On Wednesday, June 4, 34 people gathered in the Wellesley Free Library’s Wakelin Room with one thing in common: a passion for “greening” Wellesley. Groups from all over town were represented at the meeting, ranging from Wellesley Green Schools and the Wellesley High School Green Team, to Sustainable Wellesley, to the Wellesley Village Church’s Environmental Ministry, to the Wellesley Cancer Prevention Project, and many others.
Under the name the Wellesley Green Collaborative (WGC), the Town’s Sustainable Energy Committee (SEC) developed a list of green organizations in town two years ago to unite all the environmentally-active organizations in town in an effort to push Power to Choose, the SEC’s primary initiative at the time. The following year, in order to unite campaign efforts for the Power to Save initiative, the SEC hosted a meeting of all the different organizations. The group continues to meet to share ideas and join forces on green ongoings in town, allowing groups to collaborate on and support one another’s initiatives, as well as develop common themes and initiatives that produce a cohesive environmental movement in town.
“The Collaborative is just that and nothing more,” said SEC Chair Ellen Korpi. “Each group has its own focus and priorities and is fully independent from the others. We exchange contact information and try to find places where we can be mutually supportive. At our meetings, we also seek to share information that is of interest to all of us.”
The benefits of a cooperative group like the WGC became apparent last year when Lise Olney of Sustainable Wellesley and the League of Women Voters briefed the group on the updated bottle bill ballot initiative. As a result of her work with the many groups present, Olney was able to coordinate the collection of almost 1,500 petition signatures in favor of seeing the updated bottle bill on the November ballot.
At the meeting on June 4, the WGC touched upon various current initiatives and programs that look to further “green” Wellesley. The projects discussed included the Department of Public Works’ experimental winter moth-combatting program’, the Planning Department’s lighting and noise reduction study, and the SEC’s renewable energy program More Power to Choose. The meeting also featured a briefing by Selectman Ellen Gibbs on the potential “North 40” property sale and a revisit to the Town’s Carbon Footprint Reduction Goal that was unanimously approved by Town Meeting in April.
Overall, Korpi looks forward to the future progress the group will make. “By bringing these groups together and sharing information, we are strengthening the ‘green voice’ of Wellesley,” according to Korpi. “We are finding more ways to work together by coordinating calendars, sponsoring joint programs, disseminating information about other groups’ initiatives to each group’s own distribution list by lending a hand to each other.” According to Korpi, the WGC may consider embracing a common theme for next year, but plans for it haven’t been finalized yet.
(Matthew Hornung and Olivia Gieger)
The Green Pages 