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JOIN THE UNION ARENA CELEBRATION!
FIRST NET-ZERO ICE ARENA IN THE U.S.
WHEN: 4:30-6:00pm, Saturday, October 23, 2021.
WHERE: 80 Amsden Way, Woodstock, VT 05091. (Click here for Google Map location.)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://unionarena.org/As of early summer 2021, Union Arena’s newly-installed energy-efficient systems and expansive solar array have transformed the building into the first NET ZERO ICE ARENA in the United States, with no net annual energy cost for heating fuel and electricity. With the cost of energy accounting for approximately a third of the total annual operational costs, the sustainability benefits for the arena operations budget, for the environment, and for the community, are profound and far-reaching. Crossing the rubicon to net-zero positively affects the cost of programs, keeping them affordable, and therefore accessible, for all.
The Union Arena NET ZERO project supports a broad array of commitments that have been made for increasing renewable energy and decreasing carbon emissions, including the goals of President Biden’s Climate Plan, Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, and the Town of Woodstock, Vermont’s own Comprehensive Energy Plan, “Ready for 100%” pledge to the Sierra Club and Climate Emergency and Action Resolution.
The world has discovered Union Arena’s innovative and forward-looking net-zero project, which has been featured in articles published by the Associated Press and the Globe & Mail, and in broadcasts over Radio Canada and VPR. The net-zero team has conducted classes for Efficiency Vermont, hosting other ice arena operators. They served as panel members in a webinar shared nationwide in Canada to create a road map to help Canadian municipalities get to NET ZERO. New York City has contacted Union Arena to study the project.
What do you think of when you imagine a ladybug (officially known as a lady beetle)? Is it red with black spots? Many people are familiar with the species that commonly congregates inside our homes in the winter (the invasive Asian Lady Beetle), but there are actually at least 42 species that have been recorded in Vermont alone! Lady beetles can be different sizes and colors, ranging from black to yellow to red. They can be found in fields, forests, shrubland, swamps, and right in your backyard. Unfortunately, many native lady beetle species populations across the country are in decline, due to the introduction of non-native lady beetle species, land use change, and pesticides. Vermont appears to be experiencing declines as well. Currently, 12 of Vermont’s native lady beetle species have not been seen in over 40 years. The Vermont Center for Ecostudies has launched the Vermont Lady Beetle Atlas, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life, to learn about the current state of Vermont’s lady beetle populations.
Join us for a virtual presentation to learn more about Vermont’s lady beetles, led by Vermont Center for Ecostudies ECO Americorps volunteer Julia Pupko. Learn how you can participate in finding Vermont’s lost lady beetles: it’s easy, fun, and will advance our understanding of how to conserve the native species of lady beetles living in our state.
Showing solutions, telling a feel-good story… this may be the best way to solve the ecological, economic and social crises that our countries are going through. After a special briefing for the journal Nature announcing a possible mass extinction event before the end of the 21st century, Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent, together with a team of four people, carry out an investigation in ten different countries to figure out what may lead to this disaster and above all how to avoid it.
During their journey, they meet the pioneers who are re-inventing agriculture, energy, economy, democracy and education. Joining those concrete and positive actions which are already working, they begin to figure out what could be in store for tomorrow's world.
Free and open to all. Donations are welcome and go to support our local arts community. Make donations at https://pentanglearts.org/get-involved/donations/
Hosted by Sustainable Woodstock and Pentangle Arts. Made possible by our underwriters VERMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION and MASCOMA BANK and sponsors Ellaway Group, The Unicorn, Yankee Bookshop, and Mark Knott DDS.
by Janet Anderson, PhD* Birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife can be harmed by the pest control techniques and timing we use. Always read and strictly follow the label directions...
by Amanda Kuhnert and Michael Caduto Last weekend Sustainable Woodstock held our annual e-cycling day in the Union Arena parking lot. A steady line of cars made their way through...
by Zachariah Ralph & Michael J. Caduto At Sustainable Woodstock, we work hard to empower members of the community, and the Upper Valley, to take real steps toward solving some of...