Hello MSH Friends and supporters!

We hope you have all had a great start to 2022. To kick off the new year, this newsletter brings you news of upcoming clean energy events and a peek into some exciting projects the Hub is working on in the New Year.

The Hub is excited to announce our newest clean transportation initiative: bringing EV Police Cars to the Monadnock Region. Police and sheriff departments across the country (including our neighbors in Windham County, Vermont) are adding electric police cars to their fleet. Why? It turns out switching traditional police cars for electric vehicles saves a lot of money and helps lower transportation-related emissions. Learn more about the benefits and process of switching to EV Police Cars in our report: Making the Case for EV Police Cars, which can be found here

The Hub wants to bring EV Police Cars to Monadnock towns, and we need your help! We are seeking interested residents to act as “town champions” and build momentum in their towns—this would include communicating with your town stakeholders (with support from the Hub of course!) Several towns are already on this path and we hope to connect champions to learn & share w/ one another as their journey unfolds. To learn more about this opportunity, contact us at ahenry@monadnocksustainabilityhub.

Calling all Monadnock residents concerned about climate and clean energy! Join us and the Harris Center for Conservation Education this Spring for a virtual educational program and course all about community-level climate change solutions and action.

Public Program Climate Actions in the Monadnock Region

Wednesday Feb. 16th, 5:30-6:30pm (Virtual)

This FREE public program will feature a brief overview of the climate crisis, to serve as a primer for taking action, followed by details about clean energy projects in the Monadnock region. Learn about local clean energy programs—from Community Supported Solar, to Electric Vehicle EV expos, to municipal Community Power (aggregated, bulk purchasing of electricity)—and other community-driven sustainability initiatives. Most importantly, learn what steps you can take to get involved in climate work in your local and state-wide community.

Note: All are welcome! This program offers an overview, for those interested in more details, please consider the four-part course (see below).

Four Part Course: Building Community Around Climate Action

Wednesday March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 5:30-6:30pm (Virtual)

The Climate Crisis is humankind’s greatest challenge and requires unprecedented global and local action. People and communities in SouthWest New Hampshire can, and must, be part of the solution. Learn what sustainability work is happening in our towns and discover how you can help ignite effective action in your community. The themes of each session (stay tuned for more details) are.

• March 16th: Organizing Community Clean Energy Solutions

• March 23rd: Electrify Our Transportation

• March 30th: Community Power

• April 6th: Evaluate the Effectiveness of Climate Change Solutions with the En-ROADS Simulator

Cost: $40 for Harris Center supporters / $60 all others | Advance registration is required. Please register via this online form. To submit payment, contact Miles Stahmann at (603) 525-3394.

We are proud to share that MSH Board Members Peter Hansel and John Kondos have been recognized for their amazing work in our community.

Peter was given the Greater Keene & Peterborough Chamber’s 2021 Citizen of the Year award for his extensive community involvement and impact on the Keene (and regional) community. Including his service on the Hub’s Board, Peter “has served on more than 20 local organizations and boards, working on issues ranging from the environment to low-income housing”. (Learn more about Peter’s impact in this article). Peter joined the Hub’s Board in 2021 and serves on our Governance Committee. In addition to being an enthusiastic member of our Board, he also works to better the region’s energy future as a member of Keene’s Energy and Climate Committee.

John was named the Monadnock Conservancy’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year. John “has been volunteering for the Conservancy since 2006 as a land steward, which means visiting and walking the boundaries of conserved properties to document any natural or man-made changes in the land. He monitors three to five places each year”. (Read more about his award here). John’s dedication to the environment does not stop there, in addition to these conservation efforts, he is an original founding member of the group that evolved into MSH and served as president for several years. He’s a member of our Program Committee and plays a large role in our educational and clean transportation programs.

Thanks Peter and John for all the work you’ve done for MSH and our regional community!

Farmers are the heart of our region: providing fresh produce, caring for the land, and nourishing our community. With farmers being key to our local food system and conservation priorities, it is crucial that they too are supported. Here’s one great way — through the Monadnock Region’s Community Supported Solar for Farms project.

Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) is launching a crowdfunding campaign to support the Community Supported Solar for Farmers program. Organized by MSH & CCCD, this Community Supported Solar Project (CSS) brings together farmers, investors, and local champions to help local farms unlock the potential of the renewable energy economy. This project aims to help stabilize and lower the cost of electricity for participating farms by harvesting free solar energy. Lowering their costs of energy increases the viability of farms. Learn more about the CSS project here and support the project below.

Your donation today, increases the viability of local farms, advances the sustainability of our region, and in turn, strengthens our local food system! Help CCCD spread the word and strengthen its impact — share this newsletter with family & friends.

Thanks for supporting the Hub! Until next month,

The Monadnock Sustainability Hub

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