The 2016 SSDN Annual Meeting is THE event of the year for our dynamic network. This spring, from April 6-8 SSDN members will gather in Atlanta at Southface's Eco Office for a chance to learn from each other, from experts and from examples and tours. This year's meeting will include presentations on:
- Climate Vulnerability Assessments (featuring Jim Fox from NEMAC)
- Mayor's Workplace Challenge Project
- Applying Equity to Sustainability Programs
Breakout sessions will include:
Community Based Social Marketing
Resiliency Planning and Sea Level Rise Strategy
Commercial Composting
Zero Waste Campaigns
Community-based Economic Development Programs...and more.
There will also be tours of Southface's Eco Office, the Atlanta Beltline, the RM Clayton Wastewater Treatment Plant (featuring a Combined Heat and Power Facility). The meeting will also close with an optional volunteering activity: tree planting and maintenance in the Southface neighborhood with Trees Atlanta.
Details about the meeting, accommodations, and travel are now live on the SSDN website. If you plan to attend, but have not registered already, please register no later than March 1. Travel arrangements must be made and emailed to Meg Jamison prior to March 1 so that we can make appropriate arrangements related to accommodations.
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SSDN Annual Meeting FAQ:
1. I have not registered for the annual meeting yet, but plan to attend. What do I need to do? Please register online here, and also email Meg Jamison and let us know that you plan to attend so we can make appropriate reservations.
2. I have booked my flight or reserved my rental car. Now what? Send all of your travel arrangements to Meg Jamison. We will send out detailed instructions about the locations of our meeting and hotel so that it's easy to find.
3. Do I need to book my own hotel room? No, SSDN has reserved a block of hotel rooms for this event at the Hotel Indigo - Midtown Atlanta for April 6 and 7. If you plan to stay later, you'll need to make your own lodging arrangements. The cost of the hotel nights included in the meeting is included with registration.
4. I need to submit a reimbursement for my travel. How do I do that? SSDN reimburses up to $400 travel costs for primary members. The registration form can be found under the Accommodations & Transportation tab.
5. I want to sign up for a tour. Great! Everyone who attends the annual meeting will automatically be signed up for the tour of the Southface Eco Office. We have two simultaneous tours, however, that will require you to choose. Please email Meg Jamison with your choice of tour (either the Atlanta Beltline or the Wastewater Combined Heat and Power Facility) by 3/1.
6. I'm sticking around Atlanta Friday afternoon and want to volunteer. How do I get involved? We'll be volunteering with Trees Atlanta doing tree maintenance and planting to improve and retain Atlanta's urban tree canopy on Friday afternoon. At 1pm we'll meet outside Southface and Trees Atlanta will pick us up for our volunteering time. You can give as much time as you'd like, but this activity is capped at 10 people so please sign up by March 1 by emailing Meg.
7. I'm also attending the Energy and Equity workshop on April 5th and 6th. What do I need to do? If you haven't already done so, please email email Erin Gill to confirm your attendance. We'll arrange hotel reservations for you!
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Funding Opportunity - USDN Innovation Fund
The USDN Innovation Fund’s spring 2016 RFP is not topic or group specific, instead it's about impacts. It is designed to test better ways to gather information on how urban sustainability innovations impact how members do their jobs and collaborate with 1) each other, 2) across departments, and / or 3) with external partners. The Steering Committee will fund projects that can demonstrate the impact of new / phased work by:
- Quantifying Existing Impacts: building on an existing innovation’s foundation
- Impacts as Deliverables: finishing the next step of the work
This grant opportunity is for USDN core members only. An optional letter of interest is due March 24, and the final proposal is due May 5. Awards are announced June 6. If you're interested in learning more, there is an informational call on March 3. For more information on the RFP and submission process, please email Susanna Sutherland.
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Peer Learning Exchange on Employee Engagement - Participation Opportunity!
One spot is available to participate in a Peer Learning Exchange on Employee Engagement in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 22 and 23, 2016. Participants from five SSDN cities will observe training on Climate Change and Sustainability provided to all Fort Lauderdale staff and then discuss employee engagement efforts in Fort Lauderdale and their own cites. One of the objectives of this PLE will be for the visiting cities to obtain strategies and tools on how to train their own staff and for Fort Lauderdale to gain external feedback for future efforts to increase staff sustainability capacity. A USDN Peer Learning Exchange grant will cover or reimburse most travel expenses. For more information please read the attached proposal. If you are interested, please contact Glen Hadwen, ghadwen@fortlauderdale.gov or (954) 828-6138.
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Sustainable YOU Conference -
Join the City of Tallahassee at Sustainable YOU 2016 to learn more about how to preserve the natural environment, improve neighborhoods and gain strategies for long-term cost savings! Participants will also be able to gather information on topics ranging from Tiny Houses to Creative Reuse to habitat restoration in your own yard. Sustainable YOU 2016 will feature Keynote Speakers Storm Cunningham, Julian McQueen and David Eichenthal, in addition to 18 sessions on sustainability and a special Tactical Urbanism presentation. Registration information can be found here.
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