Virtual Events
Sustainable Stories
Conversations
Virtual Events
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Diving into Drawdown Georgia with John Lanier
On January 15, we hosted our 2021 Virtual Kickoff event discussing Drawdown Georgia with Ray C. Anderson Foundation Executive Director John A. Lanier. As the first state-center effort to crowdsolve for climate change, Drawdown Georgia is "bringing climate solutions home." This year, Sustainable Newton will be taking steps to connect our fellow Newton County residents, small businesses, corporations, and local government leaders with the 20 carbon-reduction solutions outlined by Drawdown Georgia. Watch our kickoff to learn how you can get involved. |
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Drawdown Georgia Virtual Civic Dinner
On December 7, we hosted a virtual dinner for the Drawdown Georgia Civic Dinners series. Our evening featured local farmers who provided recipes and meal kit ordering for guests wanting to sample farm-fresh food grown right here in our community. Click here for more information about the participating farms and Drawdown Georgia. As part of the evening, our 30 guests also split into breakout rooms to discuss personal food-related personal climate action using discussion topics provided by Civic Dinners. |
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Panel Discussion for The Story of Plastic
On October 15, we hosted a virtual panel discussion with local officials and students reflecting on ideas and solutions generated by the documentary film The Story of Plastic. We were joined by Newton County High School student Ameina Covington, Covington City Council Member Susie Keck, Emory University students Candace Allison and Rachel Musetti, and Newton County Commissioner Nancy Schulz. Sustainable Newton Board Member Sara Vinson was the moderator. |
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24 Hours of Reality: Countdown to the Future
Starting at 4 pm ET on Saturday, October 10, Climate Reality Leaders around the world united for a 24-hour global conversation about the unprecedented challenges of Climate Change. Sustainable Newton was represented by board members Maurice Carter, Dr. Melissa Hage, and Theodosia Wade who presented data on both the impacts of and solutions to our climate crisis. Watch as they answer three key questions: Must we change? Can we change? Will we change? |
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What Fuels You? A Conversation with Filmmaker Erika Gilsdorf
On Friday, October 9, Sustainable Newton hosted a virtual chat with Minnesota-based filmmaker Erika Gilsdorf to learn more about her environmental film series "What Fuels You USA?" During our half-hour conversation, Erika told us all about her upcoming journey across America in a plug-in electric hybrid vehicle towing her "tiny house" trailer. And, she promised to come see us in Newton County next spring. |
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Panel Discussion for the Film 2040
From September 12-19, 2020, Sustainable Newton sponsored a virtual screening of the environmental documentary film 2040. In conjunction with the film showing, we also hosted a panel discussion with local high school and college students, along with an expert from the solar industry in Georgia. The movie is described as "an aspirational journey to discover what the future could look like if we simply embraced the best that exists today." Find more information about the film and the panel discussion on our website. |
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Up Close & Personal - Photographing Nature with Alisa Brown
On the first day of this year's Great Georgia Pollinator Census, Sustainable Newton spent time with one of Newton County's best nature photographers -- who also happens be a real bug enthusiast. If you've seen Alisa Brown's pictures on Facebook, you know she is a master at capturing intimate views of nature's smallest inhabitants. Along with showing some of her best photographs, we got her to share tips on lenses, camera settings, and approaches for getting those up-close photos. Alisa also gave us a wealth of insights for planting and maintaining a pollinator-friendly garden. |
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All About the Great Georgia Pollinator Census
In 2019, Sustainable Newton hosted four public counting events in support of the pollinator census. For 2020, with large gatherings discouraged during the pandemic, we shifted our focus to preparing Newton County residents to count pollinators on their own and record results for the census on August 21-22. In this webinar, we chat with two very knowledgeable experts from the University of Georgia Extension Service: Becky Griffin, Community and School Garden Coordinator, and Ashley Best, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent and the Extension Coordinator for Newton County. |
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A Virtual Town Hall Chat with City of Oxford Officials
Recently, the Sustainable Newton board hosted a virtual town hall chat with City of Oxford officials to explore their efforts to promote and enhance sustainability in their city. Joining us for the one-hour video conference were:
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For more, visit the Virtual Events playlist on our YouTube channel.
Sustainable Stories
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A Butterfly's Best Friends
When Connie and David Waller learned about the plight of Monarch butterflies from a TV documentary, they didn't wait for others to act. After transforming their own yard into a butterfly habitat, they set about rallying the Newton County community to build pollinator gardens everywhere. This video features one they built at Academy Springs Park in Covington, Georgia, working with the Satsuki Garden Club. |
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Warm Sun, Cool Shade, and Sustainable Living
Newton County residents Randy and Sara Vinson took advantage of the Solarize Newton-Morgan program cosponsored by Sustainable Newton to realize a long-time dream to install a solar energy system in their home. In addition to a substantial savings (~50% thus far) on electricity costs, the Vinsons see their investment in the context of a broader effort to live a sustainable lifestyle and reduce their carbon footprint. |
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Where Sustainable Choices Are Par for the Course
With expansive land area, wildlife, and proximity to surrounding waterways, golf courses create unique challenges -- but also opportunities -- for sustainability. We asked Nancy Schulz, co-owner with her husband Dick of the Oaks Golf Course in Porterdale, Georgia, to discuss how they make sustainability a central element of their business strategy. Hear her answers in this this video. |
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Conversations
Conversations that Connect Us
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Climate scientist and renowned speaker Katharine Hayhoe is clear about the most important thing we can do to combat Climate Change. "Talk about it," the Texas Tech University professor says. "We can't give in to despair; we have to go out and look for the hope we need to inspire us to act -- and that hope begins with a conversation, today."
In this ongoing series of personal stories, we ask Newton County friends and neighbors reflect on how a connection to nature and lessons in sustainable living have shaped their lives. |
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For more, visit the Conversations playlist on our YouTube channel.
