Anderson (NOAA) and Liz Kirkwood (Executive Director, FLOW), presents and discusses the issues.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Media
City of Ann Arbor 2017 Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum: Grow Your Own
The conversation on sustainability in Ann Arbor continued as the City and the Ann Arbor District Library hosted their annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. The series of four events each focused on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.
The final event in this series was Grow Your Own. Local gardening experts shared tips and tricks to help you grow your own fruits, veggies, flowers, and more. Panelists included:
Jason Frenzel, Ann Arbor City Councilmember
Monica Milla, Master Gardener
Drew Lathin, General Manager of Creating Sustainable Landscapes, LLC
Caitlyn Dickinson, Biodynamic Beekeeper
Emily Springfield, Founder of Preserving Traditions
The forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably. A think tank of local stakeholders including representatives from community organizations, and staff from both the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County join the public to discuss local sustainability efforts and challenges in our community.
This event was cosponsored by the City of Ann Arbor and details of the series are posted online on The City of Ann Arbor's Sustainability site. For information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, please visit the City’s Sustainability website.
Media
City of Ann Arbor 2017 Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum: Green Your Home DIY
Join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor as the City and the Ann Arbor District Library host their annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. The series will include four events (held monthly through April) with each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.
The first event in this series is Green Your Home DIY. Local experts share programs and hands-on tips that can help you green your home.
The forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably. A think tank of local stakeholders including representatives from community organizations, staff from both the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County will join the public to discuss local sustainability efforts and challenges in our community. Each program will include a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session.
Topics and speakers for the Green Your Home DIY discussion include:
o Go Solar with your Neighbors: Ann Arbor solar bulk buy (David Levine, Founder and CEO of Geostellar)
o Weatherize Your Home: the county program and DIY tips (Aaron Kraft, Housing Programs Supervisor for Washtenaw County)
o Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away: building rain gardens and installing rain barrels (Roger Moon, Master Rain Gardener, Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office)
o Grow Your Own: gardening tips for newbie gardeners (Amanda Edmonds, Founder and Executive Director of Growing Hope)
Chip Smith, Councilmember for the City of Ann Arbor, moderates this session.
This event was cosponsored by the City of Ann Arbor. For information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, please visit the City’s Sustainability website.
Media
City Of Ann Arbor 2016 Sustainable Ann Arbor Forum: Looking to the Future: Ann Arbor in 2025
Join the conversation about sustainability in Ann Arbor as the City and the Ann Arbor District Library host their annual Sustainable Ann Arbor series. The series included four events (held monthly through April of 2016) with each focusing on a different element of sustainability from Ann Arbor’s Sustainability Framework.
This is the last event in this series and centers on Ann Arbor in 2025, including conversations about local challenges and solutions on Ann Arbor’s path to a more sustainable future.
A think tank of local stakeholders including representatives from community organizations, staff from both the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County joined the public to discuss local sustainability efforts and challenges in our community. Each program included a series of short presentations followed by a question and answer session.
These forums offer an opportunity to learn more about sustainability in the community and tips for actions that residents can take to live more sustainably.
Speakers include:
- Moderator, Josie Parker, Director of the Ann Arbor Library;
- Teresa Gillotti, Communication and Policy Specialist, Washtenaw County Department of Community and Economic Development;
- Xuan Liu, Manager of Research, SEMCOG;
- Susan Pollay, Executive Director, Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority;
- Sue Zielinski, Managing Director of SMART at the U-M Transport Research Institute.
Details of this series are posted online on The City of Ann Arbor's Sustainability site. For information and videos from current and past Sustainable Ann Arbor Forums, please visit the City’s Sustainability website.
Media
National Library Week Event: Rain Gardens and How to Create Them
Learn how to begin and sustain your own rain garden, including design ideas, the best plants to use, and care and keeping of the garden. Rain gardens prevent rainwater from causing erosion and reaching the sewer system to become wastewater and instead capture it to be kept within the ecosystem.
Jesse Tack, of Abundant Michigan, Permaculture Ypsilanti and Whole Culture Repair, is a co-founder of a permaculture group in Ypsilanti that combines members’ efforts to create more sustainable yards, gardens and farms in the area.
Media
Establishing A Rain Garden: Clean up the Huron River, One Garden at a Time
Planting a rain garden is a fun way for people to make a difference in the quality of the water in our rivers, lakes, and streams, starting in our own backyards. You don’t need any special equipment – just some space, a spade, compost, and a few plants. This talk covers the benefits of Rain Gardens and how to build and plant one.
Susan Bryan is the Rain Garden Coordinator for the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office, working with plants and people to protect the water quality in the Huron River. She has designed many residential gardens, rain gardens, and bio-infiltration areas. She is a past president of Wild Ones, has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Michigan, and is an Advanced Master Gardener in Washtenaw County.
Roger Moon is a Master Rain Gardener, trained in the Washtenaw County program, and a Traverwood neighborhood resident with four rain gardens on his property. He has given numerous talks on rain gardens, media appearances, and designed six rain gardens himself. Roger has adopted rain gardens in Huron Hills and Gallup parks, and takes care of them throughout the year. Roger received the Washtenaw County Rain Garden Leadership Award in Education in 2015.