In partnership with Winneshiek Energy District members, Kevin and Leslie Sand, our Green Iowa Americorps team created the Tiny Trees Initiative to make Decorah a little greener and help reduce the energy bills of Decorah residents through natural shade. A large shade tree should be planted 20 feet or more from the house to maximize the shade benefit and ensure the safety of your home (source). If you think you
Martin Donovan, Green Iowa Americorps When you’re cooking up ways to increase the efficiency of your home, upgrading your stove to an induction cooktop could be a fun and useful thing to consider. Unlike electric or gas cooktops, induction burners directly heat pots and pans. But what does direct heat actually mean? When cooking with electric stoves, a lot of energy is used to heat metal coils which then heats
Is every member of your household fully vaccinated against Covid-19? If so, the Green Iowa Americorps team is excited to offer you a First Step Home Energy Audit! Call our office (563) 382-4207 to schedule your appointment. We will require all applicants to complete and sign a form listing all members of a household and providing their dates and types of vaccination. An audit will be scheduled no sooner than
By: Briana Burke, Green Iowa AmeriCorps NE Iowa’s Energy-Efficiency Triad In 2017 an estimated 66.7% to 86% of energy production in the United States was wasted (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2017). In a time when we are facing a climate crisis, we are not only the single largest per-capita producers of greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change, but well over half of our emissions end up in the atmosphere
Are you looking for a “green” job? Do you love to serve others? Green Iowa AmeriCorps is currently seeking full-time service members for Fall 2019. Serve with us here at the Winneshiek Energy District or at one of the other sites across Iowa. Learn more and apply at greeniowaamericorps.org
Luke Forsberg, Green Iowa AmeriCorps Summer Member [View or download the PDF Climate Change Education in Schools Research-2019] “All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth” -Aristotle “Climate change should be taught from a young age so there’s no excuse for kids to grow up ignorant of what’s at stake” -Connecticut State Representative Christine
On August 6th we celebrated the Green Iowa AmeriCorps program’s 10th Anniversary with our 9th team: Luke Forsberg (summer member), Maddy Knutson, Katherine Hannigan, and Briana Burke, (not pictured: Gracie Engle and Ally Peters). The lunch hour celebration consisted of speakers, honoring this year’s teams from eight sites across Iowa. Katherine gave a dynamite presentation highlighting this our 2018-2019 team’s work in northeast Iowa. There were cupcakes, GIA alumni, and
Kristin Eggen, Communications and Outreach When it comes to energy-efficiency, lighting is low-hanging fruit that offers the biggest payback. That’s why energy districts across northeast Iowa have organized quick-and-easy Bulb Swaps for your to quickly exchange up to four incandescent lightbulbs for high-efficiency LED bulbs. Winneshiek County July 31 and August 7 Winneshiek Farmers Market – 3 pm to 6 pm August 14 Decorah Community Food Pantry – 1:30 pm to
Kristin Eggen, Communications Specialist From disconnected ducts to alien cats, attend this month’s energy breakfast to hear stories from a year in the “boots” of northeast Iowa’s energy-saving superstars: The Green Iowa AmeriCorps team. The 2018-19 team has made an impressive impact in our community through home energy assessments, environmental education, and outreach: 11 months, 4 full-time members, two summer members, 120 homes, and over 112 tons of carbon saved. The
Today we welcome Ally Peters and Luke Forsberg as Green Iowa AmeriCorps summer members. Luke and Ally will serve 300 hours this summer helping to scale up our summer programs and make northeast Iowa a more sustainable place to live through environmental education projects, home energy assessments, and community service projects. Both have studied political science and environmental science at Luther College. This summer’s projects will include work with the Decorah butterfly garden,