Learn Home Weatherization Tips with Sustainable NE Seattle

The days are growing shorter, the air is getting colder, and your heating bill is on the rise.

What a perfect time to learn about home weatherization.

Sustainable NE Seattle‘s November meeting will be held on Thursday, November 17, at the Wedgwood Presbyterian Church (8008 35th Ave NE), from 6:30-9 PM (social time with treats for the first half hour).

Here’s the event description:

There are some immediate things we can do to make our homes more energy efficient. We will learn what to do before replacing windows from our community expert [and Ravenna resident], Joel Gregory. Also, learn about Solarize NESeattle, project to bring reasonable pricing for solar power to our neighborhood. Additionally, SustainableWorks® home retrofitting org, will be here for input and Q&A.

Bring a snack to share, if you wish, and your own utensils.

Sustainable NE Seattle is, via their about page, “a community of citizens dedicated to building a sustainable, resilient future for our locality, which includes Seattle neighborhoods that are north of the ship canal, east of I-5, and north to about 110th St NE.”

For more information on the organization, check out their FAQ (PDF).

Sustainable NE Seattle’s Planet:Home Festival returns this Saturday

This upcoming Saturday, August 6, Sustainable NE Seattle’s Planet:Home festival returns to the Hunter’s Farm lot in Wedgwood (7744 35th Ave NE), from 10 AM-5 PM.

This now annual event features educational talks and activities centered around the themes of sustainability and community.

The "floor plan" from last year's Planet:Home festival.

Upon entering the festival grounds, attendees wander through an outdoor “house” configuration, with activities set up in their respective “rooms” — for example, tool repair is held in the “Garage” area.

Festival-goers are encouraged to bring items for repair (such as bicycles and tools), plant starts to swap, and clothing for repurposing.

Food is available for purchase, on site, from various venders.

If you are not familiar with this event, check out Ravenna Blog’s post about the first ever Planet:Home festival last year: Planet:Home – A Sustainably Great Time.

More information on this year’s Planet:Home (including new attractions for 2011 and the schedule of bands performing) is available at Sustainable NE Seattle’s Planet:Home page.

____________________

Audience listening to a featured speaker at Planet:Home 2010.

2011 Speaker Stage schedule:

10:30-11:30 Francis Ayley of Fourth Corner Exchange in Bellingham (Fourth Corner Orientation)

11:30-12:30 Lisa Taylor of Seattle Tilth – Your Farm in the City

12:30-1:30 Candy Castellanos of Cleanscapes – Reduce Your Waste!

1:30-2:30 Marion Maxwell of the Puget Sound Mycological Society

2:30-3:30 Jenny Pel of Permaculture Now!

3:30-4:30 Joel Gregory of King County Housing Authority – Energy Efficiency Throughout the Home

And, remember:

Emergency preparedness and block watch information meeting this weekend

Sustainable NE Seattle is hosting another Emergency Preparedness meeting this Saturday, June 25, from 1-3 PM, at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Ave NE).

Details:

At our second meeting, we are pleased to have Terrie Johnston, the Crime Prevention specialist from the North Precinct, speak to us about the Blockwatch program – an integral part of emergency preparedness – and strategies to get our neighbors together.

This event is open to the entire northeast Seattle community.