Green Team Meeting notes 8/5/25

 

Meeting started with introductions, followed by short discussion about the consent items.

 

Update on “A Yard in Every Yard”

Katie presented to the Parks and Recreation meeting and the sustainability committee meeting. Parks and Rec did give us, six locations in the parks around town. There is a location at Grundahl, Waltz, Liberty, Sunrise park, sections along the Military Ridge Trail, and the Middle School. Black plastic is installed along those locations
In addition, there are residential lots. If members are interested, they need to contact Katie implored now is the time with high heat days to knock down grasses in time to plant the seeds. Katie is working with Lisa Johnson at the UW Extension for suggestions on plans and seed selection.

Seed collection was discussed, as Wisconsin Women in Conservation group (WiWic) will be hosting an event 8/22 from 1-4 pm at the Prairie Enthusiasts Mounds View Prairie site on 8624 Reilly Rd, Barneveld, W the south side of 18-151.

More information at https://www.wiwic.org/event-details/autumn-learning-circle-co-establish-community-and-pollinators

Project timeline for the “beta test” sites for “A Yard in Every Yard” and documentation of fall when dead grass is pulled up, sowing seeds, and in spring keeping a catalog of what emerges, and which are the desired plants.
Ideally results would be documented weekly. Some discussion followed about logo design for the project, signage, packaging and possible distribution sites including the Garden Club plant sale, library, farmer’s market.

The subject of funding came up and Peggy Z from Rotary club was asked if Rotary club could help any with financially, as a place for seed package distribution at meetings, and presentation of the project at the Chamber of Commerce’s Good Morning Mount Horeb events.

More discussion about funding for the project as Katie volunteered to purchase seeds, and having recipients sign out so that locations can be tracked, and educational materials can be emailed to keep them informed and engaged along the way.

Timeline for design and production of a sticker and logo was suggested for winter. Also discussed was how to publicize the project using Facebook, Garden Club, Mount Horeb Mail
 

Other funding sources was discussed Wisconsin Master Gardeners, Mount Horeb community foundation.

 

The travel green update. This is a state Department of Tourism program where businesses can fill out an application online to be certified as green businesses. A lot of the things they can qualify in are kind of aspirational.
We thought we could do some things, maybe encouragement for our businesses to do this. Jennifer looked into others that are currently part of it such as American Players theater.
Elizabeth and Tim met with Rachel at the Chamber. We were encouraged to contact Drew Nussbaum from the state.

 

Action items that we can do for outreach is to opt in now, and take a pledge. You can just sign a pledge. We discussed doing some outreach with the newspaper, our committee, perhaps doing a resolution with the village. The chamber is willing to do a chamber blast is our part of the Green Team’s association with the village.

Action items:

• go out to businesses, to get buy in from local village businesses and organizations to do what's on the travel green.

• Presenting to good Morning Mt. Horeb*, podcasts and social media.

• Follow up includes to get in touch with Drew to present to us in one of our winter meetings when things are a little bit slower.

*A first Wednesday of the month event at 8 a.m. upstairs from Buck and Honeys
 

Tim suggested a public meeting that we try to get more people to get more recognition of the green team. Also discussed was continuing to reserve the conference room for future meetings.

Other criteria for travel green:

• waste reduction, reuse and recycling. We're just hoping they can take on the pledge and maybe bring it to the forefront. Another aspect of Travel Green is water conservation, reduced flow fixtures, and energy Star certified water heaters.
• Utilize green building practices like sustainable design materials and construction uses native plants or rain gardens and landscaping. So, that's part of the Travel Green.

 

In addition, what they have on their website is a whole bunch of courses and programs that are optional to participate. And if you look at this, you'll go, wow, we're talking about some of these things in our green team meetings already.

In housekeeping and administrative items was discussion of Green Team email address. Jennifer offered to look into setting up Google groups.

More discussion about filing for EIN, potential banking institutions for the Green Team’s bank account, Green Team financial officer (Treasurer) Peggy offered assistance for this task.

Future agenda items on the agenda were discussed.
• keeping cats indoors within village limits. Bring up village ordinance
• Outreach calendar content for A Yard in Every Yard.
• energy efficiency outreach: documenting what happens in an energy audit, how our utility company has incentives for customers, possibly doing an event like the one the SNR had in 2024 about solar installations for residents, producing video content for YouTube channel.

• Production of yardsticks for A Yard in Every Yard and education materials at the beta/test sites.

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:00

 

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