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No school on Friday meant that I got to take my son to visit the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon 2017 in Denver
. This "nerdfest," as my teenage son described it, is a competition that challenges students from U.S. and European universities to design and build full-size, resource-efficient homes. I came away from the tour with a great sense of hope and inspiration. Not only were the houses beautiful and net zero, all under 1,000 square feet, but the students who designed and built them (and gave personal guided tours), understood the importance of their work for our country and global future.
I hope you find similar inspiration in YVSC's Sustainable Homes Tour on Sunday, October 15. Read on to find out more about the Tour and everything else we are working on this October.
Warmly,
Sarah Jones
Executive Director
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Sustainable Homes Tour
Sunday, Oct. 15
1 - 4 p.m.
Fairview neighborhood
starting from the Art Depot
1001 13th St., Steamboat Springs
"Making green building work for everyone" is the theme for this year's Sustainable Homes Tour. Join us to walk through the Fairview neighborhood to visit six energy-efficient, beautifully-designed and smaller homes:
- two very energy-efficient apartments atop garages
- a 1,000-square-foot home where the homeowner served as her own general contractor
- an efficient family home under construction
- a spec home transformed mid-build by a LEED professional to be more energy efficient
- a relocated home with a ground-mounted solar installation
New this year!
The walking tour format will offer a short educational talk and time for Q & A on the half hour at each home. Learn from architects, builders, subcontractors and the homeowners. At the Art Depot, participants can also view and ask questions about a falcon-wing 2016 Tesla Model X with an all-electric range of 250 miles. The Tesla and owner will be in the Art Depot parking lot from 1 - 2 p.m.
Thank you to our Green Building sponsors!
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2017 Community Recycling Drop-Off success
Thank you to all the volunteers, partners, sponsors, residents and businesses who braved the rain and cold on Saturday, September 23 to help make YVSC's annual recycling one-stop-drop--and community tradition--a huge success!
We had another record-breaking year. Here's 2017 by the numbers:
- 624 households in 3 hours (up from 568 in 2016)
- 22 businesses participated in the afternoon Commercial Drop-Off
- 38,844 lbs. electronics (up from 30,000 lbs. in 2016)
- 5,075 lbs. paint and stain
- 200 gallons motor oil
- 79 mattresses and box springs
- 1,000 lbs. clothing
- 15,840 lbs. scrap metal and appliances
- 929 fluorescent light bulbs
- 57 vehicle batteries
- 3,962 lbs. household batteries
- 1,500 lbs. yard waste
- 120 bike tires and tubes
- 2,000 books
- 103 pairs of skis
- Plus building materials, shoes, wine corks, printer cartridges, cell phones, plastic bags, packing peanuts and more!
>> If you missed the Drop-Off this year, there are many local options for electronics, scrap metal, light bulbs, paint and other hard-to-recycle materials that are available year-round.
Please visit YVSC's interactive
A-Z Recycling Guide.
>> Your feedback on the event is valuable. We know the lines were long, and we are already working on how we can make next year even better.
Please take a minute to fill out this short survey to help us improve all aspects of this community service.
Thank you to our Waste Diversion sponsors!
Thank you to our recycling partners!
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Learn more about waste diversion in Routt County
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Photo courtesy of
Steamboat Pilot
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In preparation for newly adopted statewide waste diversion goals, Routt County Department of Environmental Health requested YVSC prepare a white paper to examine the importance of waste diversion in Routt County as it relates to the broader regional and statewide landscape. Working closely with Routt County, we have finished the report, and it is posted on our website.
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Community climate action: It's go time!
On September 19, YVSC Executive Director Sarah Jones pr
esented to
Steamboat Springs City Council about the impacts of climate change locally and how other communities in Colorado are taking action by joining the
Compact of Colorado Communities
. Several residents and local business representatives spoke passionately after the presentation urging the City to act on climate change to preserve our environment, our economy and our community. As a result, YVSC has been invited to provide more information to Council at a work session later this fall.
>> Voice your support and encourage the City to dedicate funds in the budget for tangible climate action by emailing Council members.
>> If you missed the presentation, view the
slide deck.
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Looking for a few good ReTree volunteers
Thursday, October 12
Stagecoach State Park
The final ReTree planting this fall is a student-led project, assisting Colorado Parks and Wildlife, to plant alder and willows at the Stagecoach tailwaters. The original scheduled date for planting was Sunday, October 8, but it has been rescheduled to October 13. We are looking for 3 volunteers to help us prepare the site on October 12, bringing in the seedlings and supplies,
pre-digging holes, and preparing cages for the trees.
Thank you to our ReTree sponsors!
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Welcome our new Administrative Assistant Jaiya Ellis
Jaiya moved to Steamboat in winter 2012 to be a ski bum because she heard about Steamboat's legendary powder and wanted to ski something different than the wet cement from the Cascade Mountains. She first became involved with YVSC in the summer of 2013 when she participated in a ReTree planting on Mount Werner. To this day she still says a quiet "Hi, how're you doing?" when she skis by the very mighty but small Weasel Trees off Why Not.
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Tiny Homes in Routt County: What you need to know
Tuesday, November 14
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Tiny home designed and built by students at Sacramento State.
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5:30 - 7 p.m.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
846 Oak St., Steamboat Springs
YVSC presents part two of a popular Talking Green session on tiny homes in Routt County. City, County and community leaders will lead an updated discussion on tiny homes. The evening will include information from Routt County Regional Building Official Todd Carr outlining the recently adopted tiny home building codes chapter and realtor Ryan Cox discussing a new local tiny home financing product available soon. Join us to learn more about how to make your tiny home legal in Routt County.
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NEW! Cen$ible Energy now offers rebates for business building audits
The community energy-efficiency rebate program Cen$ible Energy has introduced a new commercial energy audit for small businesses. The first 10 businesses with Yampa Valley Electric Association service to sign up for the audit this season will receive a $200 rebate. The primary target is small businesses such as office, retail, restaurant and lodging properties up to 10,000 square feet without highly complicated or specialized refrigeration, HVAC or other equipment.
>> Contact Suzie Romig at [email protected] or 970-871-9299 ext. 104 for more information.
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Monthly giving: Set it and forget it (and still do your part to protect the environment)
You can take action on climate change and make life in the Yampa Valley more sustainable by donating monthly to YVSC! Instead of giving one lump sum, consider spreading out your tax-deductible contribution over the year by joining Friends of YVSC (our monthly giving group).
"I joined Friends of YVSC in 2014. Every month when I get my email receipt for my $10 donation to YVSC, I feel good knowing that I am contributing to a bigger effort to preserve the environment that makes Steamboat such an amazing place. Plus, my small monthly gift really adds up by the end of the year!" -YVSC donor
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Yampa Valley Sustainability Council
141 9th St. | Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 | 970.871.9299
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