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Sustainable Neighborhoods Applications Open
What does sustainability mean to your neighborhood? Maybe you'd like to start a healthy food movement, ramp up home energy conservation or come together over potlucks, peach canning and leaf composting.
Apply by March 6 to become part of Lakewood’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, which will accept a limited number of new neighborhoods during this application process. Learn more by visiting SustainableNeighborhoodNetwork.org/Lakewood or attend an informational open house at 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Lakewood Cultural Center Community Room, 470 S. Allison Parkway.
The Sustainable Neighborhoods Program is a grassroots effort bringing new ideas, enriching programs and community cohesion to residents. It provides residents the opportunity to become active partners in enhancing the livability of their neighborhoods and reducing residents’ ecological footprint. |
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Call for Earth Day Vendors
Lakewood's annual Earth Day Celebration is happening on April 22, 2017. In addition to celebrating with music, food, beer, art and games, we are looking for vendors to share their sustainability mission with attendees. If you'd like to showcase your eco-friendly products, services or resources, apply online at Lakewood.org/EarthDay. Space is limited, so be sure to include how you will help attendees lower their eco-footprint and make a difference in their community. |
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The Earth Day Celebration is a free community event organized by the Employees' Committee for a Sustainable Lakewood as a way to spread environmental awareness and celebrate our community. For more information visit Lakewood.org/EarthDay.
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Nominate a Green Hero
It’s that time of year again! Time to celebrate those leading the way to sustainability in Lakewood. Lakewood’s annual Sustainability Awards began celebrating leadership 10 years ago and has seen a number of outstanding projects along the way. Past awards have been given for school recycling programs, innovative and energy-efficient building developments, youth-led park cleanups, neighborhood yard garden programs and many more! Visit Lakewood.org/SustainabilityAwards for a complete list.
If you know a neighbor, local business or group who deserves to join the Lakewood’s sustainability hall of fame, don’t hesitate! Nominate them for the 10th annual Sustainability Awards.
Awards are given in the categories of community sustainability, youth leadership and Lakewood employees. The deadline for nominations is March 13. For more information and to submit a nomination online, visit Lakewood.org/SustainabilityAwards. |
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Local Food Study
Last year, the City of Lakewood partnered with the University of Colorado Denver's Hometown Colorado Initiative to complete five projects throughout the community by tapping into the talents and energy of students and faculty. One of the projects focused on local and healthy food in Lakewood to support Sustainability Plan goals around a self-reliant local economy and public health.
The students completed a food systems study and report consisting of two distinct portions. The first studied various models of food production, including site designs, crop yield and economic value. The models ranged from traditional in-ground agriculture to urban food forests and greenhouses. |
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The second portion measured the potential agricultural output and economic value of local food production across the city. The students found that a citywide local food system could be expected to produce 91,366,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables each year, feeding the plant-based dietary needs of 90% of Lakewood residents.
The Hometown Colorado Initiative helped foster a stronger relationship between Lakewood and the University and demonstrated the untapped potential for local food systems in Lakewood. Read the full report online at Lakewood.org/LocalFood.
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Sustainability Concepts: Media Literacy
With live updates and a constant flow of information at our fingertips, how can we differentiate fact from fiction? Misinformation has been getting a lot of attention lately, leading many researchers and journalists to provide tips for reading stories with a critical eye. Below are a few of our favorite tips that can help you improve your media literacy.
- Consider the site address: When you come across sites with unconventional domain names or URLs, such as ".lo", do some digging around the site, including the "About Us" section, to ensure it is a legitimate organization.
- Get the full story: By reading past the headline, you might spot red flags in the text, such as old dates that don't match the current context, outrageous statements that indicate it is a satirical piece or quotes without sources.
- Check the comments: A lot of fake news stories are shared across social media platforms. Someone may have already called out the story as false within the comments.
- Get your news from a variety of places: Reputable news organizations have fact checkers for every story. Cross check what you read against other sources to get a fuller picture of what is really happening.
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